Marsal Returns to Road America with Dyson Racing

Marsal Returns to Road America with Dyson Racing

Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
Media
317.908.2975 (m)

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (17 August 2012) – Michael Marsal returns to American Le Mans Series competition this weekend for the Road America Road Race Showcase at the historic 4-mile permanent road course set in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Racing in the top P1 class on arguably one of the best driver’s tracks in the country, he will return to the No. 20 Dyson Racing Mazda B11/66 Lola with co-drivers Eric Lux and Tony Burgess.

With three ALMS podiums already to his credit in 2012, Marsal looks to make it four-in-a-row with another strong run in Saturday’s 2.75-hour race. He and Lux scored third in the previous event at Mid-Ohio two weeks ago – contributing to Dyson Racing’s 200th podium result.

The 24-year-old racer has significant–and recent–experience at the fabled Wisconsin facility, having previously competed at the track in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW. He scored his best GRAND-AM career qualifying result with a run to seventh among a 60-car combined class grid earlier this year and is looking forward to using his knowledge of the circuit to his advantage as he takes to the challenging course for first time in the high speed, high downforce LMP1 machine.

“I always like coming back to Road America,” said Marsal. “It’s the first track I ever drove a racecar on, and it is just a cool place. I think driving an LMP1 car is just going to be incredible around here. This is my fourth ALMS race now, and I’m just trying to keep building on the experience and unlocking more and more speed with this car. Driving for Dyson Racing has been a great experience this year and I can not wait for this weekend to get going. ”

The Road America Road Race Showcase kicks off with two-hours of ALMS testing Thursday afternoon. Friday will feature two rounds of official practice followed by qualifying which begins at 5:40 PM (ET). Marsal will take to the track for a 30-minute warm-up ahead of Saturday’s race set to begin at 3:30 PM (ET).

Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.alms.com. ESPN3 will carry live streaming on Friday at 5:40 PM (ET) and on Saturday at 4:15 PM (ET).

The race will be televised via tape delay Sunday at 2:00 PM (ET) on ESPN2.

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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

Tagliani Turns In Late Flyer To Lead Montreal 200 Thursday Practice

Tagliani Turns In Late Flyer To Lead Montreal 200 Thursday Practice

Keen Runs Quickest GT Lap of the Day in No. 59 Porsche

MONTREAL (August 16, 2012) – Alex Tagliani, making his first drive in a Daytona Prototype, looked right at home in more ways than one Thursday afternoon at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, setting the fastest speed in the opening day of practice for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series’ Montreal 200.

Tagliani, a Montreal native racing on his home track, drove the No. 2 Soloson Ford/Riley to a best lap of 104.284 mph (1 minute, 33.518 seconds) on the 2.709-mile, 15-turn road course late in the second of two Thursday practice sessions.

“Now I can get a good night’s sleep,” Tagliani said. “I was a little nervous coming to a championship-contending team and not being competitive. Today was the first time I drove a DP. I didn’t even have a seat fitting. This is an amazing learning curve. I just wanted to do good job.”

Tagliani’s lap in the second practice session of the day backed up the lap Ryan Dalziel turned to lead the opening two-hour session practice earlier Thursday afternoon. Dalziel and Tagliani will share co-driving duties in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley, while Tagliani will also share the No. 2 machine with Alex Popow in Saturday’s two-hour event.

Alex Gurney, in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP, led the combined practice for much of the final session, but settled for second at 104.057 mph after Tagliani’s chart-topping lap.

Gurney, a three-time pole winner this season who will share driving duties with Jon Fogarty, scored his most recent victory in the series on the Gilles Villeneuve track last season. His most recent GRAND-AM pole position was two races ago at Indianapolis.

Leh Keen was fastest for the day in the GT class, logging a lap at 97.280 mph (1 minute, 40.251 seconds) in the second session in the No. 59 The Brumos Companies Porsche GT3 he shares with Andrew Davis. That lap edged out the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Camaro GT.R driven by John Edwards, who was second on the combined practice report at 97.092 mph. Edwards’ co-driver is Robin Liddell, who scored the GT victory in Montreal last year.

Qualifying for the Montreal 200, the 11th round of the season for the GRAND-AM series, is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Friday. Saturday’s two-hour race will take the green flag at 11:15 a.m. ET.

081612_mtl_practice_rls.pdf

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

Shell-Pennzoil Karter Kyle Kirkwood Makes Junior Max Grand National Debut

Shell-Pennzoil Karter Kyle Kirkwood Makes Junior Max Grand National Debut

Walldinger Racing Media Contact:
Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
Media

South Bend, Ind. (15 August 2012) – Walldinger Racing karter Kyle Kirkwood completed a busy week of racing as he and the Tim Pappas-led KartSport team took part in the prestigious 12th Annual United States Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals at Michiana Raceway Park in South Bend, Indiana. Having entered the event in the Mini-Max category in previous years, the 2012 event marked Kirkwood’s debut in the ultra-competitive Junior Max division.

The week-long event featured the top kart racers from across the country and featured an intense schedule: Unofficial practice on Monday & Tuesday, Official practice on Wednesday, Qualifying & Heat 1 on Thursday, Heats 2 &3 on Friday and the Pre-Final and Final events on Saturday. The Junior Max class was divided into four groups based on qualifying times and those four groups raced against each other in three heat races. The combined points awarded to each racer in the heats determined the starting positions for Saturday’s Pre-Final, with the Pre-Final results setting the grid for the Final.

Driving the No. 22 Arrow, Kirkwood’s week was highlighted by a dominating Heat 3 win but it was an up-and-down week for the 13-year-old Florida karter as the victory brought a welcomed haul of points following misfortune in the first two heats.

