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Riley Sets Track Record at Daytona-Photo Attached

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Riley Sets Track Record at Daytona

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

Please pardon the resend-see attached photo/Courtesy GRAND AM-Jorg Bergmeister meets the press after taking Riley to pole at Daytona

Daytona Beach, FL (28 January 2011)—Riley Technologies added yet another line to the list of accomplishments of the Riley Technologies MkXI and XX Daytona Prototype designs on Thursday by setting a new track record in qualifying for the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The pole-winning lap of 1:40.099 seconds was set by Jorg Bergmeister in the No. 45 Flying Lizards Porsche-powered Riley.

The time broke the previous track record set in 2009 by David Donahue. The time was set using the very same chassis that previously held the record.

“I was ready to come in, and the team told me to try again,” Bergmeister said. “I went for it. I risked everything and it worked out perfectly. I knew we have a great car and great engine, but I was really surprised to win the pole-with the team running the DP for the first time. I was hoping to qualify in the top five.”

Riley Technologies will pursue an unprecedented seventh consecutive overall race victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Should the effort prove successful, it would also mark the tenth victory in fifteen years for a Riley-designed machine in the huge endurance event. With 75 wins in the category, the have been a dominant force in GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series competition.

Riley Technologies will also be targeting another run to victory lane with the firm’s Rolex Series GT Class design.

“Congratulations to Jorg and the entire Flying Lizards group,” offered Riley Technologies VP Bill Riley. “Our teams are always pushing, and it is great to see a new track record this weekend. It’s also cool that the one car has held the record two different times. Hopefully this is just the start of a successful weekend for all of our customers and teams.”

Saturday’s race is slated for a 3:30 PM ET green flag.

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

Rolex 24 Hour Victories by Riley-designed machines:
1996 Riley & Scott MKIII-Olds Doyle Racing (Riley Factory Team)
1997 Riley & Scott MKIII-Ford Dyson Racing
1999 Riley & Scott MKIII-Ford Dyson Racing
2005 Riley Mk XI-Pontiac SunTrust Racing (Riley Factory Team)
2006 Riley Mk XI-Lexus Ganassi Racing
2007 Riley Mk XI-Lexus Ganassi Racing
2008 Riley Mk XI-Lexus Ganassi Racing
2009 Riley Mk XI-Porsche Brumos Racing
2010 Riley Mk XI-Porsche Action Express Racing

For additional information:
www.rileytech.com

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

About Siemens:
Riley Tech has long relied on Siemens PLM Software to help design and develop their race-winning machines. NX software, Siemens PLM Software’s digital product development solution which includes computer-aided design, -manufacturing and -engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) applications, is the preferred development software. NX Software was cited as a driving force behind Riley taking a sixth straight Daytona Prototype Manufacturers championship in 2009 before kicking the 2010 season off with a win at Daytona International.

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

For additional information:
www.rileytech.com

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Riley Sets Track Record at Daytona

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Riley Sets Track Record at Daytona

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

The time broke the previous track record set in 2009 by David Donahoe. The time was set using the very same chassis that previously held the record.

“I was ready to come in, and the team told me to try again,” Bermeister said. “I went for it. I risked everything and it worked out perfectly. I knew we have a great car and great engine, but I was really surprised to win the pole-with the team running the DP for the first time. I was hoping to qualify in the top five.”

Riley Technologies will also be targeting another run to victory lane with the firm’s Rolex Series GT Class design.

Saturday’s race is slated for a 3:30 PM ET green flag.

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

For additional information:
www.rileytech.com

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

For additional information:
www.rileytech.com

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RileyDaytonaPole2011-pd.pdf

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Insight Racing Endures Some Highs and Lows On Race Debut

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media
317.908.2975 (m)
More details at insightracing.com

PHOTO:Wes Duenkel
Insight Racing Endures Some Highs and Lows On Race Debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., 27 January – Making their inaugural race debut, Insight Racing went through the gamut of emotions that racing can offer. The Street Tuner (ST) Class BMW 328i driven by Tyler McQuarrie and Nico Rondet came out of the gates blazing to set the fastest time for its class at the conclusion of the first practice. Conversely, the Grand Sport (GS) Class BMW M3 piloted by Paul Gerrard and Martin Jensen never left the garage during the first practice. Instead they focussed on installing an upgraded differential on the new machine that has so far only been driven in anger over the course of three-day test last week.

