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MARTIN BASSO SET TO CHALLENGE FOR 2001 
CART TOYOTA ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL SHANK RACING
December 21, 2000

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (December 21, 2000) - Michael Shank Racing (MSR) announced today that it has re-signed Martin Basso—the fourth-place finisher in the 2000 CART Toyota Championship and the series’ Rookie of the Year runner-up—to drive in the 12-race, ultra-competitive development series again in 2001. 

“We are extremely pleased to be able to make this announcement,” stated MSR team owner Michael Shank. “Martin was one of the most competitive drivers in the Atlantic series last season, despite the fact that he had not driven on a single track that we visited until race weekend. Now that he has a year of experience under his belt, we fully expect him to be one of the top contenders for the championship, and as a team we’re doing everything possible to make that happen. Our off-season testing program is the most extensive we’ve ever conducted, and Martin has definitely responded to it with some absolutely great driving.” 

“I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to fight for the Atlantic championship with Michael Shank Racing in 2001,” said Basso. “Our plan from the very beginning was to learn about the cars and the tracks in year one, and to try to go for the championship in year two, and I think we’re in a position right now to do that. We’ve been doing a lot of testing for next year and I feel very comfortable with the car and the team, and I think we’ll be really strong beginning at Long Beach in April. 

In 2000, Basso, 26, posted nine top-five finishes and four podium finishes in 12 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship events, which included his first career Atlantic win at Milwaukee—his first race on an American oval; a second place finish at Cleveland; and third-place efforts at Road America and Gateway International Raceway. He also claimed his first career Atlantic pole at Road America, breaking the existing Atlantic track record in just 16 laps. 

Sponsoring Basso’s #46 MSR Swift 008.a will be BBB Engine Valves, a QS 9000 Certified engine valve manufacturer based in Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. BBB supplies many of the most important original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in America and Europe; American Valve Center (AVC) a Miami, Florida-based engine products distributor for the United States and Canada, specializing in heavy duty and racing valves for cars; and Mutual Quilmes, a Rafaela-based financial group. Associate sponsorship will be provided by Argentina-based companies Segurometal, Mistura, MPI, and Bank Boston. 

Basso joined MSR in January of 2000 following several highly-successful seasons of South America Formula 3 Championship and Formula Super Renault Championship competition. In 1999, he finished second (by two points) in the Formula Super Renault Championship, despite missing three of the series’ 12 races due to his Formula 3 commitments. In nine starts he posted six wins and seven pole positions, claiming both the victory and the pole in the last five races of the season. In the ’99 South America Formula 3 Championship, Basso finished eighth overall, scoring points in 17 of the series’ 18 races. In 1998 he finished sixth in the series, winning once and posting two third-place finishes in 12 starts. He captured the Formula elf Renault title in 1996 with two wins, two seconds, two thirds, and three poles in 12 events. 

Basso hails from Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina, and currently resides in Miami, Florida. 

The 12-race, 2001 CART Toyota Atlantic Championship season begins on April 8 with the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. 

For more information on Martin Basso and Michael Shank Racing, visit michaelshankracing.com.  

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