Pruett Wins Thriller, Joins Rojas In Lone Star Le Mans Victory In Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost At Circuit Of The Americas

Begin forwarded message:

From: IMSA Communications <communications>

Subject: Pruett Wins Thriller, Joins Rojas In Lone Star Le Mans Victory In Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost At Circuit Of The Americas

Date: September 20, 2014 at 7:09:49 PM EDT

To: IMSA Communications <communications>

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

Pruett Wins Thriller, Joins Rojas In Lone Star Le Mans Victory

In Chip Ganassi Racing Ford EcoBoost At Circuit Of The Americas

· Action Express Corvette DP Drivers Fittipaldi, Barbosa Take Third, Extend Points Lead

· Rayhall, Diaz Earn Second Straight PC Victory For 8Star Motorsports

· Braun, Bennett Clinch PC Title With Second-Place Finish

AUSTIN, Texas. (Sept. 20, 2014) – Scott Pruett prevailed in a three-car shootout Saturday at Circuit of The Americas, showing speed when it counted to join Memo Rojas in scoring their third victory of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season for the No. 01 Telcel Ford EcoBoost/Riley.

Pruett took the lead with 33 minutes remaining, and then held off a strong stretch run by both Joao Barbosa and Alex Brundle to win the Lone Star Le Mans for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The race will be televised on the FOX network on Sunday in a two-hour telecast. Check local listings for times.

“I took some big chances at the end,” said Pruett, who scored his 59th career victory in major sports car competition. “I knew they were coming, but when you see victory in your grasp, you take big chances. Sometimes they pay off.”

Pruett took the checkered flag 2.336 seconds ahead of Brundle, who joined Gustavo Yacaman in the debut of the No. 42 OAK Racing Ligier JS P2/Honda. Barbosa finished 11.016 seconds behind in third, ending a two-race winning streak for the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP started by Christian Fittipaldi.

“There was a lot more competition out there than met the eye today,” said Ganassi, whose team won earlier this year at both Sebring and Long Beach. “There were a lot of strong cars, especially the new Ligier. I’ve got to hand it to Pruett and Rojas. It was a close race.”

The moment of truth came with six minutes remaining, when the leaders caught heavy GT traffic. Pruett found a way through, while Barbosa and Brundle battled side-by-side caught in the pack. By the time Brundle passed Barbosa and they cleared the lapped cars, Pruett had the advantage he needed to make his dash to the checkers. It was all he had, as the 54-year-old Californian ran out of fuel on his cooldown lap.

“Honestly, we had nothing for Pruett after our tussle with Barbosa near the end – he was too far away,” Brundle said. “I’m delighted by how the car ran this weekend. It was great work by OAK Racing and Honda. We’ll come back strong and fight hard at Road Atlanta.”

The third-place finish unofficially extended Action Express Racing’s lead to 22 points over Wayne Taylor Racing’s Ricky and Jordan Taylor, who finished seventh in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP. Fittipaldi and Barbosa have accumulated 316 points, to 294 for the Taylors. Another point back, with 293, are Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook, who finished sixth in the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP.

“That was a real tough race,” Barbosa said. “We had a great strategy, and everything worked perfectly. We were in the fight until the end. Unfortunately, the rear tires started to go away and traffic was hectic out there and cars started pushing me around. I knew where the 10 and 90 were, so I decided that this was not our fight, I had to stay safe and do what I could to bring as many points as I could for the championship.”

Ricky Taylor, Yacaman and Valiante all had close calls early in the race. Taylor went wide in Turn 1 on the first lap of racing after slight contact with Yacaman, and the resulting pit stop had the team playing catch-up for the remainder of the race. On the restart following the lone caution period on lap 23, Yacaman spun after contact with Valiante, who was assessed a drive-through penalty for the incident.

8STAR MOTORSPORTS WINS SECOND STRAIGHT RACE; BRAUN, BENNETT TAKE TITLE IN PC

While Sean Rayhall and Luis Diaz took their second consecutive Prototype Challenge victory in the No. 25 8Star Motorsports Takis/Speedsters ORECA FLM09, Colin Braun and Jon Bennett clinched the drivers’ championship with one race remaining with a second-place finish in the No. 54 CORE autosport ORECA FLM09.

The race ultimately came down to a battle between Rayhall and Braun. Rayhall spun while leading with more than one hour remaining, and Braun was assessed a drive-through penalty following the incident. That gave the PC class lead to RSR Racing driver Jack Hawksworth, but he ran out of fuel entering pit road on lap 52. At that point, Rayhall had worked his way back from fifth place to take a lead he never relinquished.

