DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche Joins F1 and NASCAR Partners to Affirm

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DaimlerChrysler's Leadership in Global MotorsportsSunday July 2, 3:26 pm ET
* DaimlerChrysler's unique German-American makeup drives its leadership in the global motorsports arena
* DaimlerChrysler is the only automobile company to have both a presence and heritage in Formula 1 and NASCAR racing

INDIANAPOLIS, July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management DaimlerChrysler AG (NYSE: DCX - News) and head of Mercedes Car Group told media here today that the company's strategic focus on global presence, leading brands and innovation has resulted in an unmatched presence, past and present, in motorsports around the world.

In a press briefing, Dr. Zetsche was joined by two leading players in motorsports: Ron Dennis, CEO and Chairman of the McLaren Group and team principle of the Team McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team, and Ray Evernham, President and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. The discussion followed the previous evening's NASCAR Nextel Cup Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and preceded Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix Formula 1 race in Indianapolis. At the media briefing, Zetsche, Dennis and Evernham discussed racing in general, and highlighted some of the sharing of technology and strategies between the Team McLaren Mercedes team and Evernham Motorsports Dodge NASCAR team.

As a part of DaimlerChrysler's global racing network, Evernham Motorsports and the McLaren Group share information in areas such as how they measure critical performance in testing, their general simulation methods and organizational structure.

According to Dr. Zetsche, "Like the Mercedes Car Group and the Chrysler Group, Formula 1 and NASCAR are both unique and interrelated. Their similarities and differences, and success, mimic the unique makeup of DaimlerChrysler's management, product offering and racing programs. The fact that DaimlerChrysler is the only car-maker currently participating in Formula 1 and NASCAR demonstrates that our presence and history in global motorsports is unmatched. We intend to continue to leverage our unique German-American organization to be leaders in this arena."

"A great example of the synergy possibilities within DaimlerChrysler is found just 50 miles from here in Kokomo, Indiana," said Zetsche. "The Indiana Transmission Plant II in Kokomo, produces a DaimlerChrysler 5-speed automatic transmission originally used in Mercedes-Benz vehicles that has now been engineered for use in the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Magnum and Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee. We believe our unique German-American organization gives us an advantage in the marketplace."