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Michael Marsal Has Breakthrough 2012 Season in American LeMans Series and GRAND-AM

Michael Marsal Has Breakthrough 2012 Season in American LeMans Series and GRAND-AM

www.marsalracing.com

26 October, 2012-Michael Marsal had an ambitious to-do list for the 2012 season. And now with a new degree, some new trophies, and a new job, the young racer can look back at a very busy year that saw him accomplish a tremendous amount both on and off the track in 2012.

2012 marked Michael Marsal’s third full-season campaign in GRAND-AM competition as he once again joined Turner Motorsport in the No. 97 BMW M3 in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Marsal also bookended the Rolex Sports Car Series season with outings in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and at Lime Rock Park.

And growing his racing resume to impressive new horizons, Marsal adapted quickly to the top Prototype class as he also campaigned a part-time American Le Mans Series effort with Dyson Racing.

The 2012 season also saw Marsal compete on some of the most famed racetracks around the country including Barber Motorsports Park, The Streets of Long Beach, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, The Streets of Baltimore and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

And if that wasn’t enough of a full schedule, Marsal also completed his college studies and graduated with a degree in marketing in May before beginning work full-time at Dyson Racing.

Teaming with Turner Motorsport for the third consecutive season, Marsal contested the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series co-driving with sportscar veteran Boris Said in the Turner Motorsport BMW. The duo scored five top-10 results in the 10-race season – highlighted by a season-best fourth place result at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Marsal was no stranger to the celebrations in ALMS as he picked up five podiums, highlighted by driving to a breakthrough P1 victory with Dyson Racing co-driver Eric Lux in the Baltimore Sports Car Challenge event.

The GRAND-AM season kicked off with the highly anticipated 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona event with Marsal competing in the Rolex Series as well as the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge for Turner Motorsport. The Daytona weekend started off strongly for Marsal as he and Said drove to a sixth place result in the Continental Tire race to mark Marsal’s career-best finish in the Daytona event.

The next day, Marsal moved his focus to the prestigious Rolex 24 event as he joined teammates Bill Auberlen, Paul Dalla Lana, Dirk Muller and Dirk Werner in the No. 93 BMW GT machine. Marsal was charged with keeping the car clean and trouble free during his stints and he delivered flawlessly – never putting a wheel wrong during his times behind the wheel. Unfortunately, the promising outing hit a snag as debris was sucked into the motor intake, keeping the No. 93 down on power through the second half of the race as Marsal and his teammates ultimately had to settle for 16th at the end of the grueling 24-hour event.

After a two-month break from race action following the Daytona event, Marsal was back in action in South Florida as GRAND-AM headed to Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Homestead event brought a deluge of South Florida precipitation in what was likely the rainiest weekend of the year. But despite the tricky conditions, Marsal and Said drove from 23rd at the start to a seventh place result for their second top-10 finish of the year.

Round 4 of the schedule was at a track located in familiar territory as the New Jersey Motorsports Park circuit is situated close to Philadelphia and just a quick tear down the interstate from Marsal’s home in New York City. Having raced in Rolex competition at the dense track last season, Marsal’s knowledge and expertise of the 2.25-mile road course showed when he wheeled the No. 97 BMW to his best finish of the year as he and Said combined for a fourth-place finish.

Despite losing track time early in the weekend to a frustrating electrical fault, Marsal proved quick at Road America where he earned his best qualifying effort of the year with a run to seventh on the grid. Unfortunately what could have been a very promising run at the legendary track came to an abrupt end when contact from another competitor took the No. 97 out of contention.

Following the disappointing Road America round, Marsal was ready to rebound as GRAND-AM returned to historic Watkins Glen International. Marsal delivered another strong qualifying run to start 10th before leading his first-ever laps in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition. He ran among the top-three in the race until nearly the half-way mark when he turned the car over to Said who would take 10th at the finish – marking the pair’s fourth top-10 of the season.

Marsal’s 2012 racing season came to a close at the home track for Turner Motorsport, Lime Rock Park. Just as he opened the season, Marsal served double-duty in the season-finale as he was once again drafted by Turner Motorsport to run the No. 93 GT in Rolex Series competition – this time joining team owner Will Turner behind the wheel.