“That’s why they call it endurance racing,” said Rayhall, who scored his first victory at Virginia International Raceway one race ago. “We got spun out, and came back to the front. Good strategy put us there. I can’t put into words how excited we are.”

Renger van der Zande entered the race mathematically eligible for the title, but the driver of the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Martini ORECA FLM09 started by Mirco Schultis was eliminated despite a third-place finish.

“I’m super happy for the team – Colin and I have had a pretty successful year, and it’s nice to clinch the drivers’ championship,” said CORE autosport owner Bennett, who joined Braun in winning their first career driving titles. “At the end of the day, we’ll do the best we can at Petit and see how the points work out at the end of the day. It’s an important race.”

CORE autosport takes an unofficial 11-point lead in the battle for a fourth consecutive team championship, leading 8Star Motorsports 288-277 entering the season-ending Petit Le Mans. CORE won the final three consecutive PC team titles in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda also serves as the final race in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, which rewards points in the four endurance races in the TUDOR Championship.

Contact:

Nate Siebens

Senior Manager, IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens

imsa-tudor-cota-p-race.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
matt

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

Texas Two-Step: Dodge Viper SRT Scores First 1-2 Finish In TUDOR Championship GTLM Class At Circuit Of The Americas

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

Texas Two-Step: Dodge Viper SRT Scores First 1-2 Finish

In TUDOR Championship GTLM Class At Circuit Of The Americas

· Bomarito, Wittmer Win, Take Points Lead To Season Finale At Road Atlanta

· Local Driver Keating, Bleekemolen Drive Dodge Viper GT3-R To Win In GTD

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 20, 2014) – Heartbreak for Porsche resulted in a banner day for the Dodge Viper SRT program Saturday in the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of The Americas.

After a late-race mechanical failure ended the day for the race-leading No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR of Nick Tandy, the No. 93 Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R of Jonathan Bomarito capitalized by taking the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class lead and finishing off a one-two finish for SRT Motorsports.

With their second victory of the season, Bomarito and co-driver Kuno Wittmer unofficially took over the GTLM points lead, 300-293, over Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia heading into in the season-ending Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta on Oct. 4.

“When you come to Texas, you go big,” said Wittmer, who started the race from the pole. “Winning one-two is quite a gift.

“We started the season saying we’ve got to win this thing. Given the hard, fierce battles that we have on track with the world-class drivers and the state-of-the-art teams out there, [the championship] is still going to come down to Petit Le Mans. This thing is far from being won.”

Enjoying a sizeable lead, Tandy seemed poised to pick up his second victory of the season in the No. 911 Porsche, but lost drive with 18 minutes remaining. That put Bomarito into the lead and he went on to win by 1.267 seconds over teammate Marc Goossens. It was the first one-two race sweep for Dodge Viper since returning to major-league sports car racing in 2012.

All of the podium finishers used Michelin tires. Michelin clinched the inaugural TUDOR Championship Tire Manufacturers’ title on Saturday.

Goossens and co-driver Dominik Farnbacher matched their season-best finish of second in the No. 91 SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R, finishing 20 seconds ahead of the third-place duo of Patrick Long and Michael Christensen in the No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR.

Struggling for much of the day, the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R of Garcia and Jan Magnussen entered the race with the points lead, but finished ninth and now trails by seven points with one race remaining. Goossens and Farnbacher enter the 10-hour season finale 17 points out of the lead, 300-283.

“Every single driver in GTLM goes into the year, in their mind, thinking and knowing they can win the championship,” said Bomarito. “To be doing it against those quality names, teams, and manufacturers is special.”

The Lone Star Le Mans will be telecast Sunday on FOX network (check your local listings).

TEXAS NATIVE KEATING, BLEEKEMOLEN WIN GTD IN DODGE VIPER SRT GT3-R

Texas native Ben Keating joined co-driver Jeroen Bleekemolen in scoring the GT Daytona (GTD) victory. It was the second win this season for the No. 33 ViperExchange.com Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R team and the third podium in the last four races.

With 31 minutes remaining in the two-hour, 45-minute race, Bleekemolen passed the No. 300 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 of Dane Cameron and cruised to a one-lap victory over the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT America of Andy Lally and John Potter.

“Home is two hours away from here,” said Keating, who lives in nearby Tomball and owns nine dealerships in the Houston area. “It is definitely sweet to win on home turf with so many customers and friends supporting, in a Viper. I have to tip my hat to Jeroen, just an incredible drive. There were a few guys who spun and a few who had damage and we were able to keep it clean and work our way up there. It’s just really sweet.”

Coming into Saturday’s race at Circuit of The Americas, five drivers representing three teams and three different manufacturers were tied in the GTD championship race. A third-place finish for Cameron and co-driver Markus Palttala makes Cameron the GTD points leader entering the season-ending Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.

