Engine Builder Showdown to Honor Randy Dorton

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (April 25, 2005) – This year's final round of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown will be about more than speed, precision and bragging rights, it will serve as a platform to remember the life of Randy Dorton, former director of engine development of Hendrick Motorsports.

In an effort to pay tribute to one of the best engine builders in NASCAR history and further the Dorton Family's commitment of passing the torch of knowledge on to younger generations, Clevite Engine Parts, the NASCAR Technical Institute and Dianne Dorton are coming together for a very special Final Round of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown.

Dorton, like so many of NASCAR's elite engine builders, loved the idea of engine builders coming together with the help of a key racing partner like Clevite Engine Parts to promote the art of engine building and give engine builders their due recognition from NASCAR and race fans. With the passing of Randy last October, the Showdown competition has had to carry on without one of its biggest supporters and best contenders.

This year's final round of competition will be held once again at the prestigious NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., on Tuesday, May 24. The festivities begin at

5 p.m. with the start of the silent charity auction featuring incredible NASCAR memorabilia, as well as a VIP reception featuring some of Randy's closest friends in racing. The event will include the announcement of the new Randy Dorton Memorial Scholarship Fund, benefiting those NTI students focusing on engine building. In addition to the silent auction, the night will include a live auction with proceeds going to the Randy Dorton Memorial Scholarship Fund, and more.

“Through events like the Showdown, Clevite Engine Parts has shown continued commitment to the engine building community, and has always appreciated having the home of our final round be the NASCAR Technical Institute," said Ted Hughes, marketing brand manager for Clevite Engine Parts. “We were honored that Randy thought so much of this event and what it means to engine builders, and were especially moved that Dianne wanted to come together to build an event to honor their contributions, remember Randy and focus on the future by giving deserving students a chance to compete in this challenging field. We look forward to this phenomenal event and are proud to work with such a wonderful group of people."

This year's final round should prove to be one of the most exciting in Showdown history. Mike Maiwald of Hendrick Motorsports, long time Showdown participant and last year's first runner-up, set two new engine build records this year along with his build partner, Shane Parsnow. During Round One, they set a new build record of 20 minutes and 20 seconds. They then shattered that record during Round Two with a build time of 18 minutes and 54 seconds. The previous record was established in 2002 by long time Showdown participant Danny Lawrence of Richard Childress Racing.

After Round Three, which will be held the evening of Monday, May 23, two of the following four teams will advance to the Showdown's final round.

· Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Engines.

· Tom Karas and Kevin Webber of Hendrick Engines.

· Mike Lanci and Jesse Hardee of Ernie Elliot Engines.

· Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell of Richard Childress Racing.

This year's Clevite Engine Builder Showdown champion team will be immortalized alongside past Showdown champions on the new Randy Dorton Memorial Trophy. The trophy will be presented by Dianne Dorton and Terry Shively, vice president and general manager of Clevite Engine Parts.

“There is no question Randy would be proud of the support that has been given by both Clevite and the NASCAR Technical Institute in furthering the vision and passion Randy had with his profession," said Dianne Dorton, wife of the late Randy Dorton. “The naming of the Randy Dorton engine room as well as the establishment of the scholarship fund for future engine builders is the perfect way for Randy's family, friends and peers to pay tribute to his memory. We hope the dollars raised through the auction and the VIP reception will go a long way towards making a significant difference in not only the deserving winners of the NTI scholarship fund but other charities that embrace Randy's philosophy of sharing knowledge."

“The NASCAR Technical Institute is once again pleased to host the championship round of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown," said Josh Garbert, National Automotive Aftermarket Director for Universal Technical Institute." This year is particularly significant with the passing of Randy Dorton. NTI is humbled by Randy and Dianne's appreciation for our campus and our corporate mission, 'to change one life at a time.' We are honored to be the home of the Randy Dorton Memorial Scholarship and take great pride in furthering the Dortons' mission of passing knowledge on to the next generation of engine builders."

Anyone who wishes to make a contribution to the Randy Dorton Memorial Scholarship Fund, or donate an item for the Randy Dorton Memorial Showdown charity auction, which will be held in conjunction with the final round of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown, can visit the Randy Dorton Web site at www.randydorton.com or call 704-748-6829.

Clevite Engine Parts is part of Dana Corporation's Automotive Systems Group. Clevite Engine Parts provides a wide scope of under-the-hood products for the global replacement parts market, including Clevite 77® engine bearings, Victor Reinz® gaskets, Perfect Circle® piston rings and Clevite engine parts. In addition, Clevite 77, Victor Reinz and Perfect Circle are exclusive NASCAR Performance Products. Clevite's Internet address is www.engineparts.com.

Dana people design and manufacture products for every major vehicle producer in the world. Dana is focused on being an essential partner to automotive, commercial, and off-highway vehicle customers, which collectively produce more than 60 million vehicles every year. A leading supplier of axle, driveshaft, engine, frame, chassis, and transmission technologies, Dana employs 46,000 people in 28 countries. The company is based in Toledo, Ohio, and reported sales of $9.1 billion in 2004. Dana's Internet address is: www.dana.com.