Riley Going for Ten At Daytona

Riley Going for Ten At Daytona

Riley Technologies takes on Daytona Prototype, Rolex Series GT, and Continental Tire Challenge competition to open 2011

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

Mooresville, NC (25 January 2011)—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 Riley Technologies MkXI and XX Daytona Prototype designs 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, which has seen SpeedSource Engineering take the Mazda RX-8 to victory lane twice (2008, 2010) the the last three Rolex 24 events. SpeedSource will also be bringing the added momentum that winning the 2010 GRAND-AM Team and Driver championships adds to the effort for the season-opening event, while Turner Motorsport will look to make the most of their Rolex Sports Car Series sophomore season by making a fast start at Daytona with the Riley-based BMW M3 machine.

The Daytona weekend will also mark the opening race of the 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship. The Riley Camaro, which ran its first full season of competition in the category last season, made significant progress during the year by winning its first pole, leading laps, and twice finishing on the podium. With five different Camaro machines entered in Friday’s GRAND-AM 200, that continued upward mobility is expected to continue.

While much of the attention will naturally gravitate to the action on the track through the grueling race weekend, race winners all rely on the work that goes on off of it. With Riley Technologies supporting twelve Daytona Prototype entries, eleven GT-Class machines, and five Camaros in Continental Tire Challenge competition, that could not be more true as the weekend marks the culmination of months of planning.

“The combined margin of victory in the last two 24’s was less than one minute, which is just amazing in a 24 hour event,” said Riley Technologies VP Bill Riley. “Our customers devote an incredible amount of planning and resources to this race, and we are proud of the success that they have had in such a competitive environment. Hopefully we can be part of another good weekend at Daytona to kick off the year.”

The mid-engine Riley Tech Daytona Prototype, which was designed with the extensive use of Siemens PLM Software technology, will target an unprecedented eighth Rolex 24 At Daytona pole position in qualifying on Thursday afternoon, with Saturday’s race 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_2011-PREVIEWR24-PD.pdf

TURNER MOTORSPORT TAKES DREAM TEAM TO DAYTONA

TURNER MOTORSPORT TAKES DREAM TEAM TO DAYTONA

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

www.turnermotorsport.com

24 January 2011 (AMESBURY, MA) — Turner Motorsport will open the 2011 GRAND-AM racing season this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with two comprehensive campaigns as the team competes in both the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge as well as the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona (SPEED, 3:00 PM ET/Saturday) effort brings a veritable ‘Dream Team’ of pilots together to share the driving duties in the No. 94 NorthWest BMW M3 as Bill Auberlen, Boris Said, and Paul Dalla Lana are joined by Matt Plumb for the GT Class campaign as the team launches its sophomore season in the category with an outstanding group of fast and experienced racers.

Last year saw Turner Motorsport make the step up to GRAND-AM’s top Rolex Sports Car Series category. Despite being a “rookie” effort, Turner showed that the same high-quality preparation and organization that the BMW Tuning firm is known for and had proven so successful through the teams over 200 professional race starts were well-served, as the organization made the most of a select schedule of race starts beginning with the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

That Daytona debut saw the team finish the race despite a myriad of racing set backs that only racing on the rough high banks at Daytona can bring. Covering over 2,400 miles (nearly the same distance from Daytona to the team’s BMW Tuning shop in Amesbury, Mass and back), the top-ten result provided a strong starting point for the program. The momentum continued to build through the year as the group went on to convert the BMW-powered M6 from a racer to a winner, taking a breakthrough victory at Mid-Ohio and providing a huge highlight as Turner Motorsport brought BMW back to victory lane in Rolex Series competition.

For 2011 Turner Motorsport will once again be targeting a run to victory lane, but fans of the team, which grew directly from the BMW Tuning program that the organization originally built its reputation on, will now have a different machine to root for as the team will deploy a BMW M3 in Rolex Series GT Class competition. Turner Motorsport made the move during the off-season as the team made the most of the opportunity to put the lessons learned in 2010 to good use ahead of the 2011 season.