The Rolex Series race didn’t end as hoped as a flat tire compromised the day after the splitter was damaged, but a strong run in the final Continental Tire event of the year provided more satisfaction. Marsal started 13th in Lime Rock’s GS-only race after qualifying was cancelled due to heavy rains in the area. But the conditions improved for the race, and Marsal posted another strong performance in the No. 97 BMW to make the most of a quick car and run as high as fourth in the 26-car field. Marsal and Said took seventh at the finish to close out the season with their fifth top-10 finish.

With a busy 2012 behind him, Marsal is already hard at work getting ready for 2013.

http://www.marsalracing.com/

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Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
mediawww.sundaymanagement.com
youtube.com/sundaymanagement
317.908.2975 (m)

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

GRAND-AM Sets First Open Test At Kansas Speedway Road Circuit

GRAND-AM Sets First Open Test At Kansas Speedway Road Circuit

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 26, 2012) – GRAND-AM Road Racing will hold an open test on the new Kansas Speedway road course for the first time this weekend. The Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will hold alternating sessions Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m.

Among drivers and teams expected:
· Boris Said, a popular veteran of sports car and NASCAR competition, in the Marsh Racing No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette. His co-driver is Eric Curran.
· Ozz Negri, 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner, in the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley.
· Alex Popow, winner of the inaugural Rolex Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the North American Endurance Championship presented by VISITFLORIDA.com, in the No. 2 Starworks Motorsport Soloson Ford/Riley. He was a 2012 class winner at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, and won this season’s American Le Mans Series PC championship.
· Joao Barbosa, winner of the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona, will share the No. 9 Corvette Daytona Prototype with new Action Express Racing teammate Burt Frisselle.
· Three-time 2012 Rolex Series GT winners Robin Liddell and John Edwards, in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.
· Audi of America brings the No. 52 Audi R8, with factory driver Frank Stippler expected.
· Shelby Blackstock, son of actor/singer Reba McEntire, will be in the No. 51 Roush Performance Starstruck Ford Mustang Boss 302R, one of four Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge cars.

Spectator Notes:

Admission to the test is free, although Kansas Speedway is requesting a donation to the March of Dimes. Fans will have access to the infield for both days of the test, and should enter the speedway at Phoenix Drive off of State Ave. Parking will be available in the Blue and White paved lots that are normally used for RV parking on race weekends. Fans will board a tram from those lots for access into the infield. For grandstand access, fans are asked to enter at Michigan Drive off of Speedway Blvd. and to park in Lot 6. Gate D (near Turn 1) will be the only Gate open. Fans will have access from Turn 1 through Hospitality Village to watch testing. Parking lots and gates will open at 8 a.m. each day

Kansas Open Test.pdf

Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Makes Friendly World Series Wager with Raceway in Sonoma

Subject: Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Makes Friendly World Series Wager with Raceway in Sonoma

GRAND-AM Announces Eligibility List For New GX Class

GRAND-AM Announces Eligibility List For New GX Class

13 Models Can Compete In Newest Rolex Series Category In 2013

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 24, 2012) – Competitors looking to participate in GRAND-AM’s newest race category will have 10 new models from nine manufacturers to choose from, based on the list of cars eligible for the new GX class in the Rolex Sports Car Series.

Earlier this year, GRAND-AM announced the new class to allow for cars and technologies currently not involved in the Rolex Series, that will debut in the 2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Eligible cars already announced for the class were the Lotus Evora GX, Porsche Cayman, and Mazda with the Skyactiv-D turbo diesel in a model to be determined.

GRAND-AM today expanded that list to 13 models from 12 different manufacturers, adding the Audi TT, BMW 1 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus (four door), Hyundai Genesis, Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, Nissan 370Z or Altima, and Volkswagen EOS.

GX will join the Daytona Prototype and GT classes at all Rolex Series races. Rules are being developed to allow for the exploration of a wide variety of alternative technologies and alternative fuels. This could include turbocharged engines; fuels other than gasoline, such as clean diesels; and hybrid powertrains.

The class will be developed with performance levels that complement the current DP and GT classes. No changes to GT performance levels are expected.

