Sunday Group Management

INDYCAR TO RE-INTRODUCE PUSH-TO-PASS FOR REMAINING IZOD INDYCAR SERIES ROAD/STREET EVENTS

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, June 27, 2012) – Push to pass will return to the IZOD IndyCar Series for the five remaining road/street course events on the 2012 schedule, beginning with the Honda Indy Toronto on July 6-8.

The overtake assist feature, introduced to the series in 2009, allows a driver to add turbocharger boost and additional RPM with the press of a button on the steering wheel to complete a pass.

“It will be similar to what it was in the past because we know that model worked,” said Will Phillips, vice president of technology, INDYCAR.

The additional boost is added for a pre-determined amount of time which will be determined by INDYCAR depending on the circuit. The sanctioning body will also determine the total amount of time available, recharge time and any delay in the system prior to each activation, though the engine manufacturers may adjust the settings below the requirements to optimize their engine’s performance.

Push to pass will not engage until a certain throttle position is reached and will disengage if the driver lifts or presses the button again.

As part of the introduction of push-to-pass, the base turbocharger boost level will decrease to 150 kPa. When the system is engaged, the boost increases to 160 kPa on the 2.2-liter V6 engines supplied by Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus.

Teams will have the opportunity to test the system during the event weekend on the streets of Exhibition Place before the Honda Indy Toronto.

Media Contact: Amy Konrath, INDYCAR, 317-492-6453, akonrath

Disappointment for Michael Marsal After Getting Knocked out of Road America 200

Disappointment for Michael Marsal After Getting Knocked out of Road America

Michael Marsal Media Contact: Matt Cleary
Media@sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

http://www.marsalracing.com

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (22 June 2012) – In what looked to be a very promising race outing for Turner Motorsport driver Michael Marsal at Road America on Saturday, came to a disappointing and abrupt end just 10 laps into the 2.5-hour race when contact from another competitor took the No. 97 BMW M3 out of contention.

Marsal had hoped to make the most of the Road America event after the young racer posted his GRAND-AM career-best qualifying effort of seventh to line up on the fourth row of the 57-car combined class grid. Marsal opened the race strongly while running among the top-eight throughout the opening laps, but that effort was thwarted when a questionable move by the No. 35 Subaru saw Marsal hit from behind with the No. 97 machine sustaining race-ending damage to the left rear.

“I was having a great run in the top-10 and having some fun racing with my teammate Paul (Dalla Lana) who was ahead of me and all of a sudden I get hit from behind,” said Marsal of the incident. “I mean, he was so far behind me that I wasn’t even defending and then all of a sudden he was there. I just don’t get it. It’s just hugely disappointing for the team because we had been having a great weekend up to that point and the car was really good, so to be taken out like that was very, very, disappointing.”

Marsal returns to GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition in just one week when the series travels to the historic Watkins Glen International road course in upstate New York. Marsal scored his previous best GRAND-AM start of ninth at Watkins Glen in last year’s event and looks for a solid run at the circuit next Saturday.

“The Road America result certainly was not what we wanted, but next up is Watkins Glen and I can’t wait to get back there,” said Marsal. “The Turner guys will have the No. 97 ready to go again and hopefully we can rebound with a good result there next week.”

The Continental Tire 150 at Watkins Glen takes place June 29-30.

The Road America event will be televised July 8 at 12:00 PM (ET) on SPEED.

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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

Michael Marsal Leads BMW Brigade at Road America with Best-Ever Qualifying Result

Michael Marsal Leads BMW Brigade at Road America with Best-Ever Qualifying Result

Michael Marsal Media Contact: Matt Cleary
Media@sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

http://www.marsalracing.com/

Photo courtesy Griffin Gamcsik-Uly

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (22 June 2012) – Michael Marsal will start the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 from seventh on the GRAND-AM 200 grid at Road America on Friday after the young racer set a fast lap time of 2:24.934-seconds in qualifying on the legendary 4.048-mile natural terrain road course in Wisconsin. The result is the best of Marsal’s GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series career to date and marked the best time of any BMW entered in the 60-car combined-class field.

When the 15-minute morning session went green, Marsal took to the circuit looking to find his own set of real estate on the track. Despite the long straights and wide open spaces at Road America, traffic can still play havoc with a fast lap. So keeping that in mind, Marsal found a gap and made the most of it, posting the fifth fastest time of the session before running was halted for a black flag.

The timing could not have been worse, as the black flag meant that his next lap didn’t count despite the fact that it was comfortably faster than his P5 time.

After a five minute delay to clear the track, the field once again returned for one flying lap before the checkered flag. Despite once again looking to make space, Marsal’s final run for a time was slowed by a balky and inconsiderate runner.

Despite the disappointment on the final lap, Marsal has a positive outlook for Friday’s race as GRAND-AM races through a busy schedule of events through the summer season.