Fortunes would turn in the afternoon practice. The ST class 328i, this time with Rondet in the driver’s seat, was forced to return to the garage after only five laps with a blown motor. Meanwhile, Gerrard and the M3 turned their collective first laps at Daytona International Speedway running a conservative program, methodically honing the car’s set up to prepare for qualifying.

Alas, Gerrard was the only of the Insight Racing pair to attempt to qualify for the GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge Grand-Am 200. Unbowed, the ST car crew sprang to effect a motor change on the 328i, which means it will start Friday’s race from the back of the field.

Gerrard was able to end the day on a high note by securing the 15th starting position in the 32-car GS class field, and thereby attaining one of the team’s early season goals of starting within the top-15. Gerrard’s best lap was his fourth trip around Daytona’s famed road course in which he recorded a best time of 1:59.191 sec.

“It was my first time here at Daytona, and in a GS class car it was so much fun to have this much power. The speeds were impressive, and the 31 degree banking is also really fun. For the first time out, we didn’t no what to expect, and I have to say that I was expecting to get down to a 2:00 minute-flat lap time and in fact we went nearly a second better,” said the English born Gerrard who now resides in Boulder, CO. “We had to balance the need to just get laps on the car with the fact that we don’t want to start the race in the middle of the pack or further back as that can lead to putting yourself needlessly in jeopardy. All-in-all, I’m really impressed and looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

Team co-founders and directors Gil Lynagh and Chris Dillon looked on in admiration of the crews unbending enthusiasm and professionalism.

“Given the challenges that we’ve had throughout the day to prepare the cars, I think that starting from 15th is a respectable result. We’ll continue to develop the GS car to prepare it for the race where I think our drivers, who are not just fast, but have also demonstrated to have exceptional racecraft, will perform well tomorrow afternoon,” said Lynagh. “The ST car was perfect and running well until we had a problem with the engine. We’ve got a spare motor that’s being installed now and we will run well, despite starting from the back. Our focus is score points. We know we have a good ST car, we know the GS car needs to be developed further, and we’ll take the lessons from this weekend and continue to improve. Anytime you start with a new team or new project, you’re going to face challenges. I’m very happy that the team has faced the challenges and worked through them. Our whole mantra is to refine, refine, refine, so I’m very happy and I know that by mid season, we’ll be competing for wins.”

The opening round of the GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge takes the green flag tomorrow, Friday, January 28 at 1:30 PM EST. Follow the action live at grand-am.com. Television coverage airs February 4 at 3:00 PM EST on SPEED.

About Insight Racing:
Insight Racing is entering two cars in the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The No. 19 Insight Racing BMW M3 will compete in the top “Grand Sport” (GS) class while the No. 18 Insight Racing BMW 328i competes in the “Street Tuner” (ST) class. Both classes race at the same time to make up the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge field. All races are timed duration events lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes. Each driver must take the wheel for a minimum of 30 minutes during the race in order to score points toward the season championship. The team is based in Dulles, Virginia.

About Dinan Engineering:

Founded in 1979, Dinan is well established as North America’s premiere BMW tuner. Dinan develops, manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of high performance products and systems, distributed through a nationwide network of Authorized Dinan BMW Performance Centers that includes select BMW Dealerships and Independent BMW Service/High Performance facilities.

About Grand-Am
GRAND-AM Road Racing, which was founded in 1999, revolutionized major league sports car road racing in North America. As the organization begins its 12th season of competition in 2011, GRAND-AM is universally regarded as one of the world’s most competitive road racing organizations. GRAND-AM is located in Daytona Beach, Fla. on the same corporate campus that is also home to NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Daytona International Speedway.

-ends

Insight_Daytona_Qual__26JAN11.pdf

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Top Ten For Tim Bell in Daytona Qualifying

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Top Ten For Tim Bell in Daytona Qualifying

Contact: Matt Cleary
Media
317-908-2975

Daytona Beach, FL (24 January 2011) – Tim Bell handled another new job with aplomb on Thursday has he made his qualifying debut on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in the No. 14 BMW 128i for Doran Racing.

Friday’s GRAND-AM 200 will mark Bell’s first-ever GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race start and teh young Californian will take the green flag for the 2.5-hour race from ninth on the Street Tuner (ST) class grid before turning the driving duties over to BJ Zacharias.