Having qualified third among the very talented field of Junior karters, Kirkwood lined up second on the grid for Heats 1 & 2. Unfortunately the strong qualifying effort would not translate into the positive race results the team had hoped for when a broken hub saw Kirkwood complete only 10 of 14 laps in Heat 1.

The entire week saw a mix of rainy conditions with bouts of dry weather running, but the challenging wet conditions saw Kirkwood face frustration in Heat 2. Although he had a great start, he was shuffled down the order as the group navigated the tricky wet weather conditions and without enough time left in the 14-lap heat, Kirkwood was forced to settle for a 20th place finish.

Looking for redemption in Heat 3, Kirkwood started from the pole and never looked back. By the third lap, Kirkwood had already developed a 2.237-second gap over the rest of the field and he extended that lead each time by – ultimately taking the checkered flag with a 4.304-second advantage over second place.

The win solidly locked Kirkwood into the Pre-Final while several of his competitors were forced to run the Last Chance Qualifier race for a final shot at starting the Pre-Final event.

Though no rain was forecasted for Saturday’s events, the rain came down the hardest it had throughout the whole week on Saturday morning which made for very challenging conditions in the 20-lap Pre-Final event. Kirkwood’s combined points from the heat races had him starting 25th in the Pre-Final but he wasted no time in maneuvering through the field in the slippery track conditions to run as high as fourth before ultimately finishing the race 19th.

The 13-year-old racer would have his work cut out for him in the Final as he started from the 10th row, but with the rain finally moving out of the area, Kirkwood was set to move to the front with the Final held under sunny skies and dry track conditions.

The No. 22 Arrow was pushed wide on the start with Kirkwood falling back to 24th, but the resilient racer remained determined to move forward and began a charge through the field. He cracked the top-20 to run 19th by the fourth lap and seamlessly picked up positions each time by and was back up to 14th with 10 laps remaining in the race. He would work his way into the 12th position where he would take the checkered flag after 26 laps of hard running.

“We didn’t really have the results we were hoping for, but we learned a lot and I definitely got even more experience driving in the rain!,” said Kirkwood. “We just didn’t have the set-up for the wet conditions and unfortunately we were caught out with the broken hub in the first heat. It was great to win Heat 3 and it showed that in the dry conditions we definitely were in contention for a podium finish for the Final. But it just wasn’t meant to be. The rain really hurt us in the Pre-Final which put me deep in the field for the Final and there just wasn’t enough time left in the race to make my way any further forward than 12th. It was a great experience and I learned a lot driving against some of the toughest competitors in the nation and now we’ll take what we learned to New Castle next month.”

Next up for Kirkwood is the final round of WKA Manufacturers Cup competition at New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana September 14-16.

About Shell-Pennzoil:
Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with 93,000 employees in more than 90 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs nearly 20,000 people using technology and innovation to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. The Shell downstream organization manages a portfolio of top-quality brands, including the No. 1 selling gasoline and premium gasoline brand[i] and Pennzoil®, the most trusted motor oil brand in America*. Shell’s motorsports technical alliances around the world provide a testing ground for fuel and lubricant technologies and products in demanding road conditions. The knowledge Shell and Pennzoil gain through these alliances help address tomorrow’s world mobility energy challenge with efficient solutions that power and protect motorists around the globe.

http://www.pennzoil.com/

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

About KartSport
Formed in August 2010, KartSport is the exclusive North American importer of Arrow Racing Karts. Owned and operated by professional karting and racing veterans Justin Marks and Eric Jones, and operating out of a state-of-the-art facility in Mooresville, North Carolina, KartSport delivers to the karting industry a number of quality products and services. KartSport also designs and manufacturers it’s own line of karting tools and components.

About Sparco
Founded in 1977 Sparco is the world leader in motor sports safety equipment. More than 35 years later, Sparco’s ambition for producing the safest and innovative driving equipment possible, is still the number one priority for the company. At speeds of more than 200 mph, and temperatures above 120 degrees, a driver must be 100% confident in their safety equipment. Therefore, the world’s top professional drivers choose Sparco, more than any other brand.

About Sunday Group Management
Sunday Group Management is a leading motorsports management and communications consulting firm with clients in NASCAR, IndyCar, GRAND-AM, and ALMS. www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, or www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

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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 News And Notes: Montreal 200

Fast Facts:
Rolex Sports Car Series

The Race:
Montreal 200
The Place:
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The Track:

2.709-mile temporary road course
The Date/Time:

Saturday, 11:15 a.m. ET
The Race Length:

2 hours
TV: SPEED (7 p.m. ET)
Radio: MRN Radio

Magical Season Has Established Starworks Among Elite

For the past five seasons, four teams have dominated Daytona Prototype competition. TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, SunTrust Racing and Action Express (Brumos) Racing have finished in the top three in the final DP standings since 2007.
Starworks Motorsport joined that elite group in 2012. The team captured the inaugural North American Endurance Championship presented byVISITFLORIDA.com, and with back-to-back victories at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen, Starworks is now pressuring for both the driver and team titles.
“I think the new powerhouse in the Rolex Series is Starworks,” Ryan Dalziel said after winning Saturday’s Continental Tire 200 at Watkins Glen. “The guys have worked their hearts out for two years to get themselves in this position.”
With three races remaining in the season, the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley leads the team standings, only six points ahead of the No. 8 Starworks Ford/Riley(295-289). The No. 5 Action Express Corvette DP is third with 268 points, only five points ahead of the No. 2 Starworks Ford/Riley.
On the driver side, Dalziel trails Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas by six points (295-289), with Indianapolis winner Alex Popow fourth with 274 points.
“I’m very happy for the team,” said Popow, lead driver on the Starworks’ No. 2. “I am going to keep fighting for the championship. I’m a little bit behind right now, but I think Ryan will have a good battle with Scott and Memo.”

