Joe Gibbs Racing Announces Management Appointment

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 23, 1999) -- Joe Gibbs Racing announced this week that Steve de Sousa has joined the team as vice president of Busch Operations. De Sousa will be responsible for the development and management of the #18 Busch Grand National entry sponsored by MBNA and driven by Jason Leffler, and a planned second team, if sponsorship can be secured.

De Sousa, a former World Champion Formula One powerboat racer, was a founding partner of Progressive Motorsports, which fields cars for Jeff Green and Jason Keller in the Busch Series. He has a history with Joe Gibbs through Interstate Batteries, which sponsored his powerboat team from 1991 until he retired as a driver and sold his team in 1995.

De Sousa commented, "I have been so blessed by the opportunities that have been presented to me over the past several years. Most recently, it was a privilege to work with Greg Pollex and Bob Campbell in developing Progressive Motorsports. Now comes a new challenge, one that I am extremely excited about. To work with Joe Gibbs and be a part of the organization that he has built, including his entire staff, is the pinnacle in a person's career."

"Steve has been a friend of our team for several years now," stated Joe Gibbs. "He has a history of success in racing which will be beneficial to our new Busch programs. We are excited about having him as a part of Joe Gibbs Racing."