ASSEN, Netherlands -- Walker Racing and Performance Friction Brakes have announced that they have formed a relationship to help talented youth reach the pinnacle of the sport of racing. The two parties are joining forces in an attempt to give back to the open wheel community and will work together in finding talent by focusing on drivers in the Star Mazda series.

“We are happy to be entering into a relationship with Walker Racing to help find promising and talented drivers in the open wheel categories. As part of our commitment to open wheel racing we want to help with developing the Mazda family in the Star Mazda, Atlantic and Champ Car series,” said Darrick Dong, director of Motorsports, Performance Friction Brakes. “Derrick Walker and his group have been the stalwarts of the community and have shown, through the development series, you can reach the pinnacle of racing as they did with Simon Pagenaud. We believe in the benefits of this program and that is why we have picked a strategic partner with the same common goals.”

Both entities have had a long involvement in racing. A veteran to the sport, Derrick Walker, has more than 40 years of racing experience and 17 of those years as a Champ Car World Series team owner. His most recent venture was creating a Champ Car Atlantic team that brought home the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Championship title with Simon Pagenaud in its first year of existence. With 257 world and national championships in 2006 under its belt and winning every pole point since 1999 in Champ Car, Performance Friction Brakes has been the official brake supplier of the Champ Car World Series.

Each year, more gifted drivers surface but don’t have the resources to pursue their dreams of racing any further until now, the companies said. Organizations like Mazda and Performance Friction Brakes are making tremendous efforts to do their parts in helping these drivers succeed by offering a ladder program such as the Star Mazda Series, Formula Atlantic and the Champ Car World Series and creating opportunities for them to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Walker Racing and Performance Friction Brakes will begin testing potential drivers for the 2008 season.

For more information, go to: www.walkerracing.com.