Cameron unofficially holds a four-point lead, 275-271, over No. 22 WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America co-drivers Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen, who finished fifth in the race. The No. 555 REVO/Robert Graham Ferrari 458 Italia of Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell finished eighth. Bell and Sweedler enter Road Atlanta trailing by seven points, 275-268.

The season-ending race at Road Atlanta is also the final round of the four-race Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. The Patrón Endurance includes the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen and concludes with the Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda.

Contact:

Nate Siebens

Senior Manager, IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens

imsa-tudor-cota-gt-race.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
matt

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

Lone Star Le Mans Shakes Up TUDOR Championship Points Races

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

Lone Star Le Mans Shakes Up TUDOR Championship Points Races

Two-Hour FOX Network Telecast Of Penultimate Round Airs This Afternoon

AUSTIN, Texas. (Sept. 21, 2014) – One race remains in the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season, with Saturday’s Lone Star Le Mans shaking up three of the four point races heading into the season-ending Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The race from Austin’s Circuit of The Americas will be televised today on FOX. The two-hour telecast airs around the network’s NFL game coverage.

Roughly one-quarter of the U.S., including many west coast markets, will receive the telecast from 2-4 p.m. ET (11 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT), prior to the “late” NFL game. Nearly three-quarters of the nation will get the race beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET after the “early” NFL game telecast. Check local listings.

Scott Pruett held off Alex Brundle and Joao Barbosa in an exciting battle down the stretch, giving Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates its third victory of the season while preventing Action Express Racing from scoring additional points in the fight for the Prototype title.

Pruett’s triumph snapped Action Express Racing’s two-race winning streak, although Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi both led the race in the No. 5 Corvette DP. The third-place finish unofficially extended Action Express Racing’s lead to 22 points over Wayne Taylor Racing’s Ricky and Jordan Taylor, who finished seventh in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP.

Fittipaldi and Barbosa have accumulated 316 points, to 294 for the Taylors. Another point back, with 293, are Michael Valiante and Richard Westbrook, who took sixth in the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP.

The GT Le Mans (GTLM) championship lead changed hands at the Lone Star Le Mans, with SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R drivers Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer taking over the lead with their second triumph of the season. Entering the race with a seven-point advantage, Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia now trails by seven points, 300-293.

GT Daytona (GTD) entered Austin with five drivers representing three teams tied for the lead. Turner Motorsport BMW driver Dane Cameron finished third to break the logjam, and now leads Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America drivers Cooper MacNeil and Leh Keen by four points, 275-271. AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 Italia drivers Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell are another three points back with 268 points.

The lone championship to be decided in Texas was in Prototype Challenge (PC), where Colin Braun and Jon Bennett clinched the drivers’ title. However, the PC team title will go down to the wire at Road Atlanta, with Braun and Bennett’s CORE autosport holding an 11-point lead over 8Star Motorsports, which will take a two-race winning streak with driver Sean Rayhall into the finale.

Today’s broadcast is the first of two, two-hour TUDOR Championship telecasts on the FOX network. A two-hour program featuring Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda coverage will air on Sunday, Oct. 5.

Contact:

Nate Siebens

Senior Manager, IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens

imsa-cota-fox-telecast.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
matt

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

Top TUDOR Championship Pro-Am Drivers In Prototype, GT Le Mans To Have 2015 Podium Recognition, 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans Entry

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

Top TUDOR Championship Pro-Am Drivers In Prototype, GT Le Mans

To Have 2015 Podium Recognition, 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans Entry

· Highest-Finishing Pro-Am Drivers In P, GTLM To Be Honored In Each Race

· Automatic 24 Hours Of Le Mans Bids Available To Pro-Am Drivers

· New “Road to Le Mans” Program Strengthens Strategic Alliance between ACO and IMSA

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 20, 2014) – Against the backdrop of the Lone Star Le Mans – the only 2014 event featuring both the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship – International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) officials today unveiled an expanded program to recognize top-performing Pro-Am drivers in the Prototype (P) and GT Le Mans (GTLM) classes beginning in 2015.

The Jim Trueman Award will be utilized to recognize the top-finishing Pro-Am in the P class, while the Bob Akin Award will recognize the best Pro-Am racer in GTLM on both a per-race and season-long basis. The winners will be recognized during podium ceremonies at each TUDOR Championship event, and the highest Pro-Am points finishers in both classes will earn season-ending awards at the annual TUDOR Night of Champions.