“The day has gone pretty well, although the car is a little bit different from what it was like in testing so we aren’t as quick as we were hoping to be today in qualifying,” said Bell. “We are also working through some brake issues. I’m not sure what’s different about the car, but this is a great crew so I know they’ll be able to make some good changes before tomorrow.”

Friday’s race will see nearly 80 cars in the combined ST and GS event, which will be broadcast on SPEED February 5th at 3:00 PM ET.

While Bell, who led the final session in the test days earlier in the month, had been hoping for more in the qualifying session, he knows that he’ll have plenty of opportunity to move up at the start of the race on Friday.

“I think we should be ok hopefully tomorrow,” said Bell. “We don’t have the straight line speed that some of the turbo cars have, but we know that this BMW is capable of some very good handling so that’s what we’ll focus on for the race. So far, the weekend has gone mostly to plan and I’m just looking forward to racing tomorrow.”

Notes:

__Bell will contend for the MESCO “Rookie of the Year” Award as he steps up to the pro ranks
__Bell’s previous racing experience has been focused in the BMW Car Club of America (BMWCCA) racing series.

__Family Affair:
Bell’s pursuit of racing success will see the weekend events become a full-fledged family activity for the Bell family. Tim’s older brother, Matt, has already established himself on the GRAND-AM circuit with his award-winning drives in the Daytona Prototypes and record-setting runs in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series.

February 5th, 3:00 PM (ET) Speed
-ends

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Turner Motorsports in Top 10 for Rolex 24 Hour GT Class

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Turner Motorsports in Top 10 for Rolex 24 Hour GT Class

Sets the pace in final night session with fastest time in practice…

Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975

www.turnermotorsport.com

(photo:Wes Duenkel)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., 27 January – Looking to add yet another BMW M3 victory to his resume, Boris Said was the fastest of the non-Porsche/Camaro contingent in qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GRAND-AM Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal GT Class.

Posting the ninth best time of the day in the No. 94 Turner Motorsports NorthWest BMW M3, Said was the lone interloper in a string of Porsches and Camaros that runs down to 14th place in the 32-car GT field. Said broke into the top 10 with his No. 94 BMW on his eighth and final lap of the Daytona International Speedway road course to record a best time of 1:49.503 seconds.

“That’s the fastest lap we’ve done so far, and we weren’t even in the hunt, so I guess those Porsches and Camaro’s have been sandbagging all along. But, the car feels great. I feel a little bad because I’m sure Bill (Auberlen) would have gone a bit faster,” stated Said who shares the No.94 BMW with Paul Dalla Lana and Matt Plumb, in addition to Auberlen. “The way the car is set up, it’s really smooth and comfortable. It’s good for your ego to be in the top four or five, but speed in qualifying doesn’t really mean anything in this race. What matters is reliability and drivers not making mistakes. If we can do that, we’ll be moving up to the front.”

The Rolex 24 marks the beginning of the Turner squad’s sophomore season in Rolex Series competition. They opened the day by topping the charts in the first practice session followed by a seventh place in the second practice. Despite going even faster still in the qualifying session, they dropped a two more places in the grid-setting session, but are still confident for the twice around the clock race following a very productive night practice that saw the team top the charts.

“We had a feeling throughout testing and the early practice today that some of our competitors were holding back, and now we know they were. It’s a 24 hour race so qualifying isn’t that important, but on the other hand there is a significant gap tiem-wise. After 24 hour race if they can maintain that pace, we’ll be in trouble. I’m looking at the pace of our car on long runs, and it really likes the Continental Tires, it’s stable under braking and comfortable through the corners, which are all great attributes over the race distance,” said team owner Wil Turner. “I’m not disappointed to miss out on the pole, though of course everyone would like to have it. We were out-horse powered today, but we’ve got a good race car.”

The pace was also impressive at night, as the team rebounded from the qualifying session to score the fastest lap of the session in the night practice on Thursday, a good omen as the team prepares for a long weekend.

As usual, it was a very busy day for Turner Motorsports as the team will once again be looking for another victory at the “World Center of Speed” with the team’s pair of BMW M3’s in Continental Sports Car Challenge competition. Paul Dalla Lana ,sharing the No.96 with Bill Auberlen, went one better than the GT Series car to start tomorrow’s Grand-Am 200 from the eighth position as the Canadian made significant improvement over his qualifying run at Daytona last year. The sister No.97 car driven by Michael Marsal and Joey Hand didn’t get to show the car’s full pace after suffering a fuel pressure problem at the start of the 15-minute qualifying session.