GX_Cars_FINAL.pdf

Brabham Enjoys Strong Test in Preparation for Formula Renault BARC Winter Series

>
> For Immediate Release:
>
> Brabham Enjoys Strong Test in Preparation for Formula Renault BARC Winter Series >
> Brands Hatch, England (October 19, 2012) – Matthew Brabham gained his first experience today of the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit which will host this weekend’s opening two rounds of the Formula Renault BARC Winter Series in support of the British Touring Car Championship season finale. He was impressed. He was fast, too. >
> The 18-year-old from Boca Raton, Fla., posted the seventh fastest time in this morning’s first session, held in damp, cloudy conditions, then blitzed the entire 19-car field with a stunning lap in diabolically wet conditions later in the afternoon. His best time of 1:45.282 proved to be a full 1.061 faster than his nearest challenger. >
> Brabham had made a quick trip back to the United States following his European debut at the wheel of the Team USA Scholarship/Cliff Dempsey Racing Tatuus two weeks ago to take part in the Chris Griffis Memorial Mazda Road to Indy Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – in which he impressed on his debut in a Star Mazda Championship car. The recently crowned Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda Champion returned to the UK earlier this week and was able to get some time on the West-Tec simulator to prepare himself both for this weekend and for the final Winter Series events which will take place at Rockingham on November 10. He also enjoyed a little more seat time – also in wet conditions – at Mallory Park on Wednesday prior to gaining his first experience of the famed former home of the British Grand Prix this morning. >
> “I’m very pleased to be back at the sharp end of the field,” he said. “The first session this morning went well but I was consistently quickest in the final session. The weather was diabolical. It was raining so much that I could barely see through the spray from the other cars so it was pretty sketchy and I ran off (the road) a few times. >
> “After the first practice session my eyes were really wide. I hadn’t realized the elevation changes here were so great! The first session went well though and I got some good wet weather running, and we ended up P7. We had a really good look over everything and made some changes to the car. The second session was even more wet but the changes we made really helped and I was starting to feel a lot more comfortable with the car and the track. To end up in P1 at the end of the session was fantastic. It’s definitely given me some good confidence in the wet. I really enjoyed the track. It’s awesome! It’s now one of my favorite tracks and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the weekend.” >
> Brabham will be back on track Saturday morning at 9:00 AM for the first of two 15-minute qualifying sessions which will determine the starting positions for the weekend’s two races. Qualifying for Round 2 will take place at 12:45 PM, followed by the first 12-lap race at 4:10 PM. Round 2 will start on Sunday at 1:10 PM. >
> Live timing and scoring will be available at http://bit.ly/ROR4e5. >
> The Team USA Scholarship is made possible by support from Doug Mockett & Company, Road Racing Drivers Club and its ground-breaking http://www.SAFEisFAST.com video tutorial initiative, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, INDYCAR’s Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda, David Heinemeier Hansson, Level 5 Motorsports, Honda Performance Development, NameSilo, Silicon Salvage, McMurry Inc., Parathyroid.com, Dyson Racing, Allen Berg Racing Schools, Seat Time, LLC, PitFit Training, Sparco USA, RACER Magazine, eFormulaCarNews.com, Speedstar Management, Styled Aesthetic and Manifest Group as well as numerous past Scholarship winners. >
> For more information, please visit http://www.TeamUSAScholarship.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. >
> Attached photo please credit Jakob Ebrey Photography
Team USA Release 8 10-19.pdf

Matt Cleary
Matt@Cleary.net
317.908.2975

Cliff White named 42nd recipient of annual RRDC Mark Donohue Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – attached is digital image of Cliff White in action at Road America (No. 58). Photo credit: Mark Weber

Contact:

CLIFF WHITE NAMED 42nd RECIPIENT OF ANNUAL RRDC MARK DONOHUE AWARD

HILLIARD, Ohio (Oct. 18, 2012) – Cliff White, 26, of Huntsville, Ala., was selected as the 42nd annual recipient of the prestigious Road Racing Drivers Club Mark Donohue Award for his outstanding Spec Racer Ford class victory at the 2012 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., in September. White will be officially presented the award on March 2, 2013, at the SCCA National Convention at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. He will also be honored by the RRDC at its annual dinner at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in Florida on Jan. 23, 2013.

White is a CPA and MBA who runs the family business operating assisted-living communities. He is a veteran of the Spec Racer Ford (SRF) class with 11 years in the seat – he started at age 16. This is his first SCCA National Championship.