Additionally, the season-ending Trueman and Akin Award winners will have the opportunity to earn automatic invitations to the 24 Hours of Le Mans event in 2016 from their participation in IMSA. The Bob Akin Award winner would earn an entry in the LM GTE Am class at Le Mans, while the Jim Trueman Award winner would be eligible to compete in the LM P2 class with a car registered in the appropriate ACO homologated category.

“For the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and IMSA these two invitations to the Le Mans 24 Hours underline our common will to build a championship in the purest tradition that gives endurance racing its particular strength,” said Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO. “Together, we’re building up the Lone Star Le Mans rendezvous, which will become another key center of world endurance racing in the pure Le Mans spirit that the ACO has defended since 1923 and the creation of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

“In 2015, two Pro-Am drivers will be given an automatic invitation for the following year’s Le Mans 24 Hours depending on their results. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is delighted that these two invitations will enable two drivers from our sister series, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, to fulfill their dream and race at Le Mans, thus strengthening the already tightly knit links between the ACO and IMSA.”

Drivers must have either a Silver or Bronze rating and have built a career in another profession outside of auto racing to be eligible for Trueman or Akin Awards. To win the season-ending award and the Le Mans automatic invitations, they must compete in the four Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup events (Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta) at minimum. Trueman and Akin points and awards will be presented at every TUDOR Championship event.

“Pro-Am drivers have been and likely always will be the heritage of sports car racing,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “We are very pleased to further build on the collaborative strategic alliance between the ACO and IMSA, while further building sports car racing around the world.

“Our Prototype Challenge (PC) and GT Daytona (GTD) classes have been specifically organized to include mandatory Pro-Am combinations, but a number of Pro-Am drivers also have aspirations and dreams to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This expanded program enables those drivers not only an opportunity to race at Le Mans, but to also gain experience driving the same cars they race here in the TUDOR Championship in North America.”

The Jim Trueman and Bob Akin Awards originated in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in 2005. The Jim Trueman Award – named after the legendary sports car racer, former president of Red Roof Inns and former owner of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – was presented to the top Pro-Am driver in the Daytona Prototype (DP) class every year through 2013.

The Bob Akin Award also debuted in 2005 to honor the top Pro-Am driver in the Rolex Series GT class. The Award’s namesake was a two-time winner of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring (1979 and 1986) and was president of the Hudson Wire Company. The Bob Akin Award also was last presented in the Rolex Series in 2013.

This year, the Jim Trueman Award will be presented to the championship-winning Pro-Am driver in the TUDOR Championship PC class, while the Bob Akin Award will go to the Pro-Am driver that wins the GTD class championship. Both will be presented at the TUDOR Night of Champions at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on Monday, Oct. 13.

About IMSA

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR Holdings group – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

About the ACO
Created in 1906 in Le Mans (Sarthe, France), l’Automobile Club de l’Ouest organized the first Grand Prix in the history of the motor car the year it was founded followed by the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1923. Since then the ACO has always promoted Le Mans-type endurance events throughout the world, in particular thanks to continental championships, which make up the base of the endurance pyramid: the American Le Mans Series, launched in 1999, the European Le Mans Series (2004) and the Asian Le Mans Series (2013). Above these series is the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), of which the ACO is the promoter and organizer, and at the top of the pyramid sits the Le Mans 24-Hours race. This year this legendary event is celebrating its 90th anniversary and all those racing in endurance aspire to take part in it. The ACO is the exclusive strategic partner of IMSA in North America in the context of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. This partnership allows the entrants in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship to win invitations offered by the ACO for the Le Mans 24 Hours depending on their results.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
matt

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

IMSA Announces Competition Leadership Enhancements

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

IMSA Announces Competition Leadership Enhancements

· Racing Veteran Simon Hodgson To Head Up Racing Operations

· Beaux Barfield Returns To IMSA As Race Director

· Elkins, Walter, Raffauf Assume New IMSA Roles

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 5, 2014) –As the 2014 inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship prepares for its two final races and plans for the 2015 season take shape, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) today announced a number of enhancements to its competition department. IMSA adds motorsports veterans Simon Hodgson and Beaux Barfield to key leadership positions while establishing key new roles for existing IMSA competition officials Scot Elkins, Paul Walter and Mark Raffauf.

Hodgson, a native of the United Kingdom, brings more than 25 years of experience in motorsports to his new position as IMSA’s Managing Director, Racing Operations. Hodgson’s experience includes positions in Formula 1, IndyCar and IMSA / GRAND-AM, where he most recently served as general manager of Wayne Taylor Racing’s championship-winning Prototype team.

Hodgson will oversee all racing operations functions, such as race directors, series platforms, competition administration, member services, track services and logistics. He will report to IMSA President and COO, Scott Atherton.