Marsal got two laps in before paying heed to the warnings on the dash, confirming his suspicion that something was amiss after just two part-power laps. He will start at the rear of the 30-car Grand Sport (GS) class field.

Friday’s GRAND-AM 200 will take the green flag at 1:30 PM ET, with Saturday’s race start slated for 3:30 PM ET. (SPEED, 3:00 ET)

Notes:

2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona will be paced by BMW 1M
2011 Race falls on 35th anniversary of BMW’s first overall Rolex 24 At Daytona victory with No. 59 BMW CSL (Gregg, Fitzpatrick, Redman)

Previous wins:
Said and Auberlen were part of the most recent BMW M3 victories at Daytona when the duo were part of the remarkable back-to-back victories in 1997 and 1998

Turner Motorsport:
Rolex 24 At Daytona: 2010 Result P8, Distance 2408 miles (676 laps)

www.turnermotorsport.com
www.Twitter.com/sundaygroup
www.sundaymanagement.com

Turner Motorsport will not only benefit from long-running relationships with top talents like Said and Auberlen, but TMS will also once again enjoy partnership support from a long-held group of sponsors, including H&R Springs, StopTech Brakes, Motul Lubricants, Borla Performance Industries, Escort, and Piloti Shoes.

About Turner Motorsport

Turner Motorsport is the leading BMW tuner in North America, bringing technology and expertise from the racetrack to the street. Turner Motorsport is not about clever marketing tricks or gimmicks. Racetrack results speak themselves. The Turner Motorsport team has won five professional racing championships in two different series since 2003. This storied success is passed into every component that Turner Motorsport designs and sells through their website catalog. Our race team, R&D engineers and Sales team work together, allowing practical knowledge and state-of-the-art engineering to flow in both directions. Few companies in North America can claim such a close relationship to what they sell and what they race.

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Bell Leads Camaro Contingent at Daytona

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Bell Leads Camaro Contingent at Daytona

Ready for double duty at Daytona

Contact: Matt Cleary
Media
317-908-2975

Daytona Beach, FL (27 January 2011) –Matt Bell first burst onto the scene by scoring a flurry of record-setting pole positions while on his way to race victories behind the wheel of a BMW. But since joining Stevenson Motorsport to drive the Chevrolet Camaro GS.R in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition, Bell has really made a name for himself by setting new benchmarks with the Camaro GS.R.

From taking the first-ever pole position with the machine and leading its first laps to scoring the first podium result for the car, Bell has ben a key player as the Camaro’s development has accelerated in the hands of Stevenson Motorsports.

In qualifying at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, Bell once again held up his end of the bargain has he set the fastest time of the Camaro machines in qualifying for Friday’s GRAND-AM 200. The quick time of 1:57.546 broke the existing track record by nearly two full seconds, and will see Bell start the race from fourth on the grid.

“When we are in a draft, the car feels competitive and the draft works as it should. But when we are out of a draft, the other guys really leave me on the oval,” said Bell. “As long as we keep up with people where they are not going to run away and we can stick in the draft, we should be ok. We’ve been hunting for a set up all day long. We made some changes and my engineer Nick figured some things out and John Edwards had some very good feedback that helped us today, and we were much quicker.”

The Daytona race start marks Bell’s third GS start in the category, with a winning effort in 2009 his best result to date on the 3.56-mile circuit.

“It is really important to get a good clean start and make sure there are no problems early on,” said Bell, who will also be running the No. 77 Office Depot Dallara-Ford in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. “I’m a lot more confident about the car for the race after experiencing the pace we had in qualifying today. It’d be great to open the year with a strong points finish and maybe even a podium. I’ve got a lot of racing on my plate this weekend, and I couldn’t be happier.”