Welcome Home: Canadians Tracy, Tagliani Secure DP Rides

Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani, two of Canada’s top open-wheel racers, have landed rides with Daytona Prototype teams for Saturday’s Montreal 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Tracy will join David Donohue with Action Express Racing in the No. 5 Corvette DP. While this is Tracy’s first drive for Action Express, he has competed in four Rolex Series races for Doran Racing this season, with his best finish sixth at Indianapolis. He was the 2003 Champ Car titlist with 30 victories in major open-wheel competition, and runner-up in the 2002 Indianapolis 500.
Tagliani will join Starworks Motorsport, which is coming off a 1-2 finish at Watkins Glen International. It will be a unique race for Tagliani who will start the No. 8 Ford/Riley for Ryan Dalziel, before swapping rides and finishing the race for co-driver Lucas Luhr in the No. 2 Ford/Riley. This will be Tagliani’s first race in a DP who competed in five GT races in 2006. Tagliani has competed at the highest levels of American open-wheel racing since 2000, with one victory and seven pole position in 186 starts.
Michael Valiante of British Columbia will return to the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP that he and Richard Westbrook drove to victory earlier this season at Mid-Ohio.
Canadians competing in GT include Watkins Glen winner Paul Dalla Lana of Toronto, who joins Billy Johnson in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3; Scott Maxwell of Toronto, co-driving Dempsey Racing’s No. 40 Mazda RX-8 with Tom Long; and Montreal native Sylvain Tremblay, co-driving the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 with Jonathan Bomarito.

Points Leaders Pruett, Rojas Have Had Mixed Results At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

With its lead in the Daytona Prototype standings cut to six points, Saturday’s Montreal 200 may play a key role for TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in its battle for a third consecutive Daytona Prototype title – and fourth in five seasons.
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2010 in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley, but finished 10th in 2009, and fifth in 2007, 2008 and 2011.
“It seems we’re always either on or off at Montreal,” Pruett said. “We’ve won and finished third there, but other times we’ve struggled to be in the top five – like last year. It’s going to be critical for us to be “on” when we go back there. The last three races will really be critical for us – but that’s true for all of us in the battle for the championship.”
In last year’s race Rojas sustained minor bodywork damage early in the event. The fifth-place finish marked only the second time in 2011 that they did not finish first or second.
While the “Ganassi Gang” won five races and finished second five times in 2011 – and won nine races en route to the 2010 title – the current season saw the team only win one race, at Road America, in addition to finishing second three times.
Pruett and Rojas will also be looking to score the 150th career victory for Chip Ganassi Racing’s combined efforts in GRAND-AM, NASCAR and major open-wheel racing in Saturday’s event.

Team Sahlen To Move To Daytona Prototype Ranks With Pair Of BMW/Rileys In 2013

After racing in the Rolex Series GT division since 2005, Team Sahlen will step up to the Daytona Prototype ranks in 2013 with a pair of BMW-powered Rileys.
Dane Cameron will co-drive the team’s No. 42 with Wayne Nonnamaker, while Joe Sahlen, Joe Nonnamaker and Will Nonnamaker will share the No. 43.
The team currently races three Mazda RX-8s, and is battling to land two of its cars in the top 10 of the GT team standings. The No. 42 is currently seventh in the points, with a best finish a second at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The No. 43 is 11th, trailing 10th
place by only three points.
“Whatever we do, we want to do at the highest level – whether it’s our meat products, our soccer team or our sports park,” said team owner Sahlen. “We took a look at the dynamics of GRAND-AM from top to bottom, and now, we’re set to compete in GRAND-AM’s highest exposure level.”

First-Turn Incident For Ferrari Team Tightens GT, Manufacturer Points Battles After Glen

An incident in the first turn on the first lap of Saturday’s Continental Tire 200 at Watkins Glen involved the top two teams in the Rolex Series GT standings. Emil Assentato’s No. 69 AIM Autosport Team FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia bumped the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro of John Edwards, sending both cars spinning.
While Edwards and Robin Liddell struggled to finish 14th, Assentato and Jeff Segal fought back to finish seventh in the race won by Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW. As a result, Liddell fell to fourth in the point standings, 33 points behind the Ferrari teammates. Dalla Lana closed to second, 16 points behind Segal and Assentato (300-284).
“I think we definitely made the best of a bad situation,” said Segal, who entered the race with a 26-point lead. “It is pretty unbelievable that we managed to get out of here with seventh place after going a two or three laps down. It’s not ideal, especially with the No. 94 winning. They are right behind us in the points now.”
The Glen result also tightened the GT manufacturer standings. Ferrari’s lead has been cut to seven points over Chevrolet (303-296), followed by Porsche (290), Mazda (289) and BMW (284).
Ford scored a 1-2 finish at the Glen to cut Chevrolet’s lead to 14 points in the Daytona Prototype manufacturer standings (322-309). BMW finished third and now has 298 points.

Rolex Series, Etc.

* The winningest driver at Montreal is Robin Liddell. He has won three of the five GRAND-AM events (2008, 2009, 2011), all with Stevenson Motorsports.
*Jon Fogarty knows how to get around Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The driver of the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP has qualified on the pole for four of the five races in Montreal. In last year’s event Fogarty and co-driver Alex Gurney were able to win from the pole position with Gurney leading the final 28 laps of the event.