That hard work provided early promise as the traditional pre-season Roar Before the 24 test at Daytona test delivered some encouraging data from the early laps. Turner Motorsport is optimistic that the new mount will provide not only consistent speed and reliability to make it to the finish, but will also show the pace needed to add to BMW’s legacy off success at Daytona.

“Looking back at last year, we felt like we were pretty well prepared for our first-ever 24 and that served us well when we made it to the checkered flag with a top ten the first time out,” said team owner Will Turner. “Even though we had a lot of experience in the sport and felt like we had done our homework before last year’s 24, there are things you just can’t learn until you actually do them. That was certainly the case with the 24 and now we’re going to put everything we learned to work last year this weekend.”

With a race that opened under rainy conditions before drying out as the field ran at a rapid pace for the duration, the 2010 24 was a stout showing for the debutante team. But looking to the 2011 edition, the squad’s goals are even higher.

“Last year we ran a limited schedule, but for 2011 we are fully committed to running every race and we want to be a factor in this championship so starting the year off with big result at Daytona would be a significant step in that direction,” said Turner, who expects to grow his GT Class operation to two entries for the remainder of the season. “You simply couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to have in your car, and this team is really focused on the 24.”

“I’m proud of the way we were able to prepare this car,” said Turner. “Getting the chance to go through every single centimeter of it as we built it gave us the chance to make a lot of changes. Countless small changes that hopefully add up when it matters. Everything from the cooling for the drivers to the suspension mounts and the range of changes we can make to the car during the weekend, we’ve looked at and tried to improve.”

The action will kick off with practice and qualifying on Thursday, with the green flag set to wave at 3:30 PM on Saturday afternoon. Live coverage will be delivered by SPEED starting at 3:00 PM ET on Saturday.

Notes:
2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona and GRAND-AM 200 (Friday) will be paced by new 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:
2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona: 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.

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

TMS_24PREVIEW-pd.pdf

Tim Bell Ready for Daytona Debut

Tim Bell Ready for Daytona Debut

Contact: Matt Cleary
Media
317-908-2975

Attached Photo: Tim Bell Ready for Daytona-

Daytona Beach, FL (24 January 2011) – Pianists aspire to play Carnegie Hall and rockers want to hit the stage at the Hollywood Bowl, but for racers, it’s the banks of Daytona where names are made.

Young Californian Tim Bell will travel to Florida this weekend to make his professional racing debut for Doran Racing as he opens the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season at Daytona International Speedway. Graduation from the club racing ranks couldn’t come in a more daunting environment, but the young college student is taking it all in stride as he prepares to drive the No. 14 BMW 128i for Doran Racing in the full season of competition with BJ Zacharias as his co-driver.

“I learned a lot during the test days, and it was good to get some of the ‘first-time’ things out of the way,” said Bell. “Pit stops, driver changes and running with multiple classes were a few of the new things I had to get comfortable with. The test days really helped, and now I’ve got a better idea of what to expect. I still have some butterflies about the weekend, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Bell and the No. 14 BMW certainly came up to speed quickly, setting the fastest time in the final practice session. Even so, the rookie is keeping his expectations in check for his debut race.

“My focus is just to get as much as I can out of the car in qualifying and have a solid first stint,” said Bell. “It’s a long race, and a long season. So going out and trying to set the lap record my first time out isn’t going to have much reward. I’ve got a lot to learn and I’ll be picking up as much as I can every lap. I’ve got a responsibility to the team and to my co-driver to drive smart, and that’s what I plan to do. I plan to keep focused on those two things and just have a good weekend to start the year.”

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 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 Bells. 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.

TV INFORMATION: February 5th, 3:00 PM (ET) Speed Channel

-ends

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

Burrows and Hopwood Set for 2011 GRAND-AM Opener at Daytona

Burrows and Hopwood Set for 2011 GRAND-AM Opener at Daytona

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

Road & Track Shows off Kia’s Koup:

Adam Burrows Latest SPEED.com Blog:

(photo: Wes Duenkel)

(24 January 2011)– The quiet of a long off-season will be interrupted by the cacophony of racing motors coming to life this week as the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge kicks off at Daytona International Speedway with Friday’s GRAND-AM 200.