His drive to victory was anything but leisurely. According to Don Knowles, who chaired this year’s Donohue Award selection committee, “I watched the SRF race from turn 13 and then on the live computer broadcast. Cliff and the other three SRF frontrunners ran what is almost unheard of – a clean Runoffs race! Three leaders on the last lap with Cliff coming from fourth to first – a real tough tactical battle. Winning the arm-wrestling contest with that field is a great driving accomplishment.”

White credited his car’s performance to the communication he has with his mentor and mechanic, Mark Eaton, who works for the southeast division’s SRF customer service representative (CSR), Robinson Motorsports. “We just put our heads down all week and kept working on the car,” said White. “The fact we’ve done this together on and off for 10 years, we speak the same language. He knows the car inside and out and he knows my driving. So we said to ourselves, ‘We’re going to win this thing.’”

For the entire 13 laps around the 4-mile circuit, four drivers – Scott Rettich, Brian Schofield, Todd Harris and White – plotted, probed and parried for the lead. They were still at it on the last lap. Here’s how White saw it.

“I got the warning that we had two laps to go, and I took assessment of where we were and who was fast and not and where. So I relaxed the tires for a little bit until about halfway through the last lap, and I guess started making my move going into 5 (the hard left at the end of the Andretti Straight).”

Driving now to maximize corner exit speed, White had moved to third as the train swooped down on Canada Corner, a hard right that is the third from the last major turn at Road America. With Schofield and Harris battling for the lead, “I knew Brian and Todd would defend the inside and go as deep as possible for the win,” said White. “Instead, I braked early and stayed on the normal racing line to be able to get underneath Harris on the exit of Canada.”

White pulled abreast Harris and managed to hold the outside line through the left-hand Bridge Turn. This put White on the inside line for the final corner where he passed Harris for second. When leader Schofield twitched a bit on exit, White said, “I knew I had him.”

There was a bit of weaving about on the uphill home stretch, but White nosed ahead to take the checkered flag in perhaps the best race of the 2012 Runoffs.

“I couldn’t have done this without my parents,” White said. “That’s a kind of a cliché no-brainer; but really, Dad and I are some of the last privateers left in our class. He finished 29th. Of the top six finishers, five are running out of a prep shop or are a CSR or SRF driving school instructor. So really we are a family race team and maybe that delayed me winning one of these things; but that makes it all the sweeter.”

White was thrilled to be named the RRDC Mark Donohue Award winner by some of his peers. “Honestly, I’m still on Cloud 9 from winning the Runoffs and receiving this award,” he said. “I was aware of the award but until Don Knowles called me I didn’t realize who my peers now were, in terms of the previous recipients. With the number of drivers who compete at the Runoffs, to know that I stood out that much is an incredible feeling. I am aware of what Mark Donohue and the other drivers who have received this award had accomplished, and it’s an incredible honor.”

Every year, the RRDC Mark Donohue Award trophy is an engraved glass top mounted on a special, racing-experienced wheel, provided through the efforts of an RRDC member. This year’s wheel was donated by RRDC President Bobby Rahal on behalf of Rahal, Letterman, Lanigan Racing. It was mounted on the BMW Team RLL M3 GT during the American Le Mans Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park, Conn., this past July.
Rahal, a Runoffs champion long before he won the Indianapolis 500, emphasized the Mark Donohue Award is “about personal spirit and performance behind the wheel. Those qualities are more important for this award than winning the race. This year, Cliff White did both.

“Mark Donohue would have been proud to see Cliff win this award,” said Rahal. “The communication between Cliff and his engineer proved key to his dramatic victory. Mark was both driver and engineer and knew better than most the importance of that linkage.”

About the RRDC:
The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club’s membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.

In 2011, the RRDC launched a free on-line training seminar – www.SAFEisFAST.com – featuring more than 30 RRDC members and other industry experts in high-quality videos covering subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, driver safety to car setup and sponsorship. The videos are updated regularly. Each week, a professional from the world of motor racing answers readers’ questions on the site in a feature called “Ask a Pro.”

President Bobby Rahal is the 1986 Indy 500 winner and is co-owner with David Letterman and Mike Lanigan of the 2004 Indianapolis 500-winning Rahal, Letterman, Lanigan Racing team. Ten-time SCCA National champion John Fergus (who also has three Pro Sports 2000 crowns and one IMSA championship) is the Club’s Vice President/Treasurer, and five-time SCCA National champion Tom Davey is the Secretary.

