PPG Industries and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have
renewed PPG's sponsorship of the Indy 500 Pole Award and starting
field contingency programs for the '96 race. PPG will provide
$595,000 in prize money, participant award rings and the trophy
as part of the deal. The winner of the pole position wins a
$100,000 grand prize, with the remaining money distributed to
others in the field (IMS). PPG has already announced it would
renew its sponsorship of the CART, despite it's dispute with the
IMS over the qualification requirements for this year's Indy 500.
PPG VP Rich Zaren said in November, as quoted on the SPEED NET
Web Site: "We don't want to take sides on this. We would hope
they would kiss and make up" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS, 1/12).
TOYOTA & INDYCAR DEAL: Toyota has been named official truck
of IndyCar for the next three seasons. IndyCar severed its
relationship with GMC Trucks in '95 after 11 years. This week's
INDY CAR RACING MAGAZINE notes that the deal signals "that Toyota
-- like Honda and Mercedes Benz --is solidly in IndyCar's camp in
the confrontation with the Indy Racing League" (ICR MAGAZINE
ONLINE, 1/9 issue).