Elkins, who has served in an executive role with IMSA since 2008, becomes Managing Director, Technical Regulations. He will oversee the technical aspects of all IMSA-sanctioned series, with a primary focus on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda. Those aspects include Adjustment of Performance (AoP), technical regulations, homologation, technical staff and technical inspection.

He also will continue to represent IMSA for all international technical meetings with groups such as the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club l’Ouest (ACO), and will continue to lead IMSA’s development in collaboration with the ACO and FIA of all aspects of the new TUDOR Championship Prototype (P) class car set to debut in 2017. Elkins will continue to report to Atherton.

“The addition of Simon to our senior leadership team and the redefinition of Scot’s responsibilities put IMSA in a very strong position domestically and abroad,” Atherton said. “Simon comes in with a wealth of relevant industry experience and has earned the respect of virtually everyone with whom he has come in contact throughout his very successful and diverse career.

“Likewise, Scot maintains a strong voice in defining technical regulations that shape the future of our sport here in the U.S., Europe and around the world. He has developed solid relationships with his international counterparts, which are vital to the long-term success of the technical rules that will govern and unify professional endurance sports car racing.”

Hodgson joins the company at its Daytona Beach headquarters on Monday, Sept. 8 and both he and Elkins assume their new responsibilities immediately.

Barfield tapped as new IMSA Race Director

Beginning with upcoming 2014 events at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on Sept. 19-20 and the season finale Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, veteran official Beaux Barfield will become Race Director for the TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire Challenge. Barfield served in the Race Director role of the IMSA-sanctioned American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón from 2008 through 2011. He most recently was Race Director for the IndyCar Series from 2012 to 2014.

Barfield will be responsible for race direction and race control staff for all TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire Challenge events.

With the addition of Barfield, Paul Walter moves into the role of Director, Racing Operations. His responsibilities will continue to include the development of all event schedules and supplementary regulations, as well as the IMSA Rule Books and related updates. Walter also will serve as the Clerk of the Course and have an active role in competition-related matters.

Long-time IMSA and GRAND-AM competition leader Mark Raffauf has been named IMSA Director, Series Platforms. He will have day-to-day oversight of all IMSA series platforms, including the TUDOR Championship, Continental Tire Challenge, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

Barfield, Walter and Raffauf will report to Hodgson.

“These enhancements to our leadership structure will enable us to maximize the strengths of each of these individuals and our entire IMSA competition team,” said IMSA CEO Ed Bennett. “I am pleased to add Simon to our team, welcome Beaux back into the IMSA family and congratulate Scot, Paul and Mark on their new positions. All of them are proven professionals who will play important roles in the continued growth and development of IMSA now and into our bright future.”

ABOUT IMSA

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR Holdings group – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Contact:

Nate Siebens

IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens

imsa-competition-enhancements-rls.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
matt

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

Spencer Pigot Blog- We Did It-Pro Mazda Champions!

Hi Everyone,
There are so many words that can describe the last Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires weekend. Intense, dramatic, chaotic, unbelievable, amazing, etc. It really was a weekend no one could have predicted. In the end we came out on top. I won the 2014 Pro Mazda Driver’s Championship and we won the Team Championship for Juncos Racing. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds…
I hadn’t been to Sonoma Raceway before so I was really looking forward to it, I had been told by many drivers that it was a great track. After the first practice session on Thursday I could agree with them. Lots of elevation changes, blind corners, high speed and low speed sections. It has a little bit of everything which is what you want in a road course. Practice went well, I was 2nd in both sessions. We made a few changes and we were right up at the front again in the final practice session on Friday morning. Qualifying was close. The second and third flying laps were the ones you had to get the most out of, that’s when you had optimum grip from the Cooper Tires. I came up just short of pole position by less than a tenth to my championship rival Scott Hargrove. Going into race one I had a 19-point lead in the championship. I didn’t need to take any big risks but we knew if I could win race one it would be a much more relaxing finale on Saturday.
I was right behind Scott for the opening laps. He seemed to be struggling with grip, he locked up and went wide a few times. Going into the final corner he went wide again and I passed him on the exit. It didn’t last long, as we turned left into the easy flat-out turn one I was on the outside so I had the preferred inside line for turn two which was a right hand corner. He tried to push me wide and hit my left rear wheel with his right front. It spun me sideways and he hit my sidepod. Unfortunately it ripped my oil radiator off the car. My Mazda engine didn’t like the lack of oil and seized as I tried to get back to pit lane. A DNF for me and third place finish for Scott. Not what we wanted. The situation had changed dramatically and I trailed by two points heading into Saturday’s race. It came down to a winner take all showdown in the final race of the season. My mechanics worked long into the night to strap on a new Mazda engine and repair all the damaged parts.
Again I started the race second and again it all went horribly wrong…to begin with. I got hit at turn two by Scott’s teammate. Facing backwards with 20 cars trying to dodge me isn’t how I pictured the race to go. It went full course yellow and I restarted in 18th position. The only option I had was to put my head down and pass as many cars as I could. One by one I was up to 7th with about 6 laps to go. We had another brief safety car period which bunched the field back up. I passed for 6th at the restart. As I exited turn four I saw my teammate Jose passing Hargrove. He was slowing and everyone was passing him. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I caught up to him in turn 7 and passed him on the exit. It seemed much easier for everyone else to pass him as he limped back to the pits. He made his car extremely wide when I was passing, forcing me to pass him jumping over the curbs in the dirt as we entered the esses. I got by cleanly and remained in 5th for the rest of the race. I didn’t need to take any additional risks by trying to improve my position even more.
It was a rollercoaster weekend for me, the team, my family and supporters. Emotions went from rock bottom to sky high several times. In the end we are the champions. It’s the biggest accomplishment of my career so far and I couldn’t have done it without my supporters and everyone at Juncos Racing. Two of my teammates scored their first Pro Mazda wins as well, Kyle Kaiser and Jose Gutierrez. Could it get any better for Juncos Racing? Well yes, it did. Less than an hour after the race ended my team owner, Ricardo had a new baby daughter. His wife gave birth to Gabriella Juncos. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Along with the honor of being champion I won a $588,800 scholarship from Mazda and Cooper Tires to move up to Indy Lights in 2015 and drive the brand new Dallara IL-15. I’m extremely excited to get behind the wheel of the new car and start working towards a successful 2015 season.
I couldn’t do it without the help of my supporters: : Mockett, Rising Star Racing, California Scents, The Stutz, Vitamin-D Pro, OMP, RaceLite Protection and of course Juncos Racing

