Verstappen joins Tyrrell for 1997

DUTCH ACE TO RACE FOR TYRRELL TEAM The Tyrrell Racing Organization is delighted to announce the signing of Jos Verstappen for the Formula One team as race driver alongside Finland's Mika Salo and test driver Toranosuke Takagi of Japan. The 24-year old Dutchman was a multiple champion in karting before switching to single-seater race cars and winning the German Formula Three title in only his second season of full-time competition. Today, Jos has 31 Grand Prix races to his credit, having previously driven for the Benetton, Simtek and Arrows teams. "For me, the chance to join the Tyrrell team was an opportu- nity not to be missed," enthused Jos. "It is a compact efficient team with excellent design and engineering skills and I know from my experience with the Ford V8 that drivers can achieve great things with this highly responsive powerful unit." Verstappen twice claimed third place and climbed onto the winners' podium during his F1 debut season in 1994 and also rates winning the Formula Three Masters at Zandvoort before his `home' crowd as one of the most memorable experiences of his career so far. Welcoming Jos Verstappen to the team, Tyrrell chairman and team principal Ken Tyrrell commented: "With major sponsor PIAA on board, a new long-term marketing initiative with Nakajima Plan- ning in Japan, a complete line-up of race and test drivers and the promise of reliable power from our new Ford engines, we have key elements for success in place well before the start of the 1997 season. Construction of the all-new Tyrrell-Ford 025 is on schedule at the team's Surrey headquarters and the 1997 Formula One chal- lenger will be launched in January. All three drivers - Salo, Verstappen and Takagi - will then immediately begin testing the 025 at Silverstone. The team has scheduled preseason testing at four race tracks in England, Spain and Portugal prior to the opening of the 1997 FIA World Championship in Melbourne, Austra- lia on March 9th.

1,000,000,000,000 wanted for good cause

* 1st 2.00 #8604 * .1,000,000,000 would look good in my bank account. :-)