Among scores of drivers and teams looking for success on the newly-repaved track will be former GRAND-AM champions Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood, who will look to build on 2010 with a strong opening round at the “World Center of Racing” driving the No. 12 Kia Forte Koup after impressing in their first season driving for the Kinetic Motorsports factory Kia racing program last year.

The 2010 season was a foundation-laying one of sorts, as renowned organization Kinetic Motorsports ushered the Kia Koup into its first-ever competition campaign in one of the continents most competitive categories on offer. Taking to the track in GRAND-AM’s Street Tuner (ST) class against everything from turbo-powered VW’s to Porsches, the Kia Koup effort opened with Burrows and Hopwood scoring a debut race-finish at Daytona, and continued to build momentum as the season progressed, with the duo finishing every race of the year on the way to closing the season out ninth in the championship and scoring a season-best result of fifth place at Lime Rock Park.

The return to the Kinetic organization for 2011 marks the first time the championship duo have returned to the same team since first moving to the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge ranks in 2007, when the two scored the championship in their rookie season and then followed that up with a run to second in the standings in 2008.

“Finally, the wait is over!” said Hopwood. “I can’t wait to get out of this snow and back behind the wheel of the Koup at Daytona. I’ve been training every day, and I know that the Kinetic boys have been busy, too. The ST class is so competitive and hopefully we’ll be able to keep making progress and getting stronger as the year progresses. We checked a lot of things off the to-do list last year and now we’ve got a whole new set of goals for this Koup and with Kinetic, we’ve got the perfect group behind us to make them happen starting this week.”

GRAND-AM’s 2011 championship will once again feature ten rounds of competition, stretching from Florida to California to Upstate New York.

“I’ve got my bag packed and I’m ready to go!” said Burrows in his most recent column on SPEED.com. “This off season has probably felt like the longest one ever because we are so eager to get back into the Koup and keep building on what we started last year. Daytona is finally here and I couldn’t be more excited. I know that it’s been a very fast off-season for the Kinetic guys who haven’t stopped working since our last race of the season to keep developing the Koup. It’s incredible to think about how much Kinetic has already accomplished since this time last year, and hopefully we can keep that going with more progression in the results starting at Daytona.”

Kinetic Motorsport will once again sport a two-car entry for the 2011 season, and will look to continue to build speed with the Kia program starting this week at Daytona.

“Adam and Trevor have been consummate professionals inside and out of the car and we’re extremely pleased to sign them again,” said Kinetic principal Russell Smith. “Kia has been an excellent partner and after a very solid first season of learning, we are all very much looking forward to continuing to improve in 2011. Having Adam and Trevor on board will be a significant boost for us next year.”

The 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season will open at Daytona International Speedway on January 28, 2011. SPEED will broadcast the race on February 5th starting at 3:00 PM ET.

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

Thursday, January 27
7:00 AM Rolex & Continental Tire Challenge garages open
10:00 AM Opening of Speedweeks Ceremony at Start/Finish line in Pit lane
11:45 AM 12:30 PM Practice – Continental Tire Challenge
2:45 PM 3:30 PM Practice – Continental Tire Challenge
5:00 PM 5:15 PM Qualifying – Continental Tire Challenge ST
9:30 PM Garages closed

Friday, January 28
7:00 AM Garages open
10:00 AM 10:45 AM Practice – Continental Tire Challenge
12:15 PM 1:15 PM Continental Tire Challenge Pre-Race/Fan Walk/Autograph Session
1:30PM START – Continental Tire Challenge GRAND-AM 200 (2.5 Hour time limit)
7:30 PM Garages closed – All Continental Tire Challenge rigs must leave the garage area.

For additional information:

www.trevorhopwood.com
www.Sundaymanagement.com

TELEVISION INFORMATION: SPEED Channel, 3:00 PM ET, February 5

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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

Rum Bum Racing Targets Encore At Daytona

Rum Bum Racing Targets Encore At Daytona

Contact: Matt Cleary
Media
317.908.2975

Daytona Beach, FL (24 January 2010)- Movie fans have long complained that when a great movie is followed up by a sequel, it never quite matches up to the original.

