INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Racing League officials have announced a two-year promotional partnership with the Affinia Under Vehicle Group, manufacturers of Raybestos brand brakes.

The partnership designates Raybestos as the preferred competition brake friction of the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights at all road and street course races through 2009. The announcement renews a relationship between Raybestos brand brakes and Indy-style open wheel racing that dates back decades.

As part of the partnership, Raybestos will become the preferred brake friction run by every IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights team for every road and street course race on the schedule. The Raybestos Road and Street Course Challenge will award a cash payout to all street or road course race winners throughout the season. The payout will be $5,000 per race in the IndyCar Series and $2,500 per race in Firestone Indy Lights. In addition to these individual race incentives, Raybestos brand brakes will award $25,000 to the IndyCar Series driver who achieves the best average finishing position across all 2008 road/street course events. The season-long Firestone Indy Lights award is $10,000.

“The IndyCar Series is always looking to associate itself with respected brands that have earned the trust of the American consumer,” said Terry Angstadt, president of the Indy Racing League’s commercial division. “Raybestos is one of those brands. Not only are they a great fit to help us promote the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, but we’ll also be able to count on quality brakes for our race cars to help maintain our high safety standards.”

Many Indianapolis 500 competitors and champions throughout the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s raced on Raybestos brakes.

“We are thrilled to announce the return of Raybestos brakes to the highest levels of competition in open wheel racing,” said Josh Russell, vice president of marketing for the Affinia Under Vehicle Group. “Raybestos has an extraordinary legacy in motorsports, and a history of continuous technical development of its products through firsthand experience on both proving grounds and the world’s most demanding racetracks.”

“It will be exciting to have Raybestos once again exceeding the braking needs of the world’s most demanding open wheel teams and drivers,” Russell continued.

In addition to its support of the series and its teams with ongoing technical assistance and development, there are plans to showcase the new IndyCar Series relationship, competition imagery and the league’s premiere drivers in Raybestos brand advertising, consumer promotions and point-of-sale marketing materials.

For more information on the IndyCar Series, visit: www.indycar.com.

For more information about Raybestos brand brakes, visit: www.raybestos.com.