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23.MAY.01
New
CART Team to be Driven by the Speed & Strength of New Economy
Business Models
One of Racing's
Most Respected Families Joins Forces With Technology Entrepreneur INDIANAPOLIS
(May 23, 2001) -- Frank and Albert Arciero and Larry Blair announced
today the formation of Arciero-Blair Racing. Additionally, co-owner
Matthias Czabok was named the vice president of marketing and
business development.
The new
partnership represents much more than a semantic change to the
organization; it will focus on leveraging the Arciero racing history
and Blair's experience and success in the technology sector. The
team will continue to contest the Championship Auto Racing Teams
(CART) FedEx Championship Series with its number 25 WinnerB2B.com
Lola and driver Max Wilson. "Often,
the outside business world brings some profound insight to
racing," said Albert Arciero. "In much the same way as
racing benefited from the migration of aerospace talent in the 80s,
Larry brings a creative and adventurous approach from the high tech
industry." The
Arciero legacy dates back to Frank Sr.'s debut at the 1959 Indy 500,
a bold move that led to decades of motorsports involvement including
Indy 500 and CART campaigns and full-time CART team ownership by
1980. Inheriting his father's passion for both racing and business,
son Albert was working in the race shop by age 12, becoming an
accomplished mechanic before beginning his own successful off-road
racing career in 1970. Together, the Arcieros built one of racing's
most respected organizations and over the years have had renowned
drivers Phil Hill, Dan Gurney, Michael Andretti, Bobby and Al Unser
in their stable. More recently, in their past relationship with
Arciero-Wells Racing they had drivers Max Papis, Robby Gordon,
Cristiano da Matta and Hiro Matsushita. Much of the Arcieros'
viability on the track can be attributed to their prowess outside
the racing arena where they have built successful enterprises that
include real estate development, a 5,000-acre alfalfa ranch, and the
acclaimed Arciero Winery. They are continuing to add to their racing
involvement, with Jerry Forysthe as their partner, in building a
racetrack in the Sacramento, Calif. area. "There
are so many similarities between racing and high tech start up
companies," said Blair. "I come from a business culture
that is like racing, you gather, evaluate and process the
information in thousandths of seconds. I want to blend my new
economy background to bring a different marketing style and unique
perspective to this team and sport. Forming a partnership with the
Arcieros, one of the most established names in racing, is a
privilege." A
businessman and entrepreneur, Blair enters the motorsports arena not
only as a team owner but also as a futurist with the insight and
creativity to ignite and develop a powerful racing brand and
organization. In the technology sector, Blair held key positions
with businesses that laid the foundation of the Internet. His former
posts include vice president of marketing for both Redback Networks,
Inc. and Ipsilon, and co-founder of Kalpana (the inventor of the
Ethernet switch). Recognizing the similarities in the
information-driven cultures of technology and motorsports, Blair
intends to add the speed and agility of new economy thinking to the
conventional wisdom found in racing. Blair promises to take both
action and risks in architecting and operating the team. He plans to
draw heavily upon the tech industry's proven business-to-business
and partnering models in order to accelerate this new venture. Czabok
co-owned and ran an advertising and marketing agency in Germany for
seven years before selling his partnership in 1998. He then started
a new company specializing in motorsports marketing, working as an
independent consultant and European agent for CART teams. In 1999
Czabok became the official marketing agent for programs in the
German Touring Car Racing series. In 2000, Czabok joined the Arciero
Project Racing Group as director of marketing. The
principals also announced that CART veteran Robert (Bob) Sprow is
the new general manager for the Arciero-Blair Racing team. Sprow's
impressive career spans more than 20 years in the automotive
industry and motorsports. Since graduating from the Ford Motor
Company Technical School in 1972, Sprow has worked as either team
manager or crew chief for some of the sport's most successful
organizations, including Penske Racing, Newman-Haas Racing, Patrick
Racing and the Arciero Racing Teams. With many championships already
under his belt, and experience in setting up equipment for CART's
upper echelon drivers including Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Sr.,
Roberto Moreno, Andrian Fernandez and Max Papis, Sprow gives
Arciero-Blair Racing an immediate head start. His diversity will
also play an important role in the innovative approach the team is
taking. Aside from his accomplishments in CART, Sprow managed the
manufacturers' and drivers' championship-winning International Motor
Sports Association (IMSA) GTP teams in 1990 and 1991, and the MTEG
Manufacturers' Championship winning teams in 1987, 1988 and 1989. The
next race for the Indianapolis-based team will be the Miller Lite
225, held on June 3 at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin. For
more information on Arciero-Blair Racing go to: www.BlairRacing.com
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