But for Rum Bum Racing, there is a lot of confidence about season number two as the team looks to build on an outstanding GRAND-AM rookie effort in 2010. Act One in the 2011 GRAND AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship story will take place this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, the scene of Rum Bum Racing’s dramatic race-winning debut one year ago.

The team, which also closed the 2010 season out with an outstanding run of race winning and podium-earning performances, will once again feature the same cast–both behind the scenes and up on stage–who contributed to the teams success last year. Rum Bum Racing has re-signed drivers Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb to drive the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3, and the team will continue to benefit from the huge talent that Joe Varde brings to the organization.

With two successful tests at Homestead International Speedway in December and then at Daytona International Speedway earlier this month, the team is ready to go the moment the green flag drops at 1:30 PM on January 28.

“Daytona is it’s own animal when you look at it compared to the rest of the tracks we run on this year, it’s a track where we really get to stretch the legs on this BMW,” said Longhi. “The competition in GS is going to be very intense once again–probably the most competitive ever. There are lot of very talented drivers, with top-notch teams preparing these cars. We know that it’s going to be a fight for every position, but we have a lot of momentum from the way we ran last year and our testing in the off-season, so we feel like we’ve done our homework and are ready to go this weekend.”

The opening race of the 10-round championship will be broadcast on SPEED, February 5th at 3:00 PM ET, and marks the first-ever race to take place on the newly-laid surface at Daytona International Speedway oval.

“There would be nothing better to open up the year with a win at Daytona like we did last year,” offered Plumb. “This team has so many connections to Florida that every time we race in the state, we’ve got even higher expectations for ourselves. But we also know that this is just the first leg of the championship, and our goal is to be consistently strong from race to race so that when we are looking at the final rounds of this championship, we’ve got ourselves in the right position to capitalize on the work we’ve done all year long. We’ve got amazing support behind this program and have everything we need in place, so we just have to make the most of the opportunity, be smart, and execute on our plan and start the year off right at Daytona.”

www.rumbumracing.com

www.sundaymanagement.com

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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

Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb Joins Turner Motorsport for Rolex 24

Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb Joins Turner Motorsport for Rolex 24

18 January 2011 – Rum Bum Racing’s Matt Plumb, who burst onto the scene as he used BMW power to charge to the front of the pack in his first-ever Daytona Prototype start in the race, will return to the famed Rolex 24 At Daytona this month when he joins Turner Motorsport as the team debuts the new No. 94 BMW M3 to open the 2011 GRAND AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

Plumb, who scored a Daytona International Speedway race victory in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3 in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition last year, went on to take three wins in the ten-race season as the rookie Rum Bum Racing squad helped to push BMW to the top of the Manufacturer Championship standings.

Once again strapping in to Rolex Sports Car Series GT Class machinery, Plumb will share driving duties throughout the prestigious 24-hour sports car endurance race with teammates Bill Auberlen, Boris Said, and Paul Dalla Lana.

Plumb’s three teammates joined together for the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona and brought home a top-10 finish when the No. 94 BMW M6 crossed the finish line in the eighth position in the team’s first-ever start in the grueling event. With the addition of Plumb to the driver line-up, Turner Motorsport looks to capitalize on the experience and talent of a dream team of drivers behind the wheel.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to run the Rolex 24 with Turner Motorsport,” said Plumb. “It is going to be a busy weekend for me, going back and forth between the Rum Bum Racing effort in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the Rolex Sports Car Series BMW M3 with Turner, but I couldn’t be more excited and I’m grateful to get the call to be a part of it. Hopefully we can get a strong start to 2011 with a couple of podiums in two different BMW’s!”

Along with his teammates, Plumb ran plenty of laps at the “Roar Before the 24”, a three-day test session held at Daytona International Speedway earlier this month. The four drivers ran at the top of the speed charts throughout most of the eight practice sessions and the team hopes to carry that speed into the Rolex 24 race weekend.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona festivities kick off with a full day of practice and qualifying on Thursday, January 27. The green flag is set to drop for the 24-hour race on Saturday, January 29 at 3:30 PM ET. Race coverage begins at 2:00PM ET on SPEED.