-ends
Daytona Television Schedule:

Preview, Rolex 24 FX Jan 28 10:00 PM ET

GRAND-AM Rolex 24 At Daytona SPEED Jan 29 3:00 PM ET (7 hours)
Jan 30 9:00 AM ET (7 hours)
GRAND-AM 200 (CTSCC) SPEED Feb 5, 3:00 PM E

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

Sunday Group Management is a leading motorsports management and communications consulting firm. Based in Indianapolis, Sunday Group Management works with clients in a variety of motorsports categories, including NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, Riley Technologies, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series organization Michael Shank Racing, Continental Tire, and several teams and drivers in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

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

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Rum Bum Racing Going for Second Straight Daytona Win from Pole

January 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Rum Bum Racing Going for Second Straight Daytona Win from Pole
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, 27 January – Rum Bum Racing scored a record-breaking pole position today in qualifying for the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge 200 at Daytona International Raceway. Driver Nick Longhi took only four tours of the famed road course in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3, setting the standard on each one to arrive at best time of 1:56.959 sec. for a new series track record. His margin over the second-placed car was over three-tenths of a second.

Longhi, co-driving with Matt Plumb, will now set his sites on securing a second straight win at Daytona where the team made an auspicious debut last year, winning in their maiden race. Gianluis Bacardi was Plumb’s co-driver on that occasion.

“The new paving here at Daytona is absolutely fantastic. I can’t say enough about what a joy it is to drive here this year and it’s not only making us faster, but everyone else too,” said Longhi of Nyack, NY. “I also have to say a big thank you to Jack Roush Jr. who gave me such a tremendous tow going into the bus stop that I thought I was dreaming. He was a total gentlemen and let me slingshot by, which he needn’t have done.”

Unlike last year, when the Rum Bum BMW started in 18th before going on for the win, Longhi will have a clear view ahead when the green flag drops to start two and a half hours of racing. The last time Longhi started the No. 13 on the front row was in the 2010 finale at Miller Motorsports Park, which resulted in the squad’s third win of the season and second on the trot for the Longhi/Plumb pairing. Still, Longhi is taking nothing for granted.

“It’s a long race, and a lot can happen. One fast lap is great, but being fast for two and a half hours is what wins the race. We need to stay out of trouble and drive a clean race,” added Longhi.

Rum Bum Racing was the car to beat all day, finishing the first practice third quick and fastest of all in practice two with Plumb behind the wheel.

“Everything feels great and the car is obviously fast. We were on new tires and low fuel so we may have been flattering to deceive somewhat, but, nevertheless, it’s always better to lead than follow,” said Plumb.

The GRAND-AM 200 is set to get underway at 1:30 PM EDT, Friday, January 28. Follow all the action live on grand-am.com. Televised coverage airs February 5th at 3:00 PM EDT on SPEED.

-ends-

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

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Insight Racing to Debut at GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge Opener in Daytona

January 26, 2011 Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media
317.908.2975 (m)
More details at insightracing.com

Insight Racing to Debut at GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge
Opener in Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., 26 January – Fittingly at the “World Center of Racing,” Insight Racing makes their debut in the GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. The new squad will field one BMW M3 in the Grand Sport (GS) Class with drivers Martin Jensen and Paul Gerrard, and one BMW 328i in the Street Tuner (ST) Class with drivers Nico Rondet and Tyler McQuarrie. World renowned BMW tuning guru Steve Dinan will engineer both of the team’s cars.

Insight Racing intends to contest the entire 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Founder and principal Gilbert Lynagh says he is optimistic they will prove to be contenders.

“We have put together a highly talented and experienced group of people to pull this program together and, while we fully expect to face very stiff competition to start, we also expect to become very competitive this season,” says Lynagh. “We’re focused on building a foundation for success.”

Insight Racing has been in development since the middle of 2010. Lynagh, along with co-founder, Chris Dillon, and team manager/principal, Michael Dayton, plan to hit the ground running at the first event of the year. The team recently undertook a successful series of shakedown tests at Thunderhill Raceway in Northern California before heading to Florida.

“We’ve already seen after just one test that the team is gelling quickly,” says Lynagh. “Success won’t come without hard work and commitment but, if we match what has already been shown in putting this team together, then I have no doubt we’ll attain our goals.”

English born Paul Gerrard and Martin Jensen of Denmark take the reigns of the No.19 GS Class M3, which was built by Fall Line Motorsports, the same team that won the series championship in 2010. Both drivers have experience in a broad array of national and international competition, ranging from the fast and fickle open wheel ranks of British Formula 3, to the incredibly competitive Danish Touring Car Championship, with scores of starts in other domestic sports car and single seater series to boot.

