Roshfrans to sponsor Rookie of the Year Award.

The chase for top rookie honours in the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season came to an end in Australia but thanks to Roshfrans, AJ Allmendinger will have 10,000 extra reasons to enjoy his season-ending trip to Mexico City.

Roshfrans joined the Champ Car World Series as the first Mexican company to be an official series sponsor, signing a multi-year agreement in September to serve as the Official Lubricant of Champ Car. Today the company increased its presence in the series, becoming the sponsor of what will now be known as the Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year Award. The award comes with a newly designed Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year trophy as well as a check for $10,000 from Roshfrans.

"We are so excited about the consolidation and growing trend that Champ Car is making that it is Roshfrans' honour to make a stronger commitment with the Series," said Roshfrans Commercial Director Sergio Platonoff-Castillo. "And what could be better than to recognize the success of a novice driver who proves his abilities as an outstanding driver in one of the most competitive fields of automotive driving in the world"

Allmendinger became the first U.S.-born driver since Jeff Andretti in 1991 to win Champ Car's top rookie honour. Allmendinger scored his first Champ Car podium finish with a third-place run in Vancouver and used a strong run of four top-six finishes in the last five starts to overtake Justin Wilson for the top spot in the rookie standings.

"This is an encouraging and positive step for Champ Car as Roshfrans has joined the series and immediately found a way to increase its commitment," said Champ Car President and CEO Dick Eidswick. "We are especially pleased to have a Mexican company with the reputation of Roshfrans involved with the series and I am sure that future drivers of all nationalities will come to Champ Car in hopes of winning the Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year Award."

The Roshfrans Rookie-of-the-Year Award will be presented at the 2004 Champ Car Awards Banquet, to be held November 7th in Mexico City.

The Rookie of the Year award had previously been titles the Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year Award after the late owner of the Truesports team.