“The car is really good, and I’m really looking forward to the race tonight,” said Marsal, who made his first-ever race start at the track as he opened his racing pursuits. “I am not sure what the Camaro was thinking on the last lap. I slowed to get a gap and they passed me, only to be slow the whole lap, and they didn’t even take the checkered flag! But this is a very good car and I’m happy to have a really competitive start to the day on such an amazing track.”

Marsal qualified fifth at the track in 2011, but the time was disallowed for a technical update and he was forced to start from the back.

Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.grand-am.com. The race will be televised on SPEED Sunday, July 8 at 12:00 PM (ET).

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

Burrows Packing Podium Momentum for Summer Trip to Wisconsin

Burrows Packing Podium Momentum for Summer Trip to Wisconsin

Heads to one of North America’s coolest tracks after scoring third at Mid-Ohio

Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media
(317) 908-2975-Mobile

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (19 June 2012)– Adam Burrows and co-driver Andrew Novich will look to build on the positive momentum the duo gained as they scored their best finish of the 2012 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season to date with a run to third (will re-brodcast this Friday on SPEED/12:00 PM ET) at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday in the No. 74 Dr. Kimberly Henry/ Speed Secrets Honda Civic Si for Compass360 Racing (C360R).

Friday’s 2.5-hour race (SPEED, July 8 12:00 PM ET) at Road America will see Burrows and Novich look to move up from seventh in the championship standings with five rounds yet to go in the 2012 championship. The weekend will get an early start with a Wednesday test day, with the grid slated to be set in qualifying on Friday ahead of the twilight race time as GRAND-AM shares the stage with the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

With some wide open running, high speed and long-duration corners, and an enthusiastic fan base, the 4-mile track is one that drivers rave about.

“Road America is a great addition to the GRAND-AM schedule and it is great to be heading up there so soon after our having a successful race at Mid-Ohio,” said Burrows, who last year saw his race strategy not get to play out when the race was called some 20 minutes shy of full distance. “Hat’s off to Andrew for his great opening stint and to the C360R guys who really put us in such a strong position at Mid-Ohio. This is a fast, fun, and wide open track and I’m really looking forward to getting back up there and having another productive weekend.”

PR inquiries about Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood should be directed to Matt Cleary at Sunday Group Management; 317.908.2975 (mobile) or media@ sundaymanagement.com

For additional information:
www.trevorhopwood.com
www.sundaymanagement.com
www.adamburrowsmotorsport.com

@trevorhopwood
@a_burrows
@sundaygroup

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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

Michael Marsal’s Fast Summer Continues at Road America

Michael Marsal’s Fast Summer Continues at Road America

Michael Marsal Media Contact: Matt Cleary
Media@sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

http://www.marsalracing.com/

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (19 June 2012) – Between working with the team demonstrating the Caterham 300R, extensively testing the Dyson Racing No. 20 LMP1, getting his post-college plans in place, and racing in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series, Turner Motorsport driver Michael Marsal has not had much down time since the previous GRAND-AM event two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. But that’s exactly the way he likes it.

Following the Mid-Ohio round, in which Marsal and co-driver Boris Said drove the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 to an 11th place result, Marsal was back in the Buckeye state just two days later for two successful days of testing at Mid-Ohio with Dyson Racing in the highly capable LMP1 Lola that he debuted on the streets of Long Beach in April.

Now, after a quick trip home to New York, Marsal will set his sights on Round 6 of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship as the series travels to historic Road America.

Marsal first got his taste for speed at the legendary 4.048-mile Wisconsin road course behind the wheel of a formula car and is eager to return to the famed facility. When GRAND-AM debuted at the track last year, Marsal faced disappointment when another competitor knocked the No. 97 BMW out of contention. The Turner duo of Marsal and Said will look for better luck this year as the pair have already notched three top-10 results so far this season – highlighted with a fourth place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

“We had a great test at Mid-Ohio with the Dyson LMP1, which is really an incredible car to drive at that track,” said Marsal, who along with Said enters the race weekend sixth in the Team Championship standings. “But the next two weekends are go time for GRAND-AM with Road America on Friday night and then Watkins Glen next weekend. I really like coming back to Road America. It’s the first track I ever drove a racecar on, and it is just a cool place. Unfortunately, we got wrecked out of Road America last year so hopefully we’ll have some better luck this time around!”

The Road America event kicks off with a promoter test day on Wednesday, June 20 followed by official practice on Thursday. Friday will see a 15-minute qualifying session at 11:15 AM (ET) with the 2.5-hour race to start at 7:15 PM (ET).

Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.grand-am.com. The race will be televised on SPEED Sunday, July 8 at 12:00 PM (ET).

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

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Best Finish of the Season for Burrows with Mid-Ohio Podium

Best Finish of the Season for Burrows with Mid-Ohio Podium

Hopwood back in action as well

Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media
(317) 908-2975-Mobile

Mansfield, Ohio (9 June 2012)– Adam Burrows and co-driver Andrew Novich scored their best finish of the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season to date with a run to third at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday in the No. 74 Dr. Kimberly Henry/ Speed Secrets Honda Civic Si for Compass360 Racing (C360R).

