Lola Cars International enters the millennium firmly established as one of the world's leading racecar manufacturers. With no less than five new categories of race cars being produced for 2000, this year promises to be one of the most exciting in the company's 40-year history for both Lola and Lola customers.

Central to Lola's success is their state-of-the-art Technical Facility that allows for some of the purest model testing in the world. The new Lola B2K/40 was the first SR2 sports car to be fully developed utilizing the new facilities.

The future of Lola Cars International is based on the desire to further strengthen its engineering capabilities and ensure that Lola's trademark creativity and innovation continues well into the new century. Lola is committed to success and this means setting the pace in the relentless development process that is crucial in maintaining and expanding a solid customer base and a competitive edge in Motorsports. For more information on Lola Cars International Ltd and their products please visit their Website at www.lolacars.com.

The Ford-Cosworth XF engine made its competition debut in the first race of the 2000 CART FedEx Championship season, powering driver Max Papis to his first career victory at the Homestead Motorsports Complex. Smaller, lighter and more powerful than its predecessor, the Cosworth XD, the XF would go on to win seven races in 2000 and claim Ford-Cosworth's first CART manufacturers' championship since 1995.

The Ford-Cosworth XF engine is the smallest, lightest and highest-revving Champ Car engine ever designed and manufactured by Cosworth Racing. Two inches shorter and 18-percent lighter than the XD, the XF revs at a range substantially higher than that of any Champ Car engine previously produced by Cosworth.

The XF engine is the third evolution in Cosworth's "X" series of Champ Car engines that began with the introduction of the XB in 1992. Revolutionary for its time, the XB and XB Series II (1995) engines - descendents of the Ford-Cosworth HB Formula One engine - were both smaller and lighter than many of its competitors. Not only did the Ford-Cosworth XB engine win 25 CART races in four seasons and capture the 1995 manufacturers' championship, but it also powered both Nigel Mansell and Jacques Villeneuve to drivers' championships in 1993 and 1995, respectively.

Similar in size and weight to the XB, the Ford-Cosworth XD made its competition debut in 1996. The XD produced significantly more horsepower and rpm than the XB, which was made possible primarily through the relocation of the camshaft drive assembly from the front to the rear of the engine. In its four years of use, the XD won 16 CART events, including a season-high five races in both 1996 and 1999.

In each of the last four years, drivers on Firestone tires have not only taken the checkered flag in the FedEx Championship Series, but have also won the majority of races, taken the most pole positions, and led the most race laps.

As early as 1909, The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company took to the racetrack to demonstrate its technical prowess and competitive spirit. When Ray Harroun won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, driving a Marmon Wasp, he began a record of Indy 500 wins for Firestone that now stands at 50 - more than all other tire manufacturers combined. 

In 1990, Bridgestone and Firestone operations in the U.S. were consolidated as Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. The arrangement allowed tire manufacturing concepts and information to be shared on a global basis, with technical centers around the world sharing information. This pooling of talent contributed to dramatic success in the marketplace and on the racetrack.