Kelley confirms deals with Delphi, Toyota.

Kelley Racing has announced two deals that will shape its future for the next four Indy Racing League seasons, tying up both a title sponsor and engine deal for the foreseeable future.

Delphi has extended its primary sponsorship of the team's #8 car and driver Scott Sharp through 2005, while Toyota has signed the team as its first capture for an engine programme designed to commence in 2003. Sharp's entry also will have AT&T as an associate sponsor this season, while Futaba Corporation has re-signed as a primary sponsor of the car through 2005.

"Delphi's involvement in racing has proven to be extremely successful from both a marketing and product development standpoint," said William A Lafontaine, director of marketing customer development for Delphi, "We have made several advances with the products we develop and test on the IRL circuit, and we look forward to four more years of progress with Kelley Racing."

Delphi has been the primary sponsor of Sharp's car since 1998, the first full IRL season that Kelley undertook. The partnership was rewarded early on, as Sharp earned the 1996 Indy Racing League co-championship, and has since gone on to notch up six career victories. He finished third in the series standings in 2001 and also won the coveted Indianapolis 500 MBNA Pole last May.

"Kelley Racing has brought more than successful racing to Delphi," Lafontaine said, "Scott Sharp has made several appearances on behalf of Delphi, including being a part of our initial public offering event at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City and participating in our advertising efforts. This relationship will continue to grow both on and off the track over the next four years."

Delphi, based in Troy, Michigan, is the 'official electronics provider' to the Indy Racing League. A majority of the cars in the IRL field are equipped with Delphi racing products, including engine control modules, accident data recorders, electronic fuel injectors, telemetry radios and other electronic products.

Kelley Racing has also announced a three-year deal with Toyota Motor Sales USA. to use the Japanese engines in its cars from 2003 - the first for Toyota as an IRL supplier.

All of Kelley's engines will be built and serviced by Toyota Racing Development [TRD] in California, where design work began in January 2001 on Toyota's 2003 Indy Racing engine. The engine will be read for dynamometer testing in February, with on-track testing with Kelley Racing and other teams later this year.

"We're thrilled to partner with a corporation as successful as Toyota," team co-owner Tom Kelley said, "Their business savvy extends from the boardroom to the racetrack, where their list of accomplishments extends across a variety of different series. The combination of our IRL experience with their successful history in open-wheel racing will create a partnership in which we can achieve our goals of winning the Indianapolis 500 and the IRL championship."