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©1999 SpeedCenter Publishing Indianapolis, Indiana, November 22, 1999 - The Player's/Forsythe Team has announced that it will once again join forces with engine manufacturer Ford-Cosworth in 2000 in an effort to regain the championship form which marked their partnership in the mid-1990s. "We are very excited about our package for next season and our renewed association with Ford-Cosworth certainly serves notice that we will be a team to be reckoned with in the year 2000 and beyond," said Neil Micklewright, Vice-President of Operations for Player's/Forsythe. "We know from experience that their race engineers are among the best in the business and they share our vision for the future, which includes many more trips to the winner's circle and a shot at the PPG Cup." Player's and Ford-Cosworth won their last championship together in 1995 when Jacques Villeneuve captured the checkered flag at the Indy 500 en route to the driver's title in his sophomore season. In 2000, Player's/Forsythe will field cars for Patrick Carpentier and rookie Alex Tagliani and use the new Ford-Cosworth XF, the next generation of Champ Car engines. "Ford and Player's have a winning history together and, in teaming up for the 2000 season, we look to build on that tradition," said Jay O'Connell, CART program manager, Ford Racing Technology. "Every decision made in racing is done for one reason - to win. We are pleased that a team the caliber of Player's/Forsythe Racing feels that switching to Ford-Cosworth power will give them a competitive advantage. We are confident that we can meet their expectations and work together to reach new heights with an engine that features many technological advancements." The new Ford-Cosworth XF engine is two inches shorter and 18 percent lighter than the '99 version, and revs at a range approaching 16,000 rpm. Throughout its history in CART racing, Ford and Cosworth have tallied an unmatched 306 combined Champ Car victories. "The decrease in size and weight will give us more flexibility in our set-ups," said Patrick Carpentier, who is looking forward to a breakthrough season in 2000. "I heard Christian (Fittipaldi) and Roberto (Moreno) rave about the new engine when they tested it last August and I simply can't wait to get in the car and see it for myself."
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