Rocky Fork Company Returns to Daytona International Speedway with Michael Shank Racing

News from Michael Shank Racing-www.michaelshankracing.com Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Rocky Fork Company Returns to Daytona International Speedway with Michael Shank Racing Kicking off 2011 effort at Rolex 24 Michael Shank Racing Media Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management media (317) 908-2975 (m) COLUMBUS, OH (19 January 2011)- Michael Shank Racing is pleased to announce that fellow Columbus-area firm Rocky Fork Company has renewed its partnership with the team and will serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 6 Ford-Dallara set to be driven by AJ Allmendinger, Justin Wilson, and Michael McDowell in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Rocky Fork Company was established by Brian Bailey in 1991 to provide fencing and landscape services to the Central Ohio community. Rocky Fork offers a full range of services from fence and deck installation to landscape maintenance, snow removal, and irrigation systems integration. Rocky Fork is no stranger to the sport, as the firm is also already involved at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as the “Official Landscape Supply Provider” for the track. The Michael Shank Racing-Rocky Fork partnership first kicked off in the aftermath of the dramatic turn of events that followed a car fire at Watkins Glen that saw the team rebound to lead the home race and score its best-ever result in the EMCO Gears Classic at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “Last season was a roller coaster for Michael Shank Racing and through all those ups and downs, we started a conversation that resulted in us getting directly involved with Mike and his team,” said Rocky Fork owner Brian Bailey. “I’m a big fan of this group and we were pleased with the recognition that being involved with Michael Shank Racing brought last year. Teaming with Mike was a very good value for our marketing dollars so we were eager to work on putting this partnership again this year. Hopefully we can open up the season with a big result down in Daytona.” Set to stage his teams most comprehensive assault on the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the days have been clicking off at a rapid pace for team owner Mike Shank as he oversees the three car Daytona Prototype entry from the team headquarters outside of Columbus. “Rocky Fork really came through for us last year and we were very grateful for Brian Bailey’s support, so we couldn’t be happier to have them back on the car for the 24 this year,” said Shank, a Central Ohio native. “We’ve got an outstanding line up of drivers in the Rocky Fork car, and we led with the Dallara at Daytona last summer so we are very optimistic about the opportunity we have in two weeks time. And even though we are just about to start the season off at Daytona, we are also looking ahead to racing at Mid-Ohio as the season finale and having Rocky Fork be an especially big part of that as well.” The 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will take the green flag on January 29 at 3:30 PM ET LIVE on SPEED. Source: www.michaelshankracing.com www.sundaymanagement.com -ends About Michael Shank Racing Based in Columbus, Ohio, Michael Shank Racing was formed in 1989 when Mike Shank first began driving racing cars professionally. Shank retired from the cockpit in 1997 to focus his efforts on running the team, which quickly found success in the Champ Car Toyota Atlantic Championship. With several race wins under his belt, Shank was named as Team Owner of the Year twice in four years. Michael Shank Racing joined the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2004 as the team proved as quick in endurance racing as in the sprint formula car format. Michael Shank Racing scored a debut Rolex Series win in 2006 at Miller Motorsports Park, and fans selected the victory as the 2007 Rolex “Moment of the Year.” After opening the 2008 season with a front-row sweep of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the team closed out the year taking wins in the final two races of the year. About Crown Royal Canadian Whisky: Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky’s smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com. It’s about quality, not quantity. About Diageo: Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands and performance, visit us athttp://www.diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 Sunday Group Management, All rights reserved. This email contains news from Sunday Group Management and is intended for media members, client associates, and team sponsor partners. If you feel you are receiving this email in error or wish to no longer do so, please unsubscribe at your earliest convenience by clicking below. Thank you-Sunday Group Management. Our mailing address is: Sunday Group Management6108 Winthrop Ave Indianapolis, IN 46220 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

