Didier Theys

[Samoan Attorney]

I received the press release below last night...........I have not seen any other mention of the news elsewhere on this forum and I feel it appropriate to salute the retirement of this versatile racer and champion.

jb


Didier Theys Announces
His Retirement as Driver

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 2 - Didier Theys, one of the most successful and
popular endurance sports car drivers on either side of the Atlantic, today
announced his retirement as a professional race car driver.

Theys, 52, will continue to work in the sport as a consultant and driving
coach, both for individual drivers and teams and for World Class Driving, where
he is the driving director.

A native of Nivelles, Belgium and that country's Driver of the Year in 2002,
Theys came from modest means and a family with no connections in the sport.
He took out a bank loan for his first Formula Ford championship, and with his
driving talent, expertise on set-ups, tenacity, perseverance and friendly
personality, he built a career as a professional race car driver at the top of the
sport for more than 30 years.

A long-time resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., he has finished on the podium 61
times in sports car racing all over the world, with 18 victories, 22
second-place finishes and 21 third-place finishes. He was the Grand-Am Rolex Series
driver champion in 2002. He finished third in that series in 2001, and was
runner-up in 2000.

He is a two-time winner of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. He won that race in
1998 in the MOMO Ferrari and then he won it again in 2002 in the Doran Lista
Dallara Judd.

In 1998 he also won the American Le Mans Series' biggest race, the Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring, in the MOMO Ferrari, as well as the Six Hours of
Watkins Glen. He has the most victories of anyone in a Ferrari 333 SP, with 10.

Just last year he was fifth in the LMP2 class at Sebring in the debut of
Horag Racing's Porsche RS Spyder sponsored by Lista Office. Most recently he's
been driving that car in the Le Mans Series in Europe, placing third in the tough
LMP2 category last year with co-drivers Fredy Lienhard and Jan Lammers while
driving for team owner Markus Hotz.

"I enjoyed working with friends like Fredy Lienhard, Markus Hotz and Jan
Lammers in the last few years," Theys said. "I was planning on retiring in 2009
anyway, but I was hoping to do it at the end of the season, not in March.
Unfortunately due to the downturn in the global economy we weren't able to put
together a program for 2009. But I'm certainly thankful for everything Fredy has
done for me in my career. He became a true friend, not just a co-driver and
sponsor."

Theys also made his mark at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His first appearance
there was in 1982, and his last start in that race came 20 years later in 2002.
He finished third there in 1999 with Audi Sport Team Joest. He started from
the pole there in 1996 driving a Joest TWR Porsche LMP1 car.

When asked what his favorite race was, he always replies, "The last one I
won!" Now that will be the 1,000 Kilometers of Monza in Milan, Italy, which he
won in 2007 in the Horag Racing Lola Judd LMP2 car.

Before focusing on endurance sports cars Theys had a very successful career
in formula cars in the eighties and early nineties. He competed in 47 CART Indy
car events, and he is a three-time starter of the Indianapolis 500 (1989,
1990 and 1993). His best finish in CART was third at the Miami Grand Prix.

He won the Indy Lights driver championship in 1987, the same year he won the
24-hour race at Spa in a factory BMW. He won the Bosch Super Vee championship
in 1986 after racing in the European Formula Three and Formula Two
championships. He also won two Formula Ford Championships prior to winning his first of
six overall championships, the Belgium Karting Championship, in 1977

[The Badger]

Nice one ..... he deserves to put his feet after driving his butt off for so many years . Hope he enjoys himself .

Wonder how he will adjust to not racing anymore ? .....

[PRF]

Looks like the credit crunch has claimed yet another scalp. Hopes of retiring in the fall of 2009 have been brought forward due to lack of sponsorship. I can only guess that he was down to race for the Horag/Markus Hotz team but they are finding funding difficult.

David Hotz says the Horag Team won't be racing at Le Mans or in the LMS this season. However, they do have plans to be racing this season but with what and where I'm non the wiser............!

[Stefvh]

He's one of our best drivers, for sure.