JAS MOTORSPORT JOINS FORCES WITH MONROE® TO PRESENT PIERRE-YVES CORTHALS AT THE WTCC 2006

Belgian driver to compete in a Honda Accord Prepared by JAS

BRUSSELS, Belgium/MILAN, Italy, March 16, 2006. Following its presentation of the new Honda Accord FIA Super 2000, JAS Motorsport today announced its challenge for the FIA World Touring Car Championship 2006 (WTCC).

The Italian outfit, which recently renewed its contract as Honda’s official partner for its customer service in racing, will compete as a private team in the Independent Trophy with the support of Monroe®, the world’s leading brand of shock absorbers.

Pierre-Yves Corthals, the 30 year-old Renault Clio Cup European Champion from Liége, Belgium, will drive the JAS-made Honda Accord which claimed an outstanding pole position in the Mexican round of the WTCC 2005.

 “I’m delighted to be driving in the WTCC as part of the JAS Motorsport team,” said Corthals. “Although modern Super 2000 cars are new to me, I’m confident that my extensive experience with front wheel drive cars will be a great advantage.” According to Alessandro Mariani, Director of JAS Motorsport, the two first tests made recently on the Varano circuit in Italy with the support of Roberto Colciago (JAS Motorsport’s 2005 official driver) confirmed the team’s potential. Corthals added: “The combination of Roberto’s advice with my driving and a great team of mechanics and engineers helped me approach Roberto’s best lap by two tenths.”

JAS Motorsport is also considering a second car in the WTCC. Mariani said: “Negotiations are underway and we hope to confirm a second driver in the coming days.

” The participation of Monroe® in the WTCC marks a return of the brand to motor sport following many years of involvement with NASCAR in the US. The cooperation between JAS and Tenneco, the company behind the Monroe® brand, will go beyond the WTCC. “We are looking at a number of potential synergies, including opportunities for joint development projects that leverage Tenneco’s extensive R&D and testing facilities at its European ride control engineering headquarters in Sint-Truiden, Belgium,” said Mariani. Tenneco has nine ride control engineering centres and 32 manufacturing facilities worldwide that design, engineer, test and manufacture shock absorbers, suspension modules, advanced electronic suspension systems and anti-roll technologies. Tenneco supplies virtually all the vehicle manufacturers globally, and its Monroe® brand is recognized by the aftermarket worldwide. 

The deal between JAS Motorsport and Monroe® was orchestrated by Alex Gelbcke, Vice President, Aftermarket Europe for Tenneco. Gelbcke said: “We believe the WTCC is an excellent communication tool for both our Monroe® brand and our suspension technologies. We also plan to take advantage of this programme by looking at opportunities to engineer specific products for car tuning and motor sport, and exploit the broad experience that JAS Motorsport has built in 10 years of racing at a highly professional level.”

The JAS Motorsport team with Pierre-Yves Corthals and Monroe®, will have its first outing at the WTCC media days in Monza on March 21-22.

Tenneco Inc. is a $4.2 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 18,400 employees worldwide. Tenneco Inc. is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive original equipment market and the aftermarket. Tenneco Inc. markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker®, Gillet® and Clevite® Elastomer brand names. Among its products are Sensa-Trac® and Monroe Reflex® shocks and struts, Rancho® shock absorbers, Walker® Quiet-Flow® mufflers, Dynomax® performance exhaust products, and Clevite® Elastomer noise, vibration and harshness control components.

For More Information: Simonetta Esposito, PR Manager Europe,     Tel: (00)(322)706-9000