Sunday Group Management

Michael Marsal Ready to Make History at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Michael Marsal Ready to Make History at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS (25 July 2012) – With a jump to top-level Prototypes, experience on a range of new tracks, and working with a new team, Michael Marsal has seen his racing resume go through an impressive growth spurt through the first half of the 2012 season. And that trend will only continue this week as he is set to race in the first-ever GRAND-AM race to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Marsal is not only contesting a full-time GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge effort with Turner Motorsport for the third consecutive season, but he also added a select schedule of American Le Mans Series outings in the high horsepower, high downforce Prototypes for Dyson Racing.

The 24-year-old racer, who opened the summer by graduating from college, isn’t slowing down anytime soon and will add another new experience – one that every race car driver dreams about – to his list this weekend as he takes his first official race laps at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Staged as the opening act in the NASCAR Brickyard 400 weekend, GRAND-AM will utilize the 2.534-mile speedway road course on Friday. But with such a full card of action, the track sharing will be key as the track will condense the GRAND-AM running to just one intense day on Friday as the NASCAR Nationwide Series is set to run on Saturday and the Sprint Cup Series takes to the big stage on Sunday.

That day will in fact be a very busy one, with Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge practice, qualifying and the 2.5-hour race all taking place within seven and a half hours. There are 75 entries expected for the prestigious event, so Marsal and Turner Motorsport co-driver Boris Said (who made two Sprint Cup starts at the Speedway in 2005 & 2006) will be busy at the controls of their No. 97 BMW M3 as they take to the Indianapolis circuit which uses the infield road course as well as a portion of the famed oval.

Coming off of a 10th place result at Watkins Glen, the Turner duo will look to build on that effort. Marsal and Said tend to run well on the speedway road course configurations having already picked up sixth at Daytona and seventh at Homestead earlier this year. The pair hopes to become the first GRAND-AM drivers to kiss the famous Bricks with a win in the inaugural event.

“I’m so pumped to be racing at Indianapolis,” offered Marsal. “It’s really an incredible opportunity and I just can’t wait. The Turner guys had a great couple of days in Indy testing earlier this month and even though I’ll be trying to learn my way around as quickly as possible, I feel like having the Turner guys behind me will be huge. This is a new track for everyone, so the faster you can figure it out, the better. But of course we have very little time to do it! I hope that we put on a good show and that we have a good clean race and come out of the weekend with a big result.”

Friday kicks off with an hour-long practice session at 8:00 AM followed immediately by GS qualifying at 9:15 AM. The green flag will drop on the 2.5-hour Brickyard Sports Car Challenge at 1:00 PM (ET).

Live timing and scoring can be followed throughout the day at www.grand-am.com.

SPEED will televise the event on Sunday, August 5 at 12:00 PM (ET).

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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

iRacers Well-Prepared for Brickyard Grand Prix

iRacers Well-Prepared for Brickyard Grand Prix

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kevin Bobbitt 781.271.1919 (o) 603.930.8384 (m) Kevin.Bobbitt