Fontana Finale notes

Notes via IndyCar PR:

TV: NBCSN telecasts the race live (9 p.m. ET Aug. 30) and qualifications (7 p.m. ET Aug. 29). Leigh Diffey is the chief announcer.

Radio/web: All Verizon IndyCar Series on-track sessions are broadcast on www.IndyCar.com and the INDYCAR 14 app in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring. In addition, the race will be broadcast on IMS Radio Network affiliates, XM 209 and Sirius 213. Paul Page is the chief announcer. … Also, the drivers meeting at 8 p.m. Aug. 30 will be streamed live on the INDYCAR 14 app.

Live practice and qualifications streaming: Live streaming of the Aug. 29 Verizon IndyCar Series practice sessions and single-car qualifications will be on www.IndyCar.com, incorporating Timing & Scoring and the IMS Radio Network broadcast.

Twitter: @ACSupdates, @IndyCar, #MAVTV500

Click it: Entry list || Get tickets

Weekend schedule (all times Eastern):

Friday, Aug. 29 – 1 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series practice
5:15 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series qualifications
9:15 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series practice

Saturday, Aug. 30 – 9 p.m. NBCSN on air

Weather forecast: Sunny both days; highs in the 80s, cooling through the race.

Qualifications: Single-car qualifying on the 2–mile D-shaped oval. A qualifying attempt consists of two consecutively timed laps. Order is determined by blind draw. … Will Power (1:05.2247, 220.775 mph) was the pole winner in 2013, which is the two-lap track record.

Race laps: 250

Pit boxes: 40 feet

Tires: Firestone will supply the same tire compound and construction as used in the 2013 race.

Fuel: 80 U.S. gallons of E85 for practice and qualifications … 127 gallons for race. … Between seven and 10 pit stops was the norm in the 2013 race. The first, under green, came between Laps 35-38.

Engines: 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6s supplied by Chevrolet and Honda … 140 kPa turbo boost for ovals.

2013: Will Power earned his first victory on a superspeedway by finishing 1.4883 seconds ahead of 2012 race winner Ed Carpenter over the 500 miles. Tony Kanaan finished third and James Hinchcliffe was fourth.

For spectators: A Verizon IndyCar Series autograph session is from 4-5 p.m. (local) Aug. 30 at the INDYCAR Fan Village outside the main grandstand. … Lee DeWyze, the 2010 winner of “American Idol,” will sing the national anthem before the race. … Public events Aug. 28 and 31 in Los Angeles will feature drivers. On Aug. 28 at The Grove (189 The Grove Drive), title contenders Will Power, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud will greet fans from noon-2 p.m. There will be ticket giveaways, IndyCars on display and simulated pit stop demonstrations near the center’s popular fountain. On Aug. 31, fans are welcome to take in the 4 p.m. red carpet festivities preceding the INDYCAR Championship Celebration at the LA LIVE entertainment complex (800 Olympic Blvd.). SPEEDWAY INFO

Ferrari F458 Continues Hot Streak, Scores Second Consecutive GTLM Win With Thrilling Last-Lap Pass At Virginia International Raceway

Please see attached press release, below is a text-only version.

