Ralphs/Food 4 Less & Della Penna Motorsports
Announces 1997 Indy Car World Series Schedule
SALINAS, Calif. - Ralphs/Food 4 Less and John Della Penna announced his
Campbell based team will run in the 1997 Indy Car World Series. Della Penna
will field a racing entry for the fourth consecutive year for Los Angeles
based Ralphs/Food 4 Less Corporation. This will be the second year of Indy
Car competition for this up and coming team and American driver Richie Hearn
of Canyon Country, Calif.
During the 1996 season, the team competed in both the PPG IndyCar World
Series and the Indy Racing League (IRL). However, in 1997 Della Penna will
campaign only in IndyCar sanctioned events. Della Penna has made it clear it
was a sponsorship decision to run in IndyCar in 1997.
"I started my driver development program with Richie and Ralphs/Food 4 Less
three years ago this month," said Della Penna. "The plan was to run two
years in Atlantics, win the Championship and then run a partial schedule of
IndyCar races the third year including the Indy 500. The IndyCar schedules
have many key markets that are important to our sponsors. The Indy 500 was a
key ingredient for our 1996 season. We were forced to participate in both
IndyCar and IRL this year. Now we are entering our fourth year and I feel
Richie and the team is ready to compete in a full season in the IndyCar
World Series. We come from a road racing background. We really enjoy
competing on the ovals, however we do not see ourselves participating in a
series that does not offer both. I feel the experience we acquired in the
IRL this year was invaluable to us especially at Indianapolis. Our plan all
along was to do road racing in the IndyCar Series. We found running in two
different series has diluted our effort this year. In 1997 we want to make a
100 percent commitment to IndyCar and focus our efforts on that. I
contemplated doing both the 1997 Indy 500 and the IndyCar Series. However, I
feel our sponsors and our effort would be served if we concentrate on one
thing. With the difference in the nature of the 1997 cars and rule packages
between IndyCar and IRL it is practically impossible to do both."
In 1996 the team has had a respectable first year moving into IndyCar and
IRL competition after winning the 1995 Player's Ltd./Toyota Atlantic
Championship and 1994 Rookie of the Year honors. The team finished tenth at
Long Beach with 2000 Ralphs/Food 4 Less employees and VIP's on hand to
witness their IndyCar debut. In IRL competition Della Penn Motorsports team
showed great promise qualifying on the front row in three out of four of the
1996 events and finishing third in the Indianapolis 500. These
accomplishments are not surprising considering the other talented drivers
Della Penna has confirmed that Hearn is under contract for the next four
years.
"I think that Richie has actually surpassed all of our goals in our
three-year plan and is more than ready to take on the next challenge. We
always have had a great working relationship and that will continue," said
Della Penna.
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