PRO-RALLY DRIVER AND DRAG RACER TEAM UP TO COMPETE IN 2001 MICHELIN ONE LAP OF AMERICA

(Indianapolis, IN) Indiana residents Mike Hurst and Ted Lyons will make their Michelin One Lap of America debut May 5th as the week-long event kicks off from Watkins Glen International Speedway, at the south end of Seneca Lake in New York.

The yearly endurance test of man and machine developed its roots as the beneficiary for the "Cannonball" classic, which gained popularity in the 1970's. Competitors embark on a sleepless journey, as they make their trek throughout the United States. They travel non-stop from track to track, stopping only for fuel and the occasional snack. Once at the scheduled venue, teams compete for overall and class honors, scored by their on-track performance. Then, they pack up their ride soldiering on to the next stop.

The 2001 edition will visit road course and drag racing facilities such as Michigan Speedway, Heartland Park in Kansas, Fort Worth Motorsport Ranch, Road Atlanta and Virginia International Raceway, with two stops at Watkins Glen, New York.

The Drivers

Mike Hurst is a regular competitor in SCCA Pro-Rally, scoring three Divisional Pro-Rally Championships, while amassing several National class wins in his twenty years behind the wheel. Speedvision viewers will recognize Hurst from the televised coverage of the Pro-Rally series. Hurst worked for David Pearson's NASCAR Winston Cup team before opening TuneTech Automotive in Indianapolis. In addition to general automotive care, TuneTech builds road-race, rally and drag-racing cars.

Hurst looks forward to a ProRally alternative, where he drives at speeds as high as 120 m.p.h. on gravel, tarmac or ice-covered roads he's never seen before. "It's rare when I have the luxury of guard rails, run-off areas or knowing which way the road goes", said Hurst. "For me, it will like running a 70-stage mile rally with 5000 transit miles".

Indianapolis businessman, Ted Lyons, is a professional boxer and experienced drag racer who campaigns a 500 cu.in. Pontiac Firebird.

"One Lap of America is the ultimate test for street-legal muscle cars", states Lyons. "That's why we're running. You find out who has the baddest car out there".

In the grueling test of skill and determination, reserved for the most hard-core automotive enthusiast, Hurst will handle road course duties of the event, while Lyons will be behind the wheel for the straight-line events.

The Car

1989 Ford Thunderbird Cobra SC (Mid-Priced Sedan category)

Sponsored by TCOB Specialty Fixtures, TuneTech, and RacerTrader.com.

This one-of-a-kind, custom creation developed in the TuneTech shop isn't your average, factory street-going product of Detroit.

Beneath the docile, twilight blue exterior and custom fiberglass hood, breathes a supercharged, fuel-injected. 5.5 litre Ford V8 squeezed into the confines that originally housed a stock V6. The heavy duty, Ford Racing A-4 engine block contains the best in race-duty internal parts, and is topped by CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads. It produces over 600 horsepower at the flywheel, with the aid of 15 lbs. of boost from a centrifugal supercharger.

The power is transmitted through a billet aluminum flywheel and 2-plate clutch to a 5-speed manual transmission. A NASCAR spec driveshaft is bolted to a 3.73:1 final drive set with a clutch type limited slip and custom axles.

The chassis has a four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension with custom built links, 13" brakes and race coil-over springs and shocks. Michelin mounted, 17" wheels put power to the road.

The T-Bird weighs in at 3900 lbs. without a driver, with a 114" wheelbase, just 3" shorter than a Lincoln Town Car. "The car will certainly be a challenge to drive, but it absolutely leaps down the straights", states Hurst.

Car owner, Lyons, is extremely proud of his creation. "We're really looking forward to showing what a project car like this has to offer", he said.

For more information, visit the Michelin One Lap of America web site at http://www/onelapofamerica.com.

Additional information and regular updates during the event can be found on the TuneTech Motorsports web site at http://www.tunetechmotorsports.com.

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