Ferrari F458 Continues Hot Streak, Scores Second Consecutive GTLM Win

With Thrilling Last-Lap Pass At Virginia International Raceway

· Fisichella Takes Win From Henzler On Final Lap For Risi Competizione

· Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 Wins GTD Class-Leading Fourth Race

· Patrick Dempsey Earns First TUDOR Championship Podium With Third-Place Finish

DANVILLE, Va. (August 24, 2014) – Ferrari continues to find new reasons to celebrate in its 60th anniversary celebration of racing in North America.

Two races after scoring its first pole in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and one race after a breakthrough first win at Road America, Giancarlo Fisichella made a last-lap pass on Wolf Henzler to score a second consecutive victory in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia Sunday in the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway.

A late caution set up a six-minute sprint to the checkered flag, with Fisichella immediately attacking the No. 17 Team Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR of Henzler. The two went side-by-side multiple times throughout the final four laps with Fisichella making the race-winning pass on the final lap in Turn 11.

“I knew it was the last lap and I did all I could do,” said Fisichella, who was joined by co-driver Pierre Kaffer in the victory, just as he was two weeks ago at Road America. “I got close to Henzler and I was lucky because I even had a good exit. Once I took the lead, I was quicker than him in the straights.”

Henzler, who took over for co-driver Bryan Sellers, was tasked with conserving enough fuel to get to the finish throughout his one hour, 10 minute stint, while also maintaining enough pace to stay ahead of the rest of the GTLM field. A caution for the stopped Porsche 911 RSR of Michael Christensen with 12 minutes remaining allowed Henzler to save enough fuel to finish the race, but also put Fisichella right on his rear bumper.

“Sometimes you have to take a chance; we took a bit of (a gamble on) fuel and it paid off,” said Henzler. “Some other times you take a chance and you can’t make it. This time we were lucky, other times we were not. I think we deserved it, we deserved to be on the podium here.”

Searching for its first victory in GTLM competition, BMW scored its sixth podium in nine races with Dirk Mueller and John Edwards co-driving to third in BMW Team RLL’s No. 56 Crowne Plaza BMW Z4 GTE.

Antonio Garcia and the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R team unofficially leads the GTLM standings by six points, 270-264, over Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer and the No. 93 SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R team with two races remaining.

The next race for all four TUDOR Championship classes will be Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 20. That race will feature FOX network television coverage on Sunday, Sept. 21.

FOURTH VICTORY FOR CAMERON, PALTTALA RESULTS IN THREE-WAY TIE IN GTD

Dane Cameron swept to the inside of Damien Faulkner with 45 minutes remaining and led the rest of the way to take the fourth GT Daytona (GTD) victory of the season for the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 started by Markus Palttala in the Oak Tree Grand Prix.

Cameron took the checkered flag 1.420 seconds ahead of Alessandro Balzan, giving the team its second consecutive victory while setting up a three-way tie atop the GTD point standings with only two races remaining.

Cameron now has 244 points, unofficially joining No. 555 AIM Autosport REVO/Robert Graham Ferrari 458 Italia drivers Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler, and No. 22 Alex Job Racing WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America drivers Leh Keen and Cooper MacNeil for the lead in the championship.

“It’s a big gain for us to come in 12 points behind and leave tied,” Cameron said. “We’re in a good position now, but we’re not going to change our strategy. We’re not going to run conservatively and run for points or anything. We’ll do what we need to win this championship.

“The last thing we needed today was that late yellow. The last thing we wanted was to be bunched up with everybody else, but I was able to get a good run coming out of the first corner and I could exhale from there. It was a pretty stressful day. It’s never easy to win in this category.”

Palttala led prior to his pit stop during the first of three cautions. Madison Snow, driving the No. 58 Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 GT America started by early race leader Jan Heylen, and Faulkner, who joined Michael Lewis in the No. 81 GB Autosport Tully’s Coffee Porsche 911, stayed out under the second caution period shortly before the two hour mark to take turns in the lead. Following the restart, Cameron needed four minutes to execute what proved to be the winning pass.

Balzan finished second in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia started by Jeff Westphal, followed by Patrick Dempsey and Andrew Davis in the No. 27 Dempsey Racing Porsche 911 GT America.

Dempsey started from the back of the field after missing qualifying due to an accident in Saturday morning practice, and worked his way up to third prior to his pit stop. Davis rejoined the race in seventh, and quickly worked his way into podium contention.

