Rahal crew going for 'Pit King' treble in '03.

For the past two seasons, Team Rahal has captured the Craftsman Pit Crew Challenge (CPCC) championship utilizing two different crews to win the championship. 2003 will see the Gigante sponsored pit crew of Michel Jourdain Jr gunning for three in a row.

In 2001 it was Kenny Brack's Shell crew that captured the title and in 2002 it was Jimmy Vasser's revamped Shell crew that captured the honours. Now on the eve of the 2003 Champ Car World Series, Michel Jourdain's Gigante pit crew is ready to defend the Team Rahal title as Champ Car's best crew.

Comprised primarily of the crew that was Vasser's Shell crew in '02, the Gigante crew is a veteran crew that looks to continue Team Rahal's tradition of great pit crews.

"I think if you look back at Team Rahal over the years they have always had some of the best pit crews in the series," said Jourdain. "As a driver that allows you to focus entirely on the on track issues. I know that my car will be ready each weekend and I know when I come in for a stop that they will give me a chance to gain positions. A lot of teams play lip service to their dedication about excelling with the pit crews, but at Team Rahal we really feel our crews gives us an advantage week after week and we work hard to maintain that advantage."

The 2003 Gigante pit crew will feature Bharat Naran (crew chief) on the outside front, Greg Cates (chief mechanic) on outside rear, Kevin Hanscom on inside front, Matt Motoyka on fuel, Eric Van Bibber on inside rear filling in for the injured Kevin Hanrahan and Doug Hoerig on air jack. Five of the six worked on Vasser's Shell crew last season and were members of the 2002 CPCC champions. The sixth, Van Bibber worked on the Gigante car in 2002 but was a member of Brack's 2001 CPCC championship squad.