The pair co-drove in five races during 2010 at the wheel of an RRT Racing BMW 328i in ST class competition, finishing in the Top-10 on three of those occasions, including a season-best third place at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

“I’m very excited to be a part of Insight Racing. It’s a new team, but a very professional one from the start. They have all the right people, especially the management, and the tools for success,” says Jensen. “The organization has high expectations, which is very motivating for me personally.”

“I’m really looking forward to the 2011 season. Martin Jensen and myself will use what we learned last year, and hopefully, successfully apply it to the top category in our brand new M3,” adds Gerrard.

The ST Class No.18 BMW 328i is piloted by series rookies Nico Rondet of Brazil and American Tyler McQuarrie, who are, by no means, strangers to competition.

Rondet was the 2001 Barber Dodge Pro Series champion and has also raced in Toyota Atlantic and British Formula Ford.

“Not only are we a bunch of true professionals, but we are also a bunch of friends. The chemistry among all the team members is only going to get better and more contagious as the whole team grows,” says Rondet.

American Tyler McQuarrie is one of the top drifters in the country, but before that, he amassed a diverse experience racing everything from Formula Vauxhall in the U.K. to USAC sprint cars and the NASCAR West regional series.

“The team might be new, but the amount of experience runs very deep on all levels at Insight Racing,” McQuarrie keenly emphasizes. “Because of that, I’m even more excited by the potential we have for the 2011 season and beyond.”

The 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge gets underway at Daytona International Speedway for the GRAND-AM 200, Friday, January 28 at 1:30 EST. Follow the action live on grand-am.com. Televised coverage airs on SPEED, February 5 at 3:00 PM EST.

-ends-

About Insight Racing:

Insight Racing is entering two cars in the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The No. 19 Insight Racing BMW M3 will compete in the top “Grand Sport” (GS) class while the No. 18 Insight Racing BMW 328i competes in the “Street Tuner” (ST) class. Both classes race at the same time to make up the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge field. All races are timed duration events lasting 2 hours and 45 minutes. Each driver must take the wheel for a minimum of 30 minutes during the race in order to score points toward the season championship. The team is based in Dulles, Virginia.

About Dinan Engineering:

About Grand-Am

GRAND-AM Road Racing, which was founded in 1999, revolutionized major league sports car road racing in North America. As the organization begins its 12th season of competition in 2011, GRAND-AM is universally regarded as one of the world’s most competitive road racing organizations. GRAND-AM is located in Daytona Beach, Fla. on the same corporate campus that is also home to NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Daytona International Speedway.

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Michael Marsal Set for Rolex 24 Debut

January 26, 2011 Leave a comment

Michael Marsal Set for Rolex 24 Debut

Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
Media
317-908-275

Daytona Beach, FL–26 January, 2011–Just one fast year after making his first-ever professional race start at the famed Daytona International Speedway, young Michael Marsal will add an impressive new line on his racing resume this weekend as he has been signed by Racers Edge Motorsports to share the driving duties in the No. 30 3dimensional.com /Idemitsu Racing Oil/Terra Firma/ Mazda RX-8 in the 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend. It will be a very busy weekend for the college student, as Marsal will have not just one, but two, different races to prepare for at Daytona.

The Rolex Sports Car Series start is the career first for Marsal, who got some laps on the newly-repaved Daytona International Speedway surface under his belt during testing earlier this month. Making his Rolex Series debut in North America’s premier endurance event will see Marsal pursuing a strong GT Class result with his four co-drivers while also keeping tabs on the hard-charging Daytona Prototypes he’ll be sharing the 3.56-mile circuit with.

“I’m really looking forward to the weekend and I’m eager to get back in the car and keep learning how to get the most out of the Mazda,” offered Marsal. “It’s going to be really important to keep an eye out for all the DP’s because they carry a lot of speed and they are running their own race out there. I was able to make a lot of improvement to my lap times during the test, and I enjoyed working with the team. This is a huge race, and there is so much luck that can come in to play, for better or worse. So we are just hoping to set a good pace, keep doing the laps that we can all night long and stay out of trouble to be there for the finish. I know I’m going to learn a lot this weekend and I just can’t wait.”

Before he tackles the challenge of 24 hours of racing, Marsal will first warm up for Saturday’s Rolex 24 by racing in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season-opener on Friday as he returns to his familiar ride–the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 that he will share with Joey Hand. The duo proved to be a highly effective pairing in 2010, scoring two wins and narrowly missing out on a run to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship. With a year of racing experience to build on from his impressive rookie year last season, and some newfound experience in the higher-speed Rolex GT Class machine, Marsal is hoping to start 2011 off on the right foot with Turner Motorsport.

