INDIANAPOLIS (Dec 3, 1996) -- KOOL/Green team owner Barry Green announced during a press conference today that he has signed former Brix-Comptech driver, Parker Johnstone for the 1997 season. Parker recently announced that he was leaving the Comptech/Motorola team after a long association. A move that surpised everyone and left the Comptech team in shock.

"We've had a lot of ups and downs trying to find a driver and I'm really happy to announce we've got a deal with Parker for the next two seasons," said Green, who won the Indy 500 and the CART championship in 1995 with Jacques Villeneuve but struggled terribly with Raul Boesel in '96. Boesel has since taken his Brahma sponsorship to Patrick Racing and will be Scott Pruett's teammate in 1997.

"Parker is a driver that impressed us tremendously over the last couple of years and I think more importantly, he will fit into our team extremely well," Green continued. "Parker has a great reputation for being a very, very good technical driver and I think that's a big, big part to being a lead driver of a team of our size."

"We've had great feedback from people that have worked with him, and certainly Firestone on how good his feedback is. We're talking about a lead situation here and we feel it's very, very important to have a good technical driver and from everything I've heard Parker is going to fill those shoes very nicely."

"This is a tremendous opportunity," said Johnstone. "I've admired Barry and Kim's work over the years. I'm absolutely in awe of their efficiency and ability to turn out first class racing cars and demonstrate the sort of professionalism that I think everyone in IndyCar aims for."

"It was an answer to a difficult situation. There were two very distinct decisions that I made. The first one, to leave the Brix-Comptech team -- that was independent of a place to go, or a job alternative. Although I think a lot of people haven't distinguished those decisions, to me personally it's very important."

"It was also an extremely difficult decision, having been with the same team for ten years. But although very difficult, I think it was very important for the team to continue in the direction that they felt was best and also for me to make a decision to cut ties, if you will, and explore whatever options were available to me."

"The chance timing that Barry, with an operation of his calibre, would still have an opening for a driver -- I mean that's just one of those once in a lifetime opportunities."

No word yet as to whether Honda will go to Team Green or not. Such a move is complicated by the fact that Team Green has one more year on their contract with Ford/Cosworth. Barry Green said that he has not 'had any phone calls from Honda, yet.'

'Yet' being the key word on this issue.

It has also been overheard that Motorola is (also) being courted away from Brix-Comptech by Carl Hogan, Gerald Davis and Dale Coyne. The loss of Motorola, if that does in fact happen, would be devastating to this team who has struggled in the past.

And the rumor-mill churns!