PKV Racing signs McGee.

PKV Racing owners, Dan Pettit, Kevin Kalkhoven and Jimmy Vasser made it official today by announcing that Jim McGee has assumed the position of general manger of the team.

McGee, who celebrates his 47th year of competition in 2005, is the most successful manager/chief mechanic in the history of Champ Car racing having amassed a total of 89 wins and nine national championships.

Renowned for his racing experience and knowledge, McGee has been a consultant for PKV Racing for the past two months. During the 2004 Champ Car World Series season, McGee served as vice president for special projects at Newman/Hass Racing where he guided Bruno Junqueira to a fifth place showing in the 2004 Indianapolis 500.

"We are very excited to have Jim McGee join PKV Racing on a permanent basis," said Pettit.

"Jim brings a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to our team. Having him at the helm of PKV Racing provides us with a key ingredient in our effort to take the team to the next level and achieve our goal of winning a championship."

"On another note, I want to thank Russell Cameron for the outstanding job he did in putting together a first class organisation and guiding us through our first two seasons," Pettit added.

McGee was spotted by renowned chief mechanic Clint Brawner, who hired him for the 1960 season. Since then, McGee has gone on to become the only manager/chief mechanic to win a championship in four decades and have at least one victory in each of the last five decades.

"I am very pleased and excited to be joining PKV Racing for the 2005 Champ Car World Series season," said McGee.

"This is a first class organisation with outstanding ownership and a championship caliber driver in Jimmy Vasser. I look forward to continuing the work that Russell Cameron began by helping PKV Racing become a team that competes for championships for many years in the Champ Car World Series."

Over the years McGee has worked with such top drivers as Bobby Allison, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Gordon Johncock, Nigel Mansell, Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, Johnny Rutherford, Eddie Sachs, Tom Sneva, Danny Sullivan, Al Unser, Bobby Unser and Jimmy Vasser. His employers have included such notable team owners as Al Dean, Vel Miletich and Parnelli Jones, Andy Granatelli, Paul Newman and Carl Haas, Roger Penske, Bobby Rahal and Carl Hogan and U. E. 'Pat' Patrick.

"Having competed with and against Jim McGee led teams I know from experience the winning atmosphere that Jim brings to an organisation," said Vasser. "His knowledge of the sport, his race craft, is second to none and I am just happy he is now part of our team.

"PKV Racing is just two years old and we have already shown signs of being very competitive. With the addition of Jim McGee I am confident, as both a driver and owner, that we have the final piece of the puzzle that will allow us to compete for championships for many years to come."