PKV Racing hires Tom Brown as technical director
PKV Racing today announced the hiring of Tom Brown as the team's new Technical Director source: champcarworldseries.com Brown, one of the most respected designers/engineers in the Champ Car World Series, graduated first in his class from the University of Strathclyde - Glasgow with a First Class Honors degree in Engineering. He joined Penske Cars as a design engineer in 1985 and in 1990 became one of Penske's Senior Design Engineers working on every Penske car from 1990-1996. From 1991 to 1993, while still designing for Penske, Brown was assigned to Bettenhausen Motorsports as Race Engineer when the team became a Penske customer. While at Bettenhausen he helped Stefan Johansson earn Rookie of the Year honors (1992). In 1994, Brown became Emerson Fittipaldi's Race Engineer at Marlboro Penske Racing and in 1996 was assigned, along with Fittipaldi, to Hogan Racing. During Brown's tenure as a Design and Race Engineer at Penske the team won three championships and six Indianapolis 500s. In 1997, Brown reunited with Bettenhausen Motorsports becoming the Managing Director and Chief Engineer. In his first season back with the team he helped Patrick Carpentier captured the Rookie of the Year Award and the following season guided the rookie season of Helio Castroneves. Brown remained as Chief Engineer when Bettenhausen Motorsports became Herdez Competition in 2001 and later HVM Inc. Commenting on the hiring of Brown, PKV Racing General Manager Jim McGee said, "I have known Tom Brown for many years and I am pleased to be able to have someone of his experience and talent join our team. Tom is an outstanding engineer who brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and insight to PKV Racing. His qualifications are second to none when it comes to engineering race cars and we look forward to working with him for many years to come." Brown assumes the technical directorship from Steve Challis. His responsibilities will include the organization and direction of the team's engineering staff and programs. In addition, he will be the Race Engineer for the #21 Bell Micro/PKV Racing Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone machine piloted by Cristiano da Matta. Brown heads up an engineering staff that includes, Yves Touron, who is the race engineer for Jimmy Vasser, Assistant Engineers Eric Beall and Matt Beckman as well as the data acquisition staff which consists of MJ Bull and Ricky Mahurin. Brown will get his first on-track exposure as PKV Racing's Technical Director at a test on the Milwaukee Mile in Milwaukee, WI Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4. "I am very pleased to be joining PKV Racing," said Brown. "I have worked with some very strong teams and outstanding drivers in my career, but this is one of the best and strongest organizations I have ever been associated with. When you have the chance to work for a team that is led by someone as well respected as Jim McGee, includes drivers the caliber of Cristiano da Matta and Jimmy Vasser plus has a very talented group of engineers and mechanics, you seize the opportunity. I am looking forward to working with everyone at PKV Racing and helping them achieve their goal of winning races and contending for championships." Challis joined PKV Racing last year, the team's second year of existence. He guided PKV Racing to both its best finish and qualifying position when driver/owner Jimmy Vasser finished second at the 2004 Molson Indy Toronto and qualified second on the oval in Las Vegas. "Steve Challis did an outstanding job as Technical Director of PKV Racing," said McGee. "He took the team to the next level of competitiveness as evidenced by the fact that PKV Racing earned both its best starting and finishing positions during his tenure." Following the Milwaukee test PKV Racing will travel to Monterrey, Mexico where the 2005 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford will resume with the Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix, May 20-22. Founded in January 2003, Indianapolis-based PKV Racing will field a two-car effort during the 2005 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season. The third-year team is owned by successful venture capitalists Kevin Kalkhoven, who also co-owns the Champ Car World Series and Dan Pettit, along with 1996 Series Champion Jimmy Vasser. Vasser also drives the #12 Gulfstream/PKV Racing Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone entry. The second car, the #21 PKV Racing Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone machine, is piloted by 2002 Series Champion Cristiano da Matta. PKV Racing is managed by the most successful Manager/Chief Mechanic in USAC/CART/Champ Car history, Jim McGee, who has amassed 89 victories and nine national championships. For more information please visit:
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