PKV appoint Mark Johnson as manager.

PKV Racing's quest to become a force in the Champ Car World Series have received a further boost after the announcement that motor racing veteran Mark Johnson has assumed General Manager duties with the team.

With a long and illustrious history, Johnson began his career on two wheels, 17 years working with Kawasaki Motors Corporation for 17 years, Johnson moved onto four wheels in 1996 to join PPI Motorsports as General Manager.

At PPI, he was responsible for coordinating all efforts of PPI's multiple motorsports programs including the Arciero-Wells CART team, the MCI Toyota Off Road Team, and the MCI Toyota Atlantic Team. Johnson was promoted to Vice President of Operations and General Manager in 1998 assuming the additional responsibilities of overseeing the formation of PPI's NASCAR "Tide" Winston Cup and "McDonalds" BUSCH series operations.

Johnson moved to Rahal Letterman Racing as Director of Operations in 2001 where he co-ordinated all aspects of the team's technical race operations for the Miller Lite, SHELL and Gigante sponsored Champ Car operations.

In 2002, his responsibilities expanded to include establishing an Indy Racing League entry for a limited schedule including the Indianapolis 500. It was at Rahal Letterman Racing that Johnson first worked with PKV Racing co-owner Jimmy Vasser, who was driving for the team.

"I am honored to join PKV Racing," Johnson said. "Jim McGee established a solid foundation for the team and I just want to build on what exists and move to the next level of success. I look forward to working with all the excellent people we have at PKV Racing to make this one of the premier teams in the Champ Car World Series for many years to come."