Johnson Set To Race Two Watkins Glen-Winning Cars At Montreal

Billy Johnson will be doing double duty at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend. The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge regular in the No. 61 Roush Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302R will drive a pair of cars that won last weekend at Watkins Glen International.
Johnson will sub for Bill Auberlen in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3, joining Canadian Paul Dalla Lana – who took over second place in the GT point standings with the victory at Watkins Glen. Johnson then drives in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, at the wheel of Carl Edwards’ winning Ford Mustang from the Zippo 200.
Johnson won’t be looking over his shoulder as he prepares to drive the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing 25 Winning Years Ford Mustang in Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge.
“Last year I practiced and qualified this car, and I was all set to race when Carl Edwards showed up only five minutes before the start,” Johnson said. “This year, it’s definitely all me in the car.”
Johnson is hoping that the third time will be a charm in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition. He raced for Roush at Watkins Glen in 2010, but was taken out in an early race incident. Last year, he qualified fourth at Road America but finished 33rd after going out with engine problems.
Obviously, there isn’t much comparison between the No. 61 Roush Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302R that Johnson co-drives with Jack Roush Jr. in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Mustang. But there are comparisons.
“People don’t expect to hear this, but the NASCAR race car weighs as much as a GS car,” Johnson said. “Speed-wise, it’s comparable to a Rolex Series GT car, but they do it in different ways. The NASCAR car is not as good on the brakes or in the slow-speed stuff.”
Car owner Jack Roush – father of the CTSCC driver – is happy to have Johnson in the car.
“Billy really helped (NASCAR Nationwide Series title contender) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with his racecraft in a recent test at Miller,” Roush said. “We’ll have him in the car at Montreal to help the Ford effort while helping Ricky. Billy has good speed, good judgment and his feedback makes sense. I look forward to working more with him.”

Curran Again Eyes Double-Duty Schedule During CTSCC Off Week

Eric Curran will return to double duty this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. He will return to the No. 53 Whelen/Michael J. Fox Foundation Dodge in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition in addition to racing the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette in the Rolex Series Montreal 200.
Curran drove both cars last weekend at Watkins Glen, with very different results. He struggled with overheating early in Saturday’s Zippo 200. Returning to action, he parked the Nationwide Series car after 18 laps with a misfire. Curran then joined Boris Said in finishing second in the Continental Tire 200, the team’s best finish of the 2012 Rolex Series GT season.
Joining Curran in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race is Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge regular Ryan Ellis. Ellis failed to qualify for last weekend’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen.
“We plan on using the experience and knowledge we gained last weekend to create a more successful weekend in Montreal in which we are really pushing to get a good finish for the No. 52 Best Restaurants in Town Jimmy Means Racing Chevrolet,” Ellis said. “I am extremely excited for this upcoming opportunity to race at Montreal.

Winless In 2012, GAINSCO Looks To Repeat In Montreal 200

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing is still looking to put its new “Red Dragon” Corvette DP in victory lane. This weekend’s Montreal 200 may be the team’s best opportunity, with Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney looking to repeat their 2011 triumph.
“The ‘Red Dragon’ always seems to have great pace at Montreal and it felt great to finally capitalize on that and turn it into a victory,” Fogarty said of winning last year’s race – the 15th DP victory for the team. “Winning on a Formula One circuit is special, but winning at a place that has eluded us so many times is much sweeter.”
Victories have eluded GAINSCO so far in 2012 but the return to Montreal could be just what the No. 99 squad needs to end the season on a high note. The team has endured every type of setback racing can throw at you this season, including mechanical failures, being taken out in accidents, in-race issues and, most recently, a race car that was just a tick off the pace in last Saturday’s Continental Tire 200 at Watkins Glen.
“We have been competitive pretty much everywhere this year, certainly in the last five or six races besides The Glen last weekend, and I don’t know why it would be any different at Montreal,” Gurney said. “We had a really good race last year, we felt like we arrived at a place setup wise that should be pretty good.”
Fogarty will be looking for his fourth consecutive pole position, and fifth in six years of Rolex Series competition at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve since 2007.