iRacers Well-Prepared for Brickyard Grand Prix

Bedford, MA (July 24, 2012) – Track-time will be at a premium when the GRAND-AM Rolex Series races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in Friday’s Brickyard Grand Prix. Specifically, the one day event will limit drivers and teams to an hour’s worth of practice and a single 15 minute qualifying session before the green flag waves at 4:10 pm (CST). While most competitors took advantage of a two day test earlier this month to familiarize themselves with the track, they will still be on the steep end of the learning curve in GRAND-AM’s debut on the Brickyard’s road course. However, several drivers will have an ace up their sleeve when they arrive in Indianapolis. iRacing.com members like Alex Gurney, John Pew, Tim Bell and Jordan Taylor have been logging online lap after online lap on a virtual rendition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in preparation for the Brickyard Grand Prix. They know iRacing’s laser-scanned, digital versions of real world race tracks are accurate to within a millimeter or two, so they’ve been pounding around the virtual Brickyard in preparation for Friday’s event. “I’ve been turning lots of iRacing laps on the Indy road course,” says Gurney, a two time Rolex Series champion with Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing. “Love it! I don’t really race anybody, but I do a lot of testing. I’m always trying to experiment and improve my lap times. I’m right at world record pace.” In fact, some iRacers had run hundred of virtual miles at the track before they ever set foot on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “iRacing was the first thing I went to when I heard we were going to be racing at Indy,” says Jordan Taylor, driver of Stephenson Motorsport’s GT Camaro. “It was the perfect way to learn the track before actually getting to the track. I can do as many laps as I want and work on every little part of the track as many times as I need. “You can learn the reference points and the details of the track itself. Sometimes when you watch an onboard on the internet, or just look at a track map, it’s hard to tell the actual characteristics of the corner. With iRacing, you get to know if there are curbs, elevation changes, the radius of the corner, all sorts of things that you don’t get from other ways of studying for a new track.” “Some of us had run an exploratory test at Indianapolis a couple of years ago,” says Pew, who teamed with Oswaldo Negri and fellow iRacers Justin Wilson and AJ Allmendinger to win the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Mike Shank Racing Ford-Riley. “So I did some laps on iRacing before the last test as a refresher, and it was like ‘OK, that’s right!’ All the landmarks are there to help you select your braking points, turn-in, apex, track-out. The iRacing track is extremely realistic. Plus iRacing has that little green bar comparing your current lap and sector times to previous laps . . . I wish my real car had that!” iRacing has also played a role in the preparations of several Continental Tire Sportscar Series drivers, including Mitchum Motorsports’ Tim Bell. “Before I get behind the wheel of a very expensive race car on a relatively unfamiliar track like Indianapolis . . . I always use iRacing to learn the track,” Bell says. “iRacing is so exact, I can even learn where the bumps are and braking zones will be when I get out on track for the first time.” Beyond learning their respective ways around the track, the iRacers use the online simulation to shave tenths of seconds off their real lap times. “Whatever the track, whether it’s a new one like Indianapolis or one we’ve raced on for years, I’m always turning laps on iRacing,” says Gurney. “When you find something that’s faster on the simulation – whether it’s a different line, a different gear — it’s legitimate. You do the same thing in the real car and it works.” Of course, winning races is not just about setting the fastest lap. It’s about getting to the finish line first and, in a GRAND-AM Rolex Series where Daytona Prototypes and GT cars share the track, that often means going off-line in order to get around a slower car. “With Indianapolis, there’s a couple of places where there’s a sequence of several corners linked together,” says Gurney. “There may be one single fastest way through, but in the race it won’t always be possible to take that line. So you experiment with different ways to take corners, see how taking a different line through one turn sets you up for the next one and so forth.” Taylor agrees and, in contrast to Gurney, plans to have several races under his belt on the virtual IMS road course by the time practice starts on Friday. “Not only can I do more laps than the other guys, but by hosting sessions on iRacing, you can also work on a bit of race craft and find the best places to setup to make passes” he says. “For the guys new to the track, it will take them part of the race to learn those same passing places. Once the green flag comes out, I will be ready to race, and hopefully catch a few other guys sleeping. While the Indianapolis road course may be new to the series, the iRacers agree it will likely produce a typical GRAND-AM event . . . which is to say, a close race that will probably be decided on the final lap. “Just like any other GRAND-AM race, it will be a fight from start to finish,” says Taylor. “Even though it is considered a 3 hour endurance race, everyone will be battling the whole way through, trying to win that inaugural Brickyard race.” “It’s a tight track, definitely tough to pass on,” says Pew, “so strategy will be critical, and it’ll be a big benefit to start up front. With the tight schedule you’ll want to be ready to go right away.” For iRacers like Gurney, Pew, Bell and Taylor, that won’t be a problem. About iRacing.com The company was founded in 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry and subsequently released iRacing.com in August 2008. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, developers of award-winning racing simulations including “Grand Prix Legends” and NASCAR 2003.” Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club, as well as co-owner of NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing.com has developed dozens of formal partnerships in the motorsport industry to help create the most authentic racing simulation in the world including with NASCAR, IndyCar, GRAND-AM, Skip Barber Racing School, International Speedway Corporation, Speedway Motorsports, McLaren Electronics, Williams F1, Volkswagen, Ford, and GM. ###

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Sunday Group Management
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317.908.2975 (m)

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

Allmendinger Update: Road to Recovery

Allmendinger Update: Road to Recovery

Statement from Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

Charlotte, NC (July 25, 2012) “While we await further information from testing to determine the cause, we have notified NASCAR that AJ will participate in the Road to Recovery Program starting immediately. As we have stated earlier, we respect NASCAR’s drug testing policies. They are first and foremost in place to protect drivers and AJ being among those. We fully support the program, and and as more details become available, we will share them. We would like to personally thank Mr. Helton and John Bobo for helping worked through this in an expeditious manner.”

-Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

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

AJ72512.pdf

GRAND-AM Making History At Indianapolis, 109 Cars Entered For Friday’s Races

GRAND-AM Making History At Indianapolis,

109 Cars Entered For Friday’s Races

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 25, 2012) – Traffic has never been heavier at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. GRAND-AM competes at the legendary venue for the first time on Friday, with a whopping 109 entries for the Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races to open Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard.

GRAND-AM will race on Friday using the 2.534-mile, 13-turn road course that was last used by race cars in the 2007 United States Grand Prix Formula One race.The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series will compete on the 2.5-mile oval on Saturday and Sunday – making it the first time that IMS has used both courses on the same weekend.

The Rolex Series will compete in the Brickyard Grand Prix, with the three-hour race serving as the final round of the inaugural North American Endurance Championship presented by VISITFLORIDA.com. The event has 34 entries, including 11 Daytona Prototypes and 23 for the production-based GT class.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge has a 75-car field, 36 in the Grand Sport and 39 in the Street Tuner classes.

All GRAND-AM action will be condensed into one day, with practice and qualifying beginning at 8 a.m. The IMS pit road will be open at noon for a Fan Walk for all of the competitors from both series.

The Brickyard Grand Prix starts at 4:10 p.m. ET Friday (SPEED, 4 p.m. ET; MRN Radio live). The Brickyard Sports Car Challenge is set for 1 p.m. ET (SPEED, August 5 at noon ET). Fans can follow live timing and scoring at www.GRAND-AM.com, as well as live updates from the GRAND-AM Facebook page or Twitter @RolexSeries and @CT_Challenge accounts. Official Twitter event hashtags are: #SuperWeekend, #GAonSPEED, #NAEC.

07252012 Indy entry.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

B Sample Test Update From AJ Allmendinger

B Sample Test Update From AJ Allmendinger

Statement from Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

Charlotte, NC (July 24, 2012)- Aegis Analytical Laboratories in Nashville has delivered the results of the “B” sample test for Penske Racing driver AJ Allmendinger, which confirmed the results of the “A” test.

“This was not the news we wanted to hear and we will work to get to the source of what may have caused this. To that end, we have secured the services of an independent lab to conduct thorough testing on every product within AJ’s home and motor coach to find what might collaborate with his test, which created results that were within nanograms of accepted standards. We are working closely with NASCAR and Penske Racing to identify the next action steps in this process. We continue to be extremely grateful by the breadth and scope of support for AJ from his fans and partners. We would like to again thank NASCAR, Penske Racing and all our sponsor partners for the open communication, and for helping us at every step in this process. We expect to have further updates in the upcoming days.”

-Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

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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.

B Sample Test Set for Allmendinger

B Sample Test Set for Allmendinger

Statement from Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

Charlotte, NC (July 17, 2012)

“We now have a confirmed date for the testing of AJ’s “B” (split specimen) Sample. The test will take place on Tuesday, July 24 at 8 a.m. CDT and be conducted at the Aegis Analytical Laboratories in Nashville. Pursuant to the 2012 NASCAR Rulebook and in line with the procedures, we have elected to have a designated independent toxicologist present on AJ’s behalf. Along with everyone else, we are looking forward to hearing the results as quickly as possible. AJ and all of us at Walldinger Racing have truly appreciated the outpouring of support from our fans, partners, and colleagues. It has meant a lot to us during this difficult time. We are also grateful to Mr. Penske and his management team for their patience and respect of the process we are going through.”

-Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

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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.

AJ71712.pdf

Updated AJ Allmendinger Information

Updated AJ Allmendinger Information

Statement from Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

Charlotte, NC (July 11, 2012)

“In an effort to help our colleagues in the media report on this in a timely and accurate manner, we wanted to provide some additional details regarding AJ’s sample “A” test results. AJ tested positive for a stimulant. He has no idea why the first test was positive, and he has never knowingly taken any prohibited substance. AJ is collecting his medicines and supplements for testing to determine whether an over the counter product caused his positive test. AJ and all of us at Walldinger Racing respect NASCAR’s testing program, and he has requested that his "B" sample be tested as part of the process of getting to the bottom of this. We will have the opportunity to review all of the scientific data surrounding the test following the "B" sample test, but our understanding is that AJ’s test was slightly above the threshold. As of this morning, we have not been given notice of when the testing of the “B” sample will take place. Thanks again for all of the support of our fans, team, and sponsors as we continue working through the process.”

-Tara Ragan, Vice President, Walldinger Racing Inc.

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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.

