Two NASCAR Technical Institute Students Win A Jeff Gordon Racing School Package During The Mahle Clevite Engine Builder Showdown

Mooresville, NC, August 9, 2007 – James McMahen and Joshua McMillan won a special contest for NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) students attending the eighth annual MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. McMahen and McMillan each won a Jeff Gordon Racing School package valued at $399 each.

Several hundred students from NTI joined the crowd of nearly 1,500 fans on hand to watch the final round of the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Showdown in which the final two NASCAR engine building teams faced off in a race to build and successfully run a NEXTEL Cup 357-cubic-inch Ford engine in the shortest time possible.

The final two teams competing in this year’s Showdown included Dennis Borem and Darrell Hoffman of Pro Motor Engines, and Kevin Webber and Scott Vester of Hendrick Motorsports.

During a break in the Showdown action, Bill McKnight of MAHLE Clevite Inc invited all NTI students possessing 4.0 grade point average to join him on stage. Almost 20 students joined McKnight, who then separated the students into two groups — one group of students from Mooresville and other North Carolina communities, and the other group of students attending NTI from out of state.

McKnight asked the students in both groups to guess how many fasteners are used in the NEXTEL Cup 357-cubic-inch Ford engine they just saw assembled. McMahen, who is from Sublimity, OR; and McMillan, who hails from Deep Gap, NC, came the closest in guessing the correct answer of 184 fasteners.

McMahen enrolled in NTI’s “Automotive NASCAR Pit Crew” program in January 2007. McMillan has been attending NTI since July 2006 and is in the “Automotive NASCAR Ford Fact” program.

McKnight presented each of the winning students with a voucher for a driving experience at the Jeff Gordon Racing School. The prize includes driving instructions and the opportunity to drive a race-car at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The prize also includes a graduate certificate, printed lap times and a souvenir racing license.

“It was great to see so many NTI students at the Showdown,” says McKnight. “NTI’s automotive technical training programs are outstanding and the students who attend their classes are truly dedicated to achieving excellence. Knowing how demanding NTI’s programs are, I was especially surprised and impressed by the large number of students in the audience carrying a 4.0 G.P.A.”

Through an exclusive educational alliance with NASCAR, NTI is the only school of its kind that combines automotive training and a NASCAR-approved technologies curriculum into one program. NTI is part of Universal Technical Institute, Inc., a nationwide provider of technical education training for students seeking careers as profes-sional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. UTI’s Web site is www.uticorp.com.

MAHLE Clevite Inc. is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pistons, valve train parts, engine bearings, piston rings, and engine gaskets. MAHLE Clevite brands include MAHLE Original® pistons, assemblies, valves, cylinder liners, Clevite® engine bearings and engine parts, Victor Reinz® gaskets and Perfect Circle® piston rings. In addition, Clevite®, Victor Reinz® and Perfect Circle® are official NASCAR® Performance Products. MAHLE Clevite’s Internet address is www.engineparts.com.

The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of combustion engine components, systems and peripherals, MAHLE is among the top 3 suppliers for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems via air management systems and liquid management systems. MAHLE employs more than 40,000 employees in 110 production plants and in seven research and development centers. In 2006, MAHLE generated sales in excess of EUR 4.3 billion (USD 5.8 billion).