Montreal NN.pdf

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

Tour de Road America Fundraiser Returns to ALMS Race Weekend

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Tour de Road America Fundraiser Returns to ALMS Race Weekend Race Fans, Drivers, Teams, Families, and Local Cyclists aim to raise $25,000 ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 13, 2012) – Race fans, families, cancer survivors, and cyclists return this coming weekend to Road America’s four miles of sweeping turns, hills and natural scenic beauty for the 9th annual SUBARU Tour de Road America "Bike Ride to Fight Cancer" on Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT. They will be joined on the track by professional racing drivers, teams and their families from the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship, USF2000 Championship and other racing series. Together, they aim to raise $25,000 for three organizations that support cancer survivorship: the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, the official charity of the American Le Mans Series, as well as LIVESTRONG and the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic in Sheboygan, Wis. The Road America course challenges cyclists with its hills but is still family-friendly. Entire families will come out and enjoy four miles of smooth racing surface, with no cars and no traffic. The fundraising ride follows Friday’s auto racing activities and is open to cyclists of all abilities, and all kinds of bikes. For many cyclists and race fans, it’s the highlight of the summer – the chance to turn laps on the smooth track alongside their racing heroes as the sun sets over the scenic Kettle Moraine countryside of Elkhart Lake. Guy Cosmo, driver of the No. 02 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari F458 Italia in the ALMS GT class took to a bike for the 2011 event and is now a serious cyclist. "The tour de Road America is an incredible event," Cosmo said. "It’s tons of fun and for a great cause. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!" Other drivers from the American Le Mans Series scheduled to appear include Cosmo’s ESM teammates Ed Brown and Johannes Van Overbeek, Bruno Junquiera, Colin Braun, Martin Plowman, actor/driver Patrick Dempsey and his teammate Joe Foster, Duncan Ende, Jeremy Dale, and Henri Richard. With good weather, co-director and Tour de Road America Foundation vice president Brett Edgerle of Kohler, Wis., expects the event to be among the largest the group has held. "People have a great time at the ride and word has really spread. We are likely to have over 400 people out on the track in the BIKE RIDE TO FIGHT CANCER. We have lots of families signed up, entire racing teams, kids, recreational riders, and serious cyclists." A silent auction of one-of-a-kind motorsports memorabilia, cycling gear, and local items will take place on Friday and Saturday, culminating just before the start of the American Le Mans Series feature race on Saturday afternoon. For more information and to register for the ride, visit www.pelotonride.org. The Road America Road Race Showcase is the seventh round of the 2012 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. The four-hour race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 18. ESPN2’s telecast begins at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 19. Full, live coverage starts at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN3. The Series’ website offers additional content such as live in-car cameras, and timing and scoring for all users around the world. Viewers outside the U.S. can watch the Road America round and all ALMS races live on ALMS.com. Visit ALMS.com for current and future event information including tickets and area accommodations. Follow the Series on Twitter (#ALMS, #RoadAmerica), Facebook and YouTube. The Tour de Road America – Bike Ride to Fight Cancer is organized by the Tour de Road America Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with an all-volunteer staff, and with assistance from the Austin Hatcher Foundation. Since 2004, the Tour de Road America has raised over $190,000 for event beneficiaries the Austin Hatcher Foundation, the LIVESTRONG, and the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The SUBARU Tour de Road America is made possible by the generous support of Road America, the American Le Mans Series and other racing series, Subaru, Delta Dental of Tennessee, RacersRoast.com Coffee, Spoke 8 Marketing, Cerulean Web Hosting, Marketing Acuity, and many other businesses and individuals. For more information on the SUBARU Tour de Road America, including photos from previous events, visit www.pelotonride.org or www.facebook.com/tdraride. The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón: Since 1999, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) has been North America’s premier sports car championship with 10 endurance and sprint races making up the 2012 schedule. Teams compete in one of five classes: P1, P2 and PC Le Mans-style Prototypes, and GT and GTC Grand Touring cars. Race lengths vary from two hours to 12 hours. The championship is also recognised as the Global Leader in Green Racing. Learn more at www.alms.com, www.facebook.com/almsofficial or www.twitter.com/almsnotes. About Road America: Established in 1955 as the first permanent road racing course in the United States, Road America is located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The world’s best racers have competed at this legendary four-mile, 14-turn road circuit for over 55 years. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. In addition to public race weekends, Road America offers a variety of group event programs, the Blain’s Farm & Fleet Motorplex for karting and supermoto, and the Road America Motorcycle and Advanced Driving Schools. For more information, visit www.roadamerica.com Follow Road America on www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica and on Twitter: @roadamerica or call 800­-365­-7223. PUBLIC RELATIONS/MEDIA CONTACTS Jamie Kimbrough Director, Public Relations/ Media Services (706) 658­-2033 jkimbrough Ryan Smith Sr. Manager, Public Relations/ Digital & Social Media (706) 654­-2983, Ext. 319 rsmith Erin Cechal Manager, Public Relations/ Media Services (706) 654­-2983, Ext. 294 ecechal QUICK LINKS: SCHEDULE | TEAMS | DRIVERS | SHOPS | ALMS 101 © 2012 American Le Mans Series | All rights reserved.

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Dalziel Closes Title Gap With Continental Tire 200 Win Alongside Luhr

Dalziel Closes Title Gap With Continental Tire 200 Win Alongside Luhr

Auberlen, Dalla Lana Take Watkins Glen GT Win For Second Victory Of Season

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 11, 2012) – Starworks Motorsport appears to be hitting its stride at just the right time as Ryan Dalziel and Lucas Luhr led a 1-2 sweep for the team in the Continental Tire 200 presented by Dunn Tire, giving the team its second straight GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series victory.

After building a comfortable lead, Dalziel pulled away from teammate Sebastien Bourdais on the race’s final restart with four laps remaining to finish 0.817 seconds ahead of Bourdais and record the first top-two sweep in team history for Starworks Motorsport. The victory moved Dalziel to within six points of the Daytona Prototype points lead with three races remaining on the schedule.

Dalziel led the final 30 laps of the 91-lap race around the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International short course to earn his first victory of the season in the No. 8 Ford/Riley. It was the first Rolex Series victory for Luhr, a decorated road racer, and was Dalziel’s third career Rolex Series win.

“It was an unbelievable job,” Dalziel said. “We definitely felt in Indy that we could have had a 1-2 and after a couple of seasons of knocking on the door of a double podium, this is excellent. I don’t think it was just a podium for both cars. I think it was a pretty dominating performance.”

Bourdais and No. 2 Soloson Ford/Riley co-driver Alex Popow settled for second after scoring their first Rolex Series victory last month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the third straight podium for Bourdais, who finished third in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on the Watkins Glen International long course in early July co-driving with Dalziel and Enzo Potolicchio.

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas retained the Daytona Prototype points lead with a third-place run in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley. Pruett and Rojas lead Dalziel by a count of 295-289 after 10 of 13 races.

Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana co-drove to their second GT victory of the season in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW. Not unlike Dalziel’s run in Daytona Prototype, Auberlen also saw a comfortable lead evaporate on the race’s third and final full-course caution for a crash by Patrick Lindsay. But Auberlen was also able to pull away again on the final restart.

“The car drove perfect today,” said Auberlen following his 24th Rolex Series class win. “It was better than it’s ever been. We had to win today and we did everything we could to do it.”

Boris Said led a race-high 42 laps en route to a second-place GT result alongside co-driver Eric Curran in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette. Third place went to defending Rolex Series GT champions Leh Keen and Andrew Davis in the No. 59 The Brumos Companies Porsche GT3.