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

GRAND-AM Announces 2011 Television Schedules on SPEED

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GRAND-AM Announces 2011 Television Schedules on SPEED Eight Rolex Sports Car Series Races To Be Broadcast Live DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 19, 2011)- GRAND-AM Road Racing announced its 2011 television coverage schedule today, a lineup highlighted by eight live SPEED broadcasts of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, starting with next weekend’s history-rich endurance classic, the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Rolex 24, set for its 49th running at Daytona International Speedway’s legendary 3.56-mile road course, will be showcased with 14 hours of live coverage in two comprehensive seven-hour blocks – 3-10 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Jan. 29 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Jan. 30. SPEED, the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to motorsports, is now available in more than 82 million homes throughout North America. Other Rolex Series races to be aired live in 2011 include the Grand Prix of Miami from Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 5; Lime Rock Park’s Memorial Day Classic on May 30; Watkins Glen International’s events on June 4 and Aug. 13; Road America on June 25; New Jersey Motorsports Park on July 24; and the season finale, from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, on Sept. 17. Races to be aired on a delayed basis: Barber Motorsports Park on April 10; Virginia International Raceway on May 14; Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 10; and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Aug. 20. In addition, nine races in GRAND-AM’s highly competitive Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will be aired on a delayed basis, beginning with the season-opening GRAND-AM 200 at Daytona International Speedway, to be shown on SPEED at 3 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Feb. 5, with nearly 80 cars expected to enter. “Our partnership with SPEED will deliver to our fans an impressive total of 64-and-a-half hours of GRAND-AM television coverage this season; included in that total will be 35 hours of live Rolex Series coverage,” said GRAND-AM Vice President Kevin Hindson. “When you consider the full race coverage, combined with the various shoulder GRAND-AM programming on tap for the season, it’s clear that we have assembled a TV package that is relevant to the fans and will greatly benefit our sport.” Added SPEED President Hunter Nickel: “[It’s] the absolute best live television package for fans of American sports car racing. And kicking things off with 14 hours of live coverage from Daytona is a great way to get the 2011 season started.” SPEED’s broadcast team returns intact from last season, with Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish and Dorsey Schroeder in the booth; and Brian Till and Chris Neville working pit road. For the Rolex 24, that team will be joined by David Hobbs, Bob Varsha, Justin Bell and Jamie Howe. 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series Television Schedule (All events on SPEED) Race Broadcast Date/Time (broadcast duration in parentheses; all times ET) Daytona International Speedway Jan 29, 3 p.m. (7 hours) and Jan. 30, 9 a.m. (7 hours) Homestead-Miami Speedway Mar 5, 12 p.m. (3 hours) d-Barber Motorsports Park Apr 10, 12 p.m. (3 hours) d-Virginia International Raceway May 14, 5 p.m. (3 hours) Lime Rock Park May 30, 2 p.m. (3 hours) Watkins Glen International Jun 4, 1 p.m. (2 hours) and 6 p.m. (2 hours) Road America Jun 25, 12 p.m. (2½ hours) d-Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Jul 10, 4 p.m. (3 hours) New Jersey Motorsports Park Jul 24, 1 p.m. (3 hours) Watkins Glen International Aug 13, 6 p.m. (2½ hours) d-Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Aug 20, 7 p.m. (2½ hours) Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Sep 17, 3 p.m. (3 hours) d-Delayed broadcast. 2011 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Television Schedule (All events on SPEED) Race Broadcast Date/Time (all broadcasts 2 hours, on delayed basis; all times ET) Daytona International Speedway Feb 5, 3 p.m. Homestead-Miami Speedway Mar 12, 1 p.m. Barber Motorsports Park Apr 16, 1 p.m. Virginia International Raceway May 22, 1 p.m. Watkins Glen International Jun 12, 5 p.m. Road America Jul 3, 1 p.m. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Jul 17, 1 p.m. New Jersey Motorsports Park Jul 30, 1 p.m. Mid-Ohio Sports Car CourseSep 25, 1 p.m. About SPEED™ SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in more than 82 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority. For Additional Information: J.J. O’Malley, GRAND-AM Public Relations, (386) 310-6588, jomalley@nascar.com.