In addition to RRDC members lending their expertise to up-and-coming drivers, the Club presents three annual awards: the Phil Hill Award for rendering outstanding service to road racing; the Mark Donohue Award for personal spirit and performance at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs; and the Bob Akin Award – the top award presented to amateur and semi-professional racers – for speed with style, passion, sportsmanship and contribution to motorsports.

The RRDC also supports the Team USA Scholarship, which has been assisting young Americans in the early stages of their careers since 1990. Membership in the RRDC is by invitation only. Additional information on the organization may be found at www.rrdc.org.

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Allmendinger Moves Forward in Charlotte

Allmendinger Moves Forward in Charlotte

(Charlotte, NC) 14 October, 2012-AJ Allmendinger was back in NASCAR Sprint Cup action this weekend, making his first Cup start since June. Returning to work after completing the NASCAR Road To Recovery program, Allmendinger joined Phoenix Racing in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

After the team rallied to make last minute adjustments and outfit the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet to fit the new driver, Allmendinger was back in the swing of things as he showed encouraging pace in the opening practice sessions.

While his enthusiasm for entry speed cost him on his Thursday night qualifying run and he had to settle for 38th on the grid, Allmendinger knew he had a solid car underneath him. With 500 miles to run and a clear focus on just getting the most out of the weekend, Allmendinger approached the Bank of America 500 as a chance to get back into the grove over the course of a long race on his adopted home track.

After starting 38th, Allmendinger quickly worked his way up to the mid-twenties, staying on the lead lap with his Smiley-Faced Phoenix Construction Chevrolet deep into the night. A late-race pit road procedural penalty saw him losing time to the leaders as he had to make the long, slow way down pit lane at a crawling penalty pace before returning to the pack at full speed.

But despite all the variables that come with working with a new car, a new crew chief, and a whole lot of new faces, Allmendinger focused on his job to bring the Phoenix Construction car home in 24th place.

“It was great to get back into a Cup car, and I just want to thank James Finch and everyone at Phoenix Racing for giving me this opportunity–I’m really grateful,” said Allmendinger. “I was hoping I could have repaid that favor with a little bit stronger finish. But it was great to get back in the car and compete again. It was a solid weekend all around despite everything coming together so quickly. I want to also thank everyone who has been so supportive through this entire process. It meant a lot, and now we are all focused on building on this and looking forward to whatever comes next.”

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For additional information and interaction, visit www.twitter.com/ajdinger, www.facebook.com/ajallmendinger, and www.ajallmendinger.com.

About Walldinger Racing, Inc.: Walldinger Racing was formed in 2006 to support AJ Allmendinger’s motorsports career by developing commercial opportunities and partnership programs.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
mediawww.sundaymanagement.com
twitter.com/sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)

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

GRAND-AM, American Le Mans Series Officials Meet With Auto Manufacturers To Discuss Next Steps To Unified Road Racing Series

GRAND-AM, American Le Mans Series Officials Meet With Auto Manufacturers

To Discuss Next Steps To Unified Road Racing Series

Healthy Dialogue Lays Foundation For 2014 Rules And Regulations

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 3, 2012) – The next step toward a unified North American sports car series was taken on Monday in New York City, when officials from GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series met with representatives of 12 automobile manufacturers.

The two sanctioning bodies announced a merger in September, and will run a combined schedule in 2014, with a target of 12 races. Both series will run separate schedules in 2013, joining together for the first time in one weekend at Road America in August.

“We had a lot of healthy dialogue and commitment to follow-up,” said Ed Bennett, GRAND-AM president and CEO. “We formed a list of subcommittees, which will be working groups to cover all aspects of our sport.”

Bennett was joined by GRAND-AM founder Jim France, managing director of competition Richard Buck, managing director of racing operations Mark Raffauf, and managing director of technical regulations and development Gabriel Cadringher. The ALMS contingent included founder Don Panoz, president and CEO Scott Atherton, and chief operating officer Scot Elkins.

Automobile manufacturers represented at the meeting included Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Dodge SRT, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Lotus, Mazda, Porsche and Toyota TRD.