“I felt today was really important to show how much it means to me and to be in a series with these guys that are up here,” Dempsey said. “After chasing a podium for so long this year, and being here to compete, is so much fun.

“It’s a tremendous honor and privilege. When you have these moments, you’re grateful to have this experience.”

Contact:

Nate Siebens

Senior Manager, IMSA Communications

(386) 310-6568

nsiebens

imsa-gt-vir-rls.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

Strong Sixth for Michael Marsal at Virginia International Raceway

Latest news from Michael Marsal Racing Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Strong Sixth for Michael Marsal at Virginia International Raceway Alton, Va. (23 August 2014) – Michael Marsal was back in top form on Saturday, as the Turner Motorsport pilot led the Oak Tree Grand Prix in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 before racing home to a sixth place finish at Virginia International Raceway. While Marsal typically takes on the role of starting driver for the Turner Motorsport team, the VIR weekend saw him tabbed to anchor the No. 97 to the checkered flag and go toe to toe with some of the strongest talents in IMSA. In the 2.5-hour race set under the heat of the late-August day, Marsal’s co-driver Tom Kimber-Smith took the green flag from ninth position on the grid. After pitting at the 40-minute mark, Kimber-Smith gave a storming drive all the way to the front to hand the car over to Marsal in the race lead. When Marsal took over with just 52 minutes remaining in the race, he made the most of his fresh tires and full tank of fuel while other cars in the field started to fall behind as he maintained the lead for the beginning of his stint. With just 35 minutes remaining, Marsal was ultimately forced to cede the lead, but he continued to run strongly. He challenged the cars ahead of him and fended off advances from behind. “It was a lot of fun out there!”said Marsal at the end of the race.“This is such a fun track to run around and the Turner guys gave me a great car. At the end there I had a really great battle with Eric (Curran). I think we had a top-four car today actually. All the guys here at Turner did a great job, we just didn’t quite get the yellows we needed to make it happen.” At the drop of the checkered flag, Marsal added another top-10 finish to his resume. Marsal will now have a short break in racing action before he heads back out in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 at Circuit of the Americas on September 19-20th. Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management media (317) 908-2975 (mobile) // www.twitter.com/sundaygroup www.marsalracing.com Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend Copyright © 2014 Sunday Group Management, All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 Sunday Group Management, All rights reserved. This email contains news from Sunday Group Management and is intended for media members, client associates, and team sponsor partners. If you feel you are receiving this email in error or wish to no longer do so, please unsubscribe at your earliest convenience by clicking below. Thank you-Sunday Group Management. Our mailing address is: Sunday Group Management 5655 Castle Creek Parkway Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46250 Our mailing address is: Sunday Group Management5655 Castle Creek Parkway Suite 240 Indianapolis, IN 46250 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

Rum Bum Racing VIR Race Report

Latest news from Rum Bum Racing Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Rum Bum enroute to victory once again From Your Eyes to the World Music & Culture, Places, Outside, Gears, Outside – Let Rum Bum.combe the portal to your soul. Rum Bum Racing VIR Race Report Alton, Va. (23 August 2014) – Rum Bum Racing had been hoping to turn the team’s luck around in Round 10 of the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday, but the team faced disappointment when the group was forced to retire the No. 13 Porsche just a few laps into the race. Drivers Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb and the Rum Bum Racing squad improved the No. 13 Porsche throughout the weekend’s practice sessions and looked to convert that momentum into a positive result in Saturday’s 2.5-hour race. Longhi was the quickest Porsche in Friday’s qualifying and opened the race from 13th on the grid, eager to move forward. Longhi wasted no time maneuvering his way up as he moved into 10th on just the first lap. Unfortunately that forward progression came to a halt just three laps after an error in shifting caused irreversible damage to the Porsche powerplant, ending the day early for the defending championship squad. “It’s such a shame because it doesn’t represent the time and effort everybody at Rum Bum Racing puts into this,” said Plumb, who serves as both driver and Team Manager for Rum Bum Racing. “We just have to keep moving forward. We can’t give up. We’re not going to throw in the towel. It’s tough. These guys don’t deserve it and our owner Luis Bacardi doesn’t deserve it. So we’ll rebound and get things back on track and figure out where we go from here.” Rum Bum Racing next travels to Circuit of the Americas for Round 11 of the 2014 IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge championship on September 19 & 20. The VIR event will be televised on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, August 31 at 10:00 AM ET follow on Twitter |friend on Facebook | forward to a friend CONTACT: Matt Cleary 317. 908.2975 media Copyright © *2012* *Sunday Group Management*, All rights reserved. sundaymanagement.com unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences