Sebring: Andy Brumbaugh named Lexus third driver

Brumbaugh Added To Team Lexus Driver Line-up

TEAM LEXUS ADDS ANDY BRUMBAUGH TO ALMS DRIVER LINE-UP

COLUMBIA, SC (March 15, 2006) -- Team Lexus has named Andy Brumbaugh as the primary reserve and test driver for the 2006 ALMS season. Brumbaugh will also be the lead third driver for the longer races. He joins the stout driver line-up of Chuck Goldsborough, Townsend Bell, Jean-Francois Dumoulin and Terry Borcheller.

Team Lexus has served as Lexus' factory team since 1999. After a successful run in the Grand Am Cup series with two championships and numerous wins, pole positions and podium finishes, the team makes the move into the ALMS GT2 class in 2006 with a two-car IS 350 team prepared under the new "S2" standard.

"Andy drove for us in 2004," said team owner Chuck Goldsborough. "He came to us with little sports car experience but I knew of him from his karting and open-wheel championships. He worked hard, was very professional and learned quickly. Before the end of the season he was as fast as anyone on the team and was the top qualifier for a number of races. He is just plain fast!"

As it enters ALMS competition, Team Lexus will be debuting the new Lexus IS 350 racer that is based upon the all-new 2006 IS 350 luxury sport sedan introduced last fall. The second-generation IS marks the third different Lexus model prepared for road racing competition in the U.S. following the GS 400 and the IS 300. The ALMS will hold 10 North American events in 2006 with five being televised on CBS and five on Speed Channel. The majority of the races are "sprint" races of two hours and 45 minutes in length. The longest event is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, the oldest sports car race in America.

-abr