USF2000 Inks Agreement with Performance Friction Brakes

PALMETTO, Fla., Jan. 20 - Fans may not realize the long-standing relationship, but racing insiders will nod knowingly when they learn that Performance Friction Corporation (PFC), the manufacturer of Performance Friction brakes, has agreed to support the Indy Racing League's newest series.

PFC's president used to race Formula 2000 cars like those featured in the USF2000 National Championship presented by Cooper Racing Tires and powered by Mazda.

Fourteen years ago this month that executive, Don Burgoon, qualified tenth and finished 15th in a F2000 race at the brand-new Walt Disney World Speedway in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. that was a support event for the IRL's inaugural Indy 200.

At this year's USF2000 season opener March 27-28 on the street circuit in another city in Florida, St. Petersburg, each U.S. Formula 2000 car will sport a decal for Burgoon's company. That's because today it was announced that Performance Friction will be the official provider of brake components for the series.

The top class, the Championship class, will use Performance Friction brake pads and rotors this year and add its new aluminum brake caliper in 2011, according to Dan Andersen, president and chief executive officer of Andersen Promotions, which administers the USF2000 series for the IRL. The "B" class, called the National class, will use Performance Friction brake pads exclusively.

Performance Friction, which is based in Clover, S.C. and has additional offices in Novi, Mich.; Australia; England and Japan, will also present an award at the series' year-end awards ceremony.

"Don Burgoon drove an F2000 car in our USF2000 series back in the 1990s,"
Andersen noted. "I have used his products for everything I have done in racing, from F2000 [both club and pro] to Star Mazda and Firestone Indy Lights, and I know that they are by far the best brake components for racing applications in the world. I want them in our series because PFC is the best, and I am delighted they want to be here with us as well."
Performance Friction brakes are the standard of excellence in high-performance vehicles, commercial fleets and street vehicles. Hundreds of races and more than 1,500 championships have been won on Performance Friction Carbon Metallic(r) pads. Last year alone over 120 racing champions all over the world drove to victory on Performance Friction brakes.

Fleet maintenance managers for both on-road and off-road applications also rely on Performance Friction brakes, which are 100 percent American made at the company's 200,000-square-foot plant in South Carolina. The company supplies brake pads and rotors for domestic and international markets, major automotive retailers including Auto Zone and Pep Boys, and thousands of brake installers through local distributor networks.
For more information see its Web site at performancefriction.com.

Sanctioned by the Indy Racing League (IRL), the USF2000 National Championship is one of only two series that are part of both the IRL's Road to Indy ladder system and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports driver development program. The series' 2010 season will open with a doubleheader March 27-28 on the street circuit in St. Petersburg, Fla. in support of an IZOD IndyCar Series headliner.

For more information on the series, see usf2000.com or call (941) 723-3900.
　
About Mazda:
On any given weekend there are more Mazdas on the road courses of America than any other brand of vehicle. MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models are all popular race cars because every Mazda has the soul of a sports car. In fact, the largest road-racing class in the world is Spec Miata. With more than 2,500 first- and second-generation Miatas tearing up America's racetracks, it the most-raced production car in the world. Mazda's involvement in motorsports extends to its relationship with one of the world's premier road courses, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., and the Skip Barber Schools for driving and racing.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in the United States in 2010, Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. It oversees the sales, marketing, parts business and customer service of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada, Inc., located in Ontario. _Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company:
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires and subsidiaries that specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities within its family of companies located in 10 countries around the world. For more information, visit Cooper Tire's Web site at coopertire.com.

About Performance Friction:
Performance Friction brakes are the standard of excellence in high-performance vehicles, commercial fleets and street vehicles. Hundreds of races and more than 1,500 championships have been won on Performance Friction Carbon Metallic(r) pads. Last year alone over 120 racing champions all over the world drove to victory on Performance Friction brakes.
Fleet maintenance managers for both on-road and off-road applications also rely on Performance Friction brakes, which are 100 percent American made at the company's 200,000-square-foot plant in South Carolina. The company supplies brake pads and rotors for domestic and international markets, major automotive retailers including Auto Zone and Pep Boys, and thousands of brake installers through local distributor networks.