“It was a very productive meeting, and a significant first step,” Atherton said. “We’ve come a long way. Having Jim France and Don Panoz and their key people standing shoulder to shoulder in open discussion with 12 manufacturers was a remarkable situation – and it really set the stage for our collective future together.”
“No decisions were made, it was primarily a discussion,” Atherton said. “Each of the manufacturer representatives – including those joining us on the teleconference – had the opportunity to speak and provide feedback. The meeting raised several new issues that we will continue to discuss.”

A list of subcommittees that will focus on all aspects of the merger was also announced at the meeting. Each will be chaired by a representative of one of the sanctioning bodies, joined by their counterpart from the other organization.

“While the main topic was the 2014 regulations – which we hope to announce in the near future – we also took a longer-range perspective,” Atherton said. “We do not want to be narrowly focused. We are putting together plans with both 2014 and the ultimate destination of our unified sports car racing series in mind.”

The meetings took place at the Intercontinental Hotel in NYC prior to the 2012 Rolex Champions Awards presented by SunTrust at Manhattan’s Gotham Hall. The 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón season will close with the 1,000-mile/10-hour running of the Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda at Road Atlanta on Oct. 20. The 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Series season opens with the 51st Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 26-27.

—

Photo Caption:

Representatives from leading automotive manufacturers flank (front row, from left) Scott Atherton, ALMS president and CEO; ALMS founderDon Panoz; GRAND-AM founder Jim France; and Ed Bennett, GRAND-AM president and CEO, at Monday’s meeting in New York City.

(GRAND-AM/Brian Cleary)

Riley Technologies Wins Ninth Consecutive GRAND-AM Championship

Riley Technologies Wins Ninth Consecutive GRAND-AM Championship

Media Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media
317-908-2975 M

Lakeville, Conn. (1 October 2012)— Riley Technologies extended its unparalleled record of success this weekend as the Mooresville, NC-based firm secured its ninth consecutive GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Manufacturer Championship.

The 2012 GRAND-AM season ushered in a new era in Daytona Prototype competition with the introduction of a clean-sheet design of the third generation DP in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. But even with a strong new field of competition in the DP ranks, it was yet again the well-established excellence of Riley Technologies that emerged as the class of the field from the moment the Riley XXVI DPG3 took to the track.

Riley’s tradition of strong debuts for new offerings continued as Starworks earned the first pole position of the season at Daytona International Speedway with the new Riley design.

Just days later, Michael Shank Racing brought Riley a eighth consecutive Rolex 24 At Daytona crown as the team finished first in the 50th Anniversary event, as the Starworks Riley entry crossed the line just five seconds behind in second place to make it a Riley 1-2 for the new design. A previous-generation Riley DP design scored third to make it a podium sweep of the big event for Riley.

The new DPG3 regulations also saw the Riley design mated with the all-new Corvette bodywork, which the GAINSCO Racing squad put to excellent use, gathering poles and podiums on multiple occasions.

The Rolex GT Class season was also a source of multiple success for the Riley Technologies designs, as the firms GT chassis was put to use on the way to four visits to victory lane in 2012. The Turner Motorsport BMW M3 scored wins at Mid-Ohio and Road America, with the SpeedSource Engineering Mazda RX-8 netting a win at Barber Motorsports Park, while the Team Sahlen’s RX-8 brought home an emotional victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the penultimate round of GRAND-AM competition.

“Bringing a new car to market for the new third-generation Daytona Prototype rules was an exciting project for everyone here at Riley Technologies,” said Riley Technologies VP Bill Riley.

“We were fortunate not only to have partners like Siemens to utilize the latest in CFD when designing the new car, but also to partner with some very strong teams. We are proud of our designs and the support we provide our teams, but we also also know that it is the hard work of our customers that makes the difference. So we are very honored to accept this GRAND-AM championship. It is a very exciting time in sports car racing, and to have our customers enjoy the kind of success that they have is very gratifying.”

The GRAND-AM banquet in New York City on Monday evening will see the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates duo of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas collecting their third consecutive Rolex Series Championship, which marks the sixth GRAND-AM championship for the team, all of which have been earned with Riley Technologies designs. The firm has 89 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race victories to its credit.

The GRAND-AM success has not been the only focus for the Riley Technologies group this season, as Bill Riley has been tabbed to oversee the SRT Viper effort in American LeMans competition.