Forward email matt by communications | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. GRAND-AM | One Daytona Blvd. | Daytona Beach | FL | 32114 Matt Cleary Matt 317.908.2975 Filed under Uncategorized Mike Curb Relishes History at Daytona and Looks to Make More January 23, 2011 Leave a comment Famed car owner teams with Michael Shank Racing in Rolex 24 At Daytona Michael Shank Racing Media Contact: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management media@sundaymanagement.com (317) 908-2975 (m) DAYTONA BEACH, FL (21 January 2011)- When the 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona takes the green flag next Saturday (SPEED, 3:30 PM ET), there will be a full field of drivers and their teams looking to make history as the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series championship kicks off on the high banks at Daytona. But it won’t be just the drivers who will hope to enter the record books, as famed car owner Mike Curb hopes to yet again make history at the “World Center of Speed” as he looks to see the No. 6 Continental Tires Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian Ford-Dallara entry driven by Michael McDowell, Justin Wilson, and AJ Allmendinger make it all the way to victory lane. “Daytona is a special place for me,” offered Curb ahead of the Rolex 24 weekend. “My daughter lives here, and my son in law works at Daytona State University, so I feel connected to the area. Of course, I’ve also been fortunate to experience some amazing things at the Speedway! We were the car owners when Dale Earnhardt won the 1980 NASCAR championship and of course, the memory that we all are so fond of was when Richard Petty won his 200th race here with our car at Daytona with President Reagan here. What an amazing day!” “In everything we’ve done since then, we’ve never been able to match that so I thought ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful to be part of winning the 24 Hours At Daytona?’ Michael Shank has come so close to winning it before, and this is a real first-class effort, so we are proud to be a part of this. I’ve watched AJ, Michael, and Justin in everything they’ve raced and couldn’t be more impressed with this line up that Mike (Shank) has put together.” The connection with McDowell has seen Curb connected to the young NASCAR pilot in another significant event, as the duo first teamed up in the 2010 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Of course, we’ve been working with Michael for quite some time and we just think the world of him,” said Curb. “Everyone on this team knows what it means to win at Daytona. Whether its a GTO race in the 80’s or any NASCAR event here, there is nothing like Daytona. Any time you have the chance to do something on a historic track in an event like the 24 Hours, its a special opportunity. This is the super bowl of sports car racing in America and its been that way for years and GRAND AM has brought it to a whole new level. And I can’t think of anything more exciting to be a part of this.” The weekend marks the return to the GRAND-AM ranks for McDowell, who scored a debut win in Rolex Sports Car Series competition on his way to NASCAR’s premier levels. “I’ve had a lot of great opportunities at the 24, driving some good cars with great teammates, but this is by far the best shot I’ve ever had,” said McDowell, who has three top-ten finishes in the Rolex event to his credit. “We’ve got two really fast guys and hopefully I’ll be able to hold my own as well! Mike (Curb) and I have been working on this for a long time. Every year, I’ve called Mike (Shank) to try to put an effort together, so it was great to have Curb step up and Continental TIres come on board to make this happen.” The Ford-Dallara combination proved quick in testing as the Rolex Series squads got their first taste of running on the newly laid pavement in early January. The Columbus (Ohio)-based team is targeting a return to the Daytona Podium with a three-car entry in the huge season-opener. “It’s amazing when you think about some of the accomplishments that Mike Curb has been a part of through the years, so we were pretty honored when we started talking about working together,” said team owner Mike Shank, who will lead his team’s first-ever three-car entry in the 24.“Obviously, we have one clear goal and we are really focused on trying to add another big win at Daytona to his list. We’ve got a great opportunity to do that this year.” The 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will take the green flag on January 29 at 3:30 PM ET LIVE on SPEED. Source: http://www.michaelshankracing.com http://www.sundaymanagement.com -ends Filed under Uncategorized Hello world! January 23, 2011 Leave a comment Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging! Filed under Uncategorized Newer posts → Sunday Group Email Sign Up- Email Address: Sign me up! Join 6 other subscribers Sundaygroup Tweets by sundaygroup Blog at WordPress.com. Subscribe Subscribed Sunday Group Management Sign me up Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. Sunday Group Management Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Report this content View site in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar   Loading Comments...   Write a Comment... Email (Required) Name (Required) Website