It was a tough race for the front-runners in the GT title fight, as co-leaders Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato battled to a seventh-place result in the No. 69 FXDD Ferrari 458. Assentato was involved in an incident in the first turn on the first lap with John Edwards in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro GT.R.

Edwards’ co-driver, Robin Liddell, entered the race second in the GT standings but fell to fourth after a 14th-place result. Segal and Assentato now lead Dalla Lana by 16 points, 300-284.

The Rolex Series returns to action next Saturday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for the Montreal 200.

081112_wgi200_race_rls.pdf

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

CHEVY GRAND-AM AT WATKINS GLEN: Team Chevy Post Race Recap

GRAND-AM ROAD RACING SERIES

CONTINENTAL TIRE 200 – ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES

WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL – SHORT COURSE

TEAM CHEVY POST RACE RECAP

AUGUST 11, 2012

WATKINS GLEN, New York (August 11, 2012) – Boris Said and Eric Curran, No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette, brought home a solid runner-up finish today in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT class of the Continental Tire 200 at Watkins Glen International.

Starting from the pole, Said, who was the GT pole winner, jumped into the lead at the drop of the green flag. After the driver exchange and pit stops, Curran made a hard charge to get back to the point, but settled for the solid second place finish when the checkered flag flew.

The No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R driven by John Edwards and Robin Liddell came to The Glen with high hopes to keep their championship effort alive. But contact on the opening lap of the two-hour race sent them behind the wall for repairs that resulted in the pair being scored 14th in-class at the finish.

In the Rolex Daytona Prototype class, it was a difficult day for the five Corvette Daytona Prototype entries. Team Chevy’s top finishing team was the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette DP driven by Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli in fourth position at the finish. Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty brought the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP to the fifth finishing position with the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP piloted by David Donohue and Jordan Taylor in sixth at the checkered flag.

All three fought back from adversity throughout the race. The No 10 recovered from an extended pit stop for a wicker change. The No. 99 was assessed a penalty for an on-track incident, and the No. 5 suffered late-race contact while battling for a podium position.

The No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP was also involved in a two-car incident that put them five laps down to the leader, and resulted in an eighth in-class finish. The No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP suffered a mechanical issue that put them on the trailer after lap one of the 91-lap race.

The No. 8 Starworks Motorsports Ford Riley was the DP and overall winner. The No. 94 Turner Motorsports BMW M3 took the GT victory.

The Rolex Sports Car Series is back in action next weekend, Saturday, August 18, in the two-hour Montreal 200 at Circuit Gilles Villenueve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The race will be aired same-day tape-delayed on SPEED TV August 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CONTACTS: Nancy Wager Judy Kouba Dominick
727.415.3109 317.408.1049
nmwager jkdracer

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

REVISED – Ricky Taylor Rides to Third Watkins Glen TOTAL Pole Award in Four Races

Begin forwarded message:

From: GRAND-AM Communications <Grand-AMCommunications>

Subject: REVISED – Ricky Taylor Rides to Third Watkins Glen TOTAL Pole Award in Four Races

Date: August 10, 2012 7:45:30 PM EDT

To: GRAND-AM Communications <Grand-AMCommunications>

REVISION: Corrects race name

Ricky Taylor Rides to Third Watkins Glen TOTAL Pole Award in Four Races

Said Heads Rejoice As Boris Scores GT Pole for Continental Tire 200

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 10, 2012) – Ricky Taylor proved again on Friday afternoon that he clearly knows the quick way around Watkins Glen International – regardless of the course layout – as the No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP driver scored his third pole position in his last four qualifying sessions at The Glen.

Taylor claimed the Continental Tire 200 presented by Dunn Tire pole position with a best lap of 133.557 mph (1:06.039) around the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen short course to record his second TOTAL Pole Award of the season and the 10th of his career. It was his first pole since the race at New Jersey Motorsports Park in May, which he and co-driver Max Angelelli went on to win.

“We have good cars here every time,” Taylor said. “Every single year, I feel like we have a winning car.”

Joining Taylor on the front row will be Antonio Garcia in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP. The Spaniard turned in a best lap of 133.249 mph (1:06.192) in the car he co-drives with Richard Westbrook to give the Corvette DPs a front-row sweep.

Fresh from a victory in the inaugural Brickyard Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month, Alex Popow will start third in the No. 2 Soloson Ford/Riley with a lap of 133.026 (1:06.303). Popow shares the car with Sebastien Bourdais, with whom he co-drove to the Indy victory.

Boris Said scored the GT class TOTAL Pole Award with a speed of 121.364 mph (1:12.674) in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette he co-drives with Eric Curran. In addition to Saturday’s Rolex Series Continental Tire 200, Said will compete in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen. It was Said’s fifth career GT pole.

“The Whelen car has been fast all year and here it’s just really good,” Said commented. “Plus, I love this place. It feels good to get the pole. I’d sure like to do it in the Cup car tomorrow.”

Second in GT qualifying was John Edwards at 120.240 mph (1:13.353) in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro GT.R. Edwards’ co-driver is Robin Liddell. Eric Foss will start third in the No. 73 Neo Synthetic Oil/Carbotech Brakes Porsche GT3 he co-drives with Patrick Lindsey. Foss’ best speed was 120.132 mph (1:13.419).

The Continental Tire 200 takes the green flag at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday evening. The race will be televised live on SPEED and also airs live on MRN Radio.