Novich opened the race as the fifth place ST runner in the 61-car combined class grid and ran a great first stunt before turning a perfect Honda Civic car over to Burrows. Burrows moved steadily up through the order, from a top-10 run to fighting for fifth to then being the caboose in a three car train for the lead. A pair of late race yellows set the stage for a pair of shootouts as Burrows worked to fight forward while also trying to hold back the charge of a large contingent of ST class runners.

He kept his head down and delivered his 10th career GRAND-AM Continental Tire podium and the best result of Novich’s young GRAND-AM career.

“I’m really happy for the C360R guys and Andrew to be up on the podium,” said Burrows, who took his first career podium at Iowa Speedway co-driving with Hopwood on the way to their 2007 championship. “I have to give a tremendous amount of credit for this finish to the C360R crew and their pit work. It was lightning fast . . . when I looked up from buckling my belts, they were already waving me out. That paid huge dividends in track position. It was a very close fight up front for the lead and I wanted to make the most of having such a strong car underneath me. Andrew did a great job to stay focused and put us in the position to fight for a podium. We’ve been building towards a result like this, so it was rewarding to finally bring it home today.”

The weekend was also highlighted by the return to GRAND-AM competition for Trevor Hopwood, who got the last-minute call to rejoin the C360R squad for the Mid-Ohio weekend. The former Champ shared the driving duties with team principal Karl Thomson, who qualified the car on the eighth row for the 2.5-hour race. Thomson moved all the way up to fifth before turning the car over to Hopwood.

But the pit cycle didn’t favor the No. 77 machine and Hopwood returned to the fray deep in the pack. Despite working to make up the lost ground, the eight caution periods that slowed the race cost Hopwood the racing laps to fight forward.

“It was great to be back here with C360R this weekend,” said Hopwood, who is looking forward to his first summer as a proud papa. “I didn’t have the brakes I really needed to make up much ground. I was able to get some very good runs out of the corners, but I couldn’t close the deal because I had to be careful with a bit of a soft pedal. But it was a good weekend overall, and a big congrats to Adam and Andrew for getting up on the podium.”

PR inquiries about Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood should be directed to Matt Cleary at Sunday Group Management; 317.908.2975 (mobile) or media@ sundaymanagement.com

For additional information:
www.trevorhopwood.com
www.sundaymanagement.com
www.adamburrowsmotorsport.com

@trevorhopwood
@a_burrows
@sundaygroup

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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

Marsal Has a Long Day in the Mid-Ohio Office Ahead of 11th Place Finish

Marsal Looking to Move up at Mid-Ohio

Marsal Looking to Move up at Mid-Ohio

Michael Marsal Media Contact: Matt Cleary
Media@sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

http://www.marsalracing.com/

Lexington, Ohio (8 June 2012) – Michael Marsal will start the EMCO Gears Classic from the eighth row on Saturday in Round 5 of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He will open the 2.5-hour race behind the wheel of the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW before turning the car over to co-driver Boris Said who will take it to the finish.

The day opened with two practice sessions which saw the Turner Motorsport squad work through a range of set-ups on the No. 97 machine as the BMW experienced front push issues throughout the day. The team made a final change ahead of the second practice but several caution periods during the 30-minute session saw the track time cut significantly with the team unable to fully test the changes.

“We thought we had a good set up on the car and made a final change just to try to get it within the window that we wanted but I think the car developed a pretty large push,” said Marsal. “It probably wasn’t the best change but we didn’t get to test it in the last practice session. So I think we’re going to revert back to the other set-up for the race. The track really greased up – and our first laps were in traffic so I probably burned a lot of the rubber off trying to get around people and by the time I had some open track there just wasn’t enough left in the car.”

Marsal will look to make his way forward during his opening stint as he returns to one of his favorite tracks on the GRAND-AM circuit.

“Mid-Ohio is one of my favorite places to race but I’m not 100% sure about how good my luck is here,” said Marsal with a smile. “So I’m hoping that this year is going to bring better luck for me. It’s definitely a race that I’m looking forward to. I’m actually looking forward to starting mid-pack because I think once the traffic comes up and we start battling it’s going to be fun. It’s always fun to race this track. So I’m excited for tomorrow I’m starting right behind my teammate which is always a good time and hopefully both of us will be on the podium at the end.”

Marsal will return to the track for a final 30-minute practice session ahead of tomorrow’s 2.5-hour race which starts at 11:00 AM (ET). Live timing and scoring can be found at www.grand-am.com. The event will be televised on SPEED at 12:00 PM (ET) on June 17.

Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.grand-am.com. SPEED will televise the race on June 17 at 12:00 PM (ET).

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

Burrows and Hopwood Set for C360R Reunion

Burrows and Hopwood Set for C360R Reunion