AJ7112012.pdf

Statement from AJ Allmendinger

Statement from AJ Allmendinger

Charlotte, NC (July 10, 2012)

“I have informed NASCAR that I have requested that the "B" sample be tested, following the steps according to NASCAR’s 2012 rule book regarding this situation. I fully respect NASCAR’s drug usage policy and the reasons they have it. I am hoping this can get resolved as quickly as possible so that I can get back to driving the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge. I am sorry that this has caused such a distraction for my Penske Racing team, our sponsors and fans. Obviously I would never do anything to jeopardize my opportunity here at Penske Racing or to my fellow drivers. I am very conscious about my training and health and would never knowingly take a prohibited drug.”

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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.

AJ7102012.pdf

Marsal Returns to Lime Rock Park Podium with Dyson Racing

Marsal Returns to Lime Rock Park Podium with Dyson Racing

ALMS.com Photo: A large crowd on hand as the Prototypes mixed it up among GT traffic at Lime Rock Park

SALISBURY, Connecticut (July 7, 2012) Making his second American Le Mans Series start for Dyson Racing, Michael Marsal continued to speed through his racy summer as he scored a third place finish in the #20 LMP1 Mazda coupe at Lime Rock Park wit co-driver Eric Lux.

The result was a strong follow up to Marsal’s debut in the big Prototype machines after he also scored a 3rd place in theTequila Patrón American Le Mans Series race at Long Beach in April.

After Lux qualified on Friday afternoon, Marsal started Saturday’s race from third on the combined-class grid. An early pit stop saw him losing track position, but he steadily worked his way up to second in P1 and fourth overall before turning the car over to Lux to take to the finish after notching 87 laps of Lime Rock’s 1.5-mile high-speed bullring. A stop to get the brake lights working on the Lola, which where not working after contact from behind, cost a shot at a stronger result.

“It was great to be running with the Dyson Racing guys again this weekend, and driving this P1 car on a track like Lime Rock is really exciting,” said Marsal, who won at the track in GRAND-AM competition in 2010 with Turner Motorsport. “We kept improving all weekend long and I was pretty happy with the progress. It takes so much commitment to put a big lap together in these cars and I just kept getting more and more confident with the car. It was a shame we had the brake light problem–you hate to lose that many laps and not really be a factor late in the race. But it was still a positive weekend that I can build on later in the year.”

Marsal’s racing schedule will now take him from the closet-tight confines of Lime Rock Park to the wide-open spaces of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he is set to rejoin his full-time commitment with Turner Motorsport. Marsal shares the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 with Boris Said, and the duo will look to score another podium finish on Friday, July 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Kroger Super Weekend at the Brickyard, featuring Rolex and Continental Tire Grand-Am races.

Marsal has three top-ten finishes in seven starts this season and is targeting a return to the GRAND-AM podium. The Continental Tire Race for the Super Weekend at the Brickyard will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, July 27 and will later air on SpeedTV at 12:00 PM on Sunday, August 5.

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

Sunday Group Management is a leading motorsports management and communications consulting firm. Clients include Penske Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, Rolex 24 at Daytona Champions Michael Shank Racing, Riley Technologies, Continental Tire, and several teams and drivers in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

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

Honda Indy Toronto qualifying results

TORONTO – Qualifying Saturday for the Honda Indy Toronto IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 1.755 mile(s) Streets of Toronto, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses: 1. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 59.3510 (106.451) 2. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 59.3757 (106.407) 3. (18) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 59.4506 (106.273) 4. (7) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 59.4721 (106.235) 5. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 59.5140 (106.160) 6. (98) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 59.5616 (106.075) 7. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Chevy, 59.4829 (106.215) 8. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 59.5476 (106.100) 9. (27) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Chevy, 59.5958 (106.014) 10. (77) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 59.6650 (105.891) 11. (15) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 59.8197 (105.617) 12. (38) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 59.8966 (105.482) 13. (14) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 01:00.0718 (105.174) 14. (2) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Chevy, 59.9888 (105.320) 15. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 01:00.1557 (105.027) 16. (22) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Chevy, 01:00.0004 (105.299) 17. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Chevy, 01:00.4508 (104.515) 18. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 01:00.1207 (105.089) 19. (19) James Jakes, Dallara-Honda, 01:00.5440 (104.354) 20. (8) Rubens Barrichello, Dallara-Chevy, 01:00.2043 (104.943) 21. (78) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Lotus, 01:00.6709 (104.136) 22. (67) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Honda, 01:00.2199 (104.915) 23. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 01:01.0333 (103.517) 24. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Chevy, 01:00.6145 (104.232) 25. (5) EJ Viso, Dallara-Chevy, 01:02.5280 (101.043)