081012_wgi200_qual_rls (2).pdf

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

CHEVY GRAND-AM AT WATKINS GLEN: All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row at Watkins Glen; Team Chevy Sweeps Top-Two in GT

Begin forwarded message:

From: “Team Chevy Racing News (DET-JMW)” <racingnews>

Subject: CHEVY GRAND-AM AT WATKINS GLEN: All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row at Watkins Glen; Team Chevy Sweeps Top-Two in GT

Date: August 10, 2012 7:08:39 PM EDT

To: “jkdracer” <jkdracer>, “nmwager” <nmwager>

All Corvette Daytona Prototype Front Row at Watkins Glen; Team Chevy Sweeps Top-Two in GT

WATKINS GLEN, NY – August 10, 2012 – Behind the wheel of the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype, Ricky Taylor will lead the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series field to the green flag Saturday after winning the pole today for the Continental Tire 200 at Watkins Glen International.

The 22-year old driver set a fast lap of 1:06.039 with a speed of 133.56 mph to secure the top-spot in the final qualifying order. It is the 10th career pole for Taylor, the second of the 2012 season and the third straight at The Glen for the team as teammate Max Angelelli qualified on the pole for the June Sahlen’s Six Hours.
Starting alongside will be Antonio Garcia, No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette Daytona Prototype, to make it an all-Chevrolet front row for the two-hour race.
It is this sixth time this season that the Corvette Daytona Prototype has swept the front row of the starting grid for a Rolex Sports Car Series race this season.

In the Rolex Grand Touring class, Team Chevy also swept the top-two positions in qualifying. Boris Said turned in the quickest time in-class with the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette. Starting second to the veteran Said will be John Edwards, No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R, who, with teammate Robin Liddel, won the class at The Glen in June.

The two-hour race is set for Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 6:00 PM ET. Live coverage will be on SPEED TV from 6:00 PM –8:30 PM ET. Fans can follow live on GRAND-AM.com timing and scoring where the MRN Radio Broadcast can be heard from start to Victory Lane.

CHEVROLET DRIVER POST QUALIFYING QUOTES:

RICKY TAYLOR, NO. 10 SUNTRUST RACING CORVETTE DP – POLE WINNER DP CLASS
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK AND HOW WELL YOU DO?
“We have good cars here every time. I think every single year I feel like we have a winning car. At the 6-Hour we had a little bit of misfortune with that incident, but we’ve got such good cars. And the car once again in qualifying was really good. Coming off of a good Continental Tire test a couple of weeks ago kind of set us up well to come here and unload well. This is more important than we’ve ever had seeing is there’s no dry practice. For me, as a driver, it was nice just to have that confidence about brake zones and everything and I just thank the team that gave me such a good car.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 90 SPIRIT OF DAYTONA RACING CORVETTE DP – QUALIFIED 2ND:
ON HIS RUN TODAY AND OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW’S RACE
“It has been difficult. No actual run on the dry settings during practice at all. So, basically it was quite interesting. I just got out and tried to feel as soon as possible what the car was doing. It was more difficult for me because most of the guys and my teammate was here testing the Continental test here on this short track and basically I had to remember from last year where to brake into (Turn) 10 and some other things. But the car felt really good. It’s a shame I’m second. I was second behind Pruett at the 6-hours at The Glen here. So we are consistent. But we really need to be on pole one time (laughs).”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE GLEN?
“It’s going to be really challenging. Two hours here with these running just a little bit above one minute it going to be really hard for drivers, cars, and especially the tires. I think so far it’s good. We need now to take advantage of the hour we have for testing now just to have to learn as much as we can. But so far, unless everybody is completely off-balance and they can tune it for the race, I think we are in good position anyway.”

BORIS SAID, NO. 31 MARSH RACING CORVETTE – POLE WINNER, GT CLASS
THE MARSH CAR HAS BEEN FAST ALL YEAR, BUT YOU FINALLY GOT IT UP TO THE POLE. WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE TODAY?
“Getting out of the Sprint Cup car and getting into the Corvette seemed easy because those were the first few laps I’d done in the dry. I love this place. It feels good to get the pole. I’d love to do it in the Cup car tomorrow but I don’t think we have a prayer with our team but hopefully I can be in the top 15 in the Cup car.”

THIS IS YOUR FIFTH CAREER GT POLE. TALK ABOUT THE SEASON
“GRAND-AM has done such a great job with the Rolex year. There’s not a lot of cars but in this day and age there’s not a lot of cars anywhere. But the cars we have are really competitive. It’s been exciting racing. It’s a blast to drive. I love racing. This is my 25th year racing and I can’t even believe it’s been that long. But I still feel like a little kid out there. The GT racing is so close and fierce and we’ll be pushing and banging kind of like the Sprint Cup race. I just like competing in any kind of car and the Corvette is a fun car to drive. It handles great. The Sprint Cup car is a lot of horsepower but it handles like a horse, basically. It has a mind of it’s own and you’re kind of riding along with it. The Corvette is like a go-kart. Wherever you put it, it goes. They’re both fun but completely different cars to drive.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CONTACTS: Nancy Wager Judy Kouba Dominick
727.415.3109 317.408.1049
nmwager jkdracer

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

VEACH TO TEST ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT INDY LIGHTS CAR

Star Mazda Regular Zach Veach Set To Turn Laps In An Indy Lights Car At Putnam Park Raceway; Michael Andretti, Tony George, Jr., Weigh In

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 10, 2012) – Andretti Autosport announced today they will test Star Mazda Championship driver Zach Veach in one of the team’s Firestone Indy Lights cars on Aug., 13 at Putnam Park Raceway.

“We’re always impressed with Zach and how he handles himself both on and off the track,” said Michael Andretti, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Andretti Autosport. “We’ve been working with him for a couple years now and he has shown great promise. I think he will adapt well to the (Firestone) Indy Lights car; this test is the next step for him as he works his way up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder and the team and I look forward to being a part of his development.”