About Riley Technologies:
Riley Technologies has an extended legacy of success, developing competitive on-track products for the Rolex Sports Car Series, the American LeMans Series, the USAC Gold Crown Series, and the Japanese GT Championship Series.

About Siemens:
Riley Tech has long relied on Siemens PLM Software to help design and develop their race-winning machines. NX software, Siemens PLM Software’s digital product development solution which includes computer-aided design, -manufacturing and -engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) applications, is the preferred development software. NX Software was cited as a driving force behind Riley taking a ninth straight GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype Manufacturers championship in 2012.

For more information or questions, please contact: Bill Riley, (704) 663-6319 *302

For additional information: www.rileytech.com
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Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
www.sundaymanagement.com
youtube.com/sundaymanagement
317.908.2975 (m)

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Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix to Feature IndyCar Doubleheader in 2013

CHEVROLET DETROIT BELLE ISLE GRAND PRIX TO FEATURE
INDYCAR DOUBLEHEADER AND STANDING START IN 2013

DETROIT, Mich. (October 1, 2012) – One of the most action-packed events in racing will double its excitement next season with the announcement that the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will host two IZOD IndyCar Series races on one special weekend, May 31-June 2, 2013.

Competing on the newly-repaved Raceway at Belle Isle Park street circuit, the turbocharged, hi-tech IndyCars will host two separate championship-points races at the “Dual in Detroit” the weekend following the Indianapolis 500. Both IndyCar races will be 70 laps in length (previous Belle Isle race distances were set for 90 laps) with the first race held on Saturday, June 1 and the second race to be run the following day on Sunday, June 2. IZOD IndyCar Series officials announced their 2013 race schedule yesterday, unveiling three “doubleheader” race weekends. The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix will host the very first twinbill, serving as the debut event for the exciting new format.

The two races will also feature another new on-track innovation being unveiled in the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series – standing starts. The start of the Saturday race will feature the full field of IndyCars beginning the event from a standing start format for what’s expected to create its share of early-race drama and excitement on the race track while Sunday’s race will begin with the traditional rolling start.

Both “Dual in Detroit” IndyCar races will be televised live on ABC, creating back-to-back days of unprecedented national network exposure and racing coverage for Belle Isle and its beautiful waterfront shared by Detroit and Windsor, Canada.

“We’re so excited to host the first IndyCar doubleheader of the season at the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix,” said Bud Denker, Event Chairman of the Grand Prix. “What a terrific weekend this is going to be in the Motor City as we unveil the ‘Dual in Detroit’ and standing starts for the IZOD IndyCar Series along with all of the other great racing action that weekend with the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series and the Firestone Indy Lights. It’s certainly going to be a challenge for all the IndyCar teams and drivers to gear up for two races over two days on the tough Belle Isle street circuit but that’s why they are the best at what they do. With all of the action on and off the track that weekend, the fans will be the real winners at the Grand Prix. The exposure Detroit, Windsor and our region will gain from two days of back-to-back coverage on ABC/ESPN, is really immeasurable.”

Work continues this week on the repaving of the Raceway at Belle Isle Park circuit as approximately 80,000 square feet of concrete and 3,000 square feet of asphalt is being installed on the roadways in preparation for next year’s races.

“The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix team is enhancing Belle Isle to make it a more challenging, world-class road course for all the great series competing on the island,” said General Motors North America President Mark Reuss. I’m also thrilled that the IZOD IndyCar Series picked Belle Isle to introduce its new dual-race format, so the IndyCar drivers will run both Saturday and Sunday. It promises to be a great weekend at a great venue – one that will make us proud, both as Detroiters and as race fans.”

Tickets for the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix are expected to go on sale in November but fans can sign up for advance ticket sales online now at www.DetroitGP.com.

The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix is a 501(c)3 organization and a subsidiary of the Downtown Detroit Partnership. Held May 31-June 2, 2013, the event will include the “Dual in Detroit” Chevrolet Indy Grand Prix featuring the cars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, the Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 at Belle Isle presented by the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers with the sports cars of the GRAND-AM Rolex Series, the Cadillac V-Series Challenge presented by the Metro Detroit Cadillac Dealers featuring the cars of the Pirelli World Challenge Championship Series and the Firestone Indy Lights Series. For more information, visit www.DetroitGP.com and follow our social media pages atwww.facebook.com/detroitgp and www.twitter.com/detroitgp.

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