“Going back to Daytona this year for the Continental Tire race with Turner, I feel like I’ve experienced so much since this time last year and have a much better idea of what to expect,” said Marsal, who carries a tremendous passion for BMW machines. “It gives me more confidence about the weekend, and I’m a lot more relaxed about the race because I know what to expect. Turner’s cars are always very fast at Daytona and Joey and I worked great together last year. I was over the moon with the success that we had last year, and now I’d like to get an even better start to the year season here at Daytona.”

The action will kick off on Thursday, with practice sessions preceding the qualifying pressure-cookers that will set the grids for Friday and Saturday’s races. The GRAND-AM 200 event will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on February 5th at 3:00 PM ET.

The Rolex 24 event will feature 14 hours of live coverage on SPEED, with the opening segment of the race being covered starting at 3:00 PM ET.

Full results to be carried at www.grand-am.com, with the Series announcing new upgrades to their mobile site with added timing and scoring functionality ahead of the big race weekend.

-ends

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)

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Double Duty at Daytona for Matt Bell

January 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Double Duty at Daytona for Matt Bell

Rolex 24 and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge 2011 Season-openers

Contact: Matt Cleary
Media
317-908-2975

(PHOTOS: Tim Bell)

Daytona Beach, FL (25 January 2011) –Set to drive both the No. 77 Doran Racing Daytona Prototype and the No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R this weekend, Matt Bell will be one busy guy. But the young Californian racer couldn’t be more ready to go as he looks forward to racing in two big GRAND-AM races at Daytona International Speedway. Bell will run in both the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season-opening events as the year kicks off at the “World Center of Racing.”

The Rolex 24 at Daytona start will mark the second of his young career in the huge event, and his third time racing a Daytona Prototype in GRAND-AM competition. The opening two chapters of his DP career have been head-turners, as he netted the Jim Trueman Award in both previous starts (New Jersey Motorsports Park, Miller Motorsports Park) and he’ll look to make a similarly successful campaign in the 24 this weekend.

While he already had previous long-distance endurance racing experience in club-level events, Bell got his first taste of what racing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona demands from a driver last year when Stevenson Motorsports invited him to race in the GT class as he impressed with his quick adaptation. Bell looks to grow his experience as he puts the No. 77 Ford Dallara through the ultimate test along with teammates Brian Frisselle, Henri Richard and Ross Kaiser.

“This is a huge event and I’ll be racing against a lot of drivers that I read about as I was growing up, so it’s very exciting for me,” offered Bell. “Having the experience from last year is certainly something I want to build on, and it gives me a lot more confidence just knowing what to expect as the race progresses. Running a DP with much more downforce than I’ve experienced before is something that I’m still adjusting to, but it was good to get some laps in during the test days and experience the car in this configuration. We
want to make sure we’ve got a solid car underneath us that will be good to go for the full distance, and hope for some Champagne on Sunday afternoon.”

But before Bell takes to the 24, there will be another to-do on his list as he opens the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season with co-driver John Edwards. Bell scored third on the grid on his way to taking a breakthrough race victory in the 2009 edition of the race. Last year, Bell set a series of new benchmarks for the new Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro with the first-ever pole position, podium finish and first lead laps last year. With a season of development behind him and a capable new co-driver alongside, Bell is hoping to start the weekend off quickly with a strong result.

“We’ve seen glimpses of the potential that this Camaro has, and the Stevenson guys just have not stopped working to keep unlocking more speed with the car,” said Bell, who finished second in the 2009 championship standings. “I’m optimistic about the weekend and hope to start the year with some very solid points for the championship. Having John (Edwards) as my co-driver is something else that I’m very excited about — we both want to represent Chevrolet and the Camaro as well as we possibly can starting right out of the gates here at Daytona.”

Television Schedule:
Preview, Rolex 24 FX Jan 28 10:00 PM ET
GRAND-AM Rolex 24 At Daytona SPEED Jan 29 3:00 PM ET (7 hours)
Jan 30 9:00 AM ET (7 hours)
GRAND-AM 200 (CTSCC) SPEED Feb 5, 3:00 PM ET

-ends

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)