Veach currently competes full-time in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear with Andretti Autosport and will continue his quest for the championship title in his K12 Mazda at the three remaining races on his schedule: the Grand Prix of Baltimore, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and Road Atlanta. The 17-year-old from Stockdale, Ohio, Veach started 2012 off by capturing the Formula Car Challenge Winter Series Championship by using four race wins and four pole positions to secure the series title. During the regular Star Mazda season, Veach has six top-10 finishes and a runner-up result on the Streets of Toronto, putting him tenth in the championship points.

“I’m beyond excited and thankful for this amazing opportunity to test the Indy Lights car,” said Veach. “It’s such an honor to be part of the Andretti Autosport family and I’m as committed as ever to make it through the full Mazda Road to Indy ladder with an ultimate goal of reaching the IZOD IndyCar Series and qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. Testing the Indy Lights car is a great step to achieve my dream, and I can’t thank the team, K12 and all of my partners enough for the continued support of me and my career.”

Veach joined Andretti Autosport in 2010 for the USF2000 National Championship, where he finished fifth in the overall driver championship points, despite starting the season two races behind the rest of the field. He returned to Andretti Autosport in 2011 and secured the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 Winterfest Championship, with two race wins and three pole positions. During the regular USF2000 season, he finished fourth, helping Andretti Autosport secure the team championship title for the second consecutive year with one win, five podiums and three pole positions.

ESPN The Magazine recently named Veach a “NEXT” athlete in motorsports, is one of CNN’s “Intriguing People,” as well as being nominated for the Sports Illustrated “Sports Kid of the Year” award. He also keeps an active pace off the racetrack working to combat distracted driving and bullying.

Veach will be the first driver, who has competed at every level of the Mazda Road to Indy, to step up to the Firestone Indy Lights series for a test. The Mazda Road to Indy is the official developmental system of INDYCAR and is designed to advance drivers from grassroots to the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500. The initiative was launched in 2010.

“Watching Zach take another step towards continuing his movement up the Mazda Road to Indy is special, because it’s exactly what the ladder system is all about,” said Tony George Jr., Director, Firestone Indy Lights. “He’s seen success in USF2000 and Star Mazda, and we’ve watched him develop both on and off the track. Not only is he talented in a race car, he’s also built a recognizable brand for himself, which is very important in motorsports. It’s very apparent that we have some huge talent in Star Mazda this year, and we’re looking forward to having many such drivers join Firestone Indy Lights in the near future.”

Andretti Autosport is the only team in INDYCAR to enter cars at every level of the Mazda Road to Indy with two entries in each series: USF2000 National Championship, Star Mazda Championship, and the Firestone Indy Lights. The team is also campaigning three entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012.

Veach’s racing efforts are primarily supported by K12 with additional backing provided by: the Young Marines youth organization, Zakosi Data Backup, ADS IT Solutions, Replay XD, OMP, Oakley, and Arai Helmets.

For more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com or www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About Zach Veach:
Zach “Ziggy” Veach is a 17-year-old autoracing driver who competes in INDYCAR’s ‘Mazda Road to Indy’ Star Mazda Championship Series, an important open-wheel stepping-stone to a career in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. In 2012, Veach captured the Formula Car Challenge Winter Series Championship and in 2011, he secured the USF2000 Cooper Tires Winterfest Championship and was voted the “Most Popular Driver in USF2000”. Named by ESPN The Magazine as a NEXT athlete in motorsports, Veach keeps an active pace both on and off the race track. In 2010, Michael Andretti signed Veach to his team, Andretti Autosport, while also being named one of CNN’s “Intriguing People” and being nominated for the Sports Illustrated “Sports Kid of the Year” award. In addition to his racing, Veach is an advocate for safer driving as the national spokesperson for FocusDriven, an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using their cell phones and has campaigned for Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone.” Veach designed a phone application through his phone-app building company, ZaAPP, releasing urTXT, in the Marketplace for Android to help consumers avoid dangerous text messaging while driving. Like most of his peers, Veach was bullied as a kid and works to combat the growing epidemic as part of the Cyber Safety Academy’s “No BULL Challenge” as a key ambassador. Veach has been a guest or profiled on a variety of national platforms including NBC’s The Today Show, CNN’s Headline News, ABCNews.com, Oprah Radio’s The Gayle King Show, The Los Angeles Times, AOL.com and is a blogger for RACER magazine and The Huffington Post. The son of a national truck and tractor-pulling champion, Veach is sponsored by K12, Zakosi Data Backup, the Young Marines youth organization, Replay XD, Arai Helmets, OMP, ADS IT Solutions, and artrotondo.com. He enters his senior year of high school this fall and released his first book, 99 THINGS TEENS WISH THEY KNEW BEFORE TURNING 16, in 2011. For more information, please visit www.ZachVeach.com.

About Andretti Autosport:

Based in Indianapolis and led by racing legend Michael Andretti, Andretti Autosport fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series. Andretti Autosport competes in Firestone Indy Lights, the Star Mazda Championship and in the USF2000 National Championship. The company boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009), one USF2000 championship (2010) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com.

About the Star Mazda Championship Series:

For 2012, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will again be a major part of the “Mazda Road to Indy”. The 2012 schedule consists of 17 races on 10 weekends, most with IndyCar. Rising stars from around the world will compete on road courses, street circuits and ovals in front of more than a million fans as they battle for prizes valued at $1.5 million, including a scholarship to move up and race in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights series. Drivers 16 and older are welcome to compete and the Star Mazda Championship also features the Expert Series for drivers 30 and older. The Star Mazda Championship features standing starts, wheel-to-wheel racing at 160 mph and budgets a fraction of other top open-wheel ladder series. For more information on the Star Mazda Championship and its drivers, as well as the Mazda Motorsports ladder system, please visit www.StarMazda.com.