CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
14 September 2007
Implementation Investments
UGS PLM Software Technology Fuels Championship Season For Andretti Green Racing And Driver Dario Franchitti
UGS PLM Software , a division of Siemens Automation and Drives ( A&D ) announced UGS PLM Software-sponsored racing team Andretti Green Racing (AGR) - whose cars are developed with the help of UGS PLM Software technology - won the 2007 Indy Racing League® (IRL) IndyCar® Series Championship. AGR driver Dario Franchitti became only the third driver in IndyCar Series history to capture the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship in the same season.
Franchitti clinched the championship for AGR as he drove the Canadian Club car to victory at the PEAK Antifreeze IndyCar 300 presented by Mr. Clean at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday. This was Franchitti's fourth victory of the 2007 season and his first career championship.
AGR has now won three of the last four IndyCar Series championships with three different drivers, Tony Kanaan in 2004; Dan Wheldon in 2005; and Franchitti in 2007. The victory was AGR's ninth win in 17 races of the 2007 season and it extended AGR's IndyCar Series record to 32 victories.
"Bringing the championship back to AGR is proof of our relentless pursuit of excellence and our ability to work together effectively as a team, and UGS PLM Software is an important member of our winning team," said Michael Andretti, CEO, Andretti Green Racing. "IRL is a very competitive league and bringing home the championship for the third time in four years is a great accomplishment. We rely on UGS PLM Software technology to help us fine tune our competitive edge and stay ahead of the competition."
"UGS PLM Software congratulates Andretti Green Racing and Dario Franchitti on winning the 2007 IRL Championship," said Dave Shirk, executive vice president of Global Marketing for UGS PLM Software. "We are proud of our racing heritage and pleased that our technology is helping bring home championships. The fact that UGS PLM Software sponsored race teams continue to win big is proof that our PLM technology is the best on the race track. UGS PLM Software is helping our race teams win the same way we help our customers win, by providing the best PLM technology in the market."
Andretti Green Racing uses UGS NXT digital product development software for all of the design and development work the company performs on its fleet of eight race cars. Although IRL rules limit the modifications a team can make to the car body and engine, engineers still have quite a bit of leeway in other areas such as the suspension. Fine-tuning these areas often means designing and fabricating new parts in the brief interval between races.
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