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INDYCAR: Schmidt Signs Townsend Bell For Indy

For the second consecutive year, Sam Schmidt Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing will team up to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

Townsend Bell drove the wheels off of his KV Racing Dallara at the 2009 Indy 500. He hopes to repeat the feat behind the wheel of the #99 SSM/CGR entry this May.

The No. 99 SSM/CGR entry will be driven by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran Townsend Bell of San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Bell, the 2001 Indy Lights champion, will seek to make his fourth start in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." His best finish was fourth in 2009, giving KV Racing Technology its highest finish ever in the race. In '08, Bell was quickest on the second day of four-lap qualifications with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. He went on to finish 10th.

"I'm excited to be able to confirm my plans for the Indy 500 so early in the year," said Bell, who has made 20 IZOD IndyCar Series starts. "To be competing with Sam Schmidt gives me a lot of confidence heading into May. I couldn't be in a better position. I have to thank Sam for his efforts to pull this together. I'm looking forward to working with everyone to produce a great result with a fast car."

Opening Day is May 15, with Pole Day scheduled for May 22. The race is May 30.

"Our relationship with Sam Schmidt Motorsports has defined very clearly the positive aspects of partnership," Target Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull said. "We've helped each other to provide value on all levels and thereby creating a mutually beneficial relationship that makes opportunities like this very seamless and smooth."

In 2009, the teams joined forces with Alex Lloyd behind the wheel. Lloyd, the 2007 Firestone Indy Lights champion with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, was the fastest second-day qualifier and finished 13th in his second '500.'

"Winning Indy is clearly a lifetime dream," team owner Sam Schmidt said. "Last year I said that our effort was our best chance yet to drink milk in Victory Lane and I have to say that again going into this year's race. To be partnered with an organization of the caliber of Chip Ganassi Racing speaks for itself. We're especially excited about Townsend driving the car because he's always run really well at the track.

"He took a limited opportunity last year and parlayed it into a top-five finish, and we're hoping with the combined resources we're providing him in a top-flight program we can all share in a victory celebration come May 30th."

Glory at Daytona
February 03, 2010

Well, I'll never have an excuse for being late to an appointment: I have a Rolex now! I am a very proud winner of the GT class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

By Jonathan Bomarito

Sylvain Tremblay, Nick Ham, David Haskell and myself took our SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 past the checker four laps ahead of our nearest rival. Thank you to Castrol Syntec, Mazda, all racers running Mazdas, and thanks to all who have supported me over the years. SpeedSource is an amazing team and I couldn't be happier and more thankful to running my rookie season in sports car racing with them. 2010 has gotten off to a great start and, of course, now we are leading the Rolex GT Series championship.

It's an interesting challenge – mentally, physically and emotionally – to complete a 24-hour race, especially when you're in a potential race-winning car. But the team made it as easy as they could for us. We'd done a lot of testing beforehand, so we were familiar enough with the car. Sylvain probably had the majority because he was going to qualify it and start the race, but I'd say Dave, Nick and myself had had around 25-28 laps each. And that wasn't just lapping the track: we'd practiced driver changes, refueling, tire stops and so on, and we'd adjusted the balance to suit us all.

Some might think that finding a compromise setup so it suits four different driving styles might be a problem, but it actually seemed pretty seamless. We weren't complaining about anything major, but anything we did adjust – like looseness on power-down at corner exits – we all shared the same opinion. We word it slightly different from driver to driver, but it wasn't like one guy was saying the car was loose off the corner and another one was complaining about chronic mid-corner understeer! When we improved the car, it improved for all of us.

The way it worked out, the shift orders went Sylvain-Nick-David-me, and we each pretty much double-stinted our opening runs. One stint works out as about an hour, which equated to around 30-31 laps; that's how long a tank of gas lasts at racing speeds. However, a lot of the single stints can turn into stints-and-a-half because of full-course cautions. So, it was a long night. Actually, the 3:30 p.m. start time makes it a little bit rough on the guy that's fourth in the lineup: I was there throughout Saturday, but the first time I got in the car was about 8 p.m. It's like the endurance part of the race starts way before the driving! But who's complaining? The flip side of the deal is that I was in for the final stint on Sunday, so I was the man who drove past the checkers. Very cool.

In qualifying we were third fastest, but Sylvain was running alone so he couldn't get a draft. Gotta say, it was a very impressive lap in those circumstances. Our race pace was equally impressive but some of our rivals did pick up the pace. Everyone seemed to be pushing very hard for as long as they could. Fortunately for us, the No. 70 Mazda RX-8 was just as fast at the end of a race as it was at the beginning.

I think Grand-Am has done a good job of equalizing the performance between cars: They are dealing with different weights, horsepower, torque, tire sizes and aerodynamics, but amazingly enough all the cars are very competitive with one another. It makes for some very exciting racing because some cars are better on certain parts of the track than others, but ultimately doing the same lap time. That's all new to me, coming from formula cars that are as identical as it gets.

The rotary engines in the RX-8s can do anywhere between 75 and 100 hours – they're just amazing – so from that standpoint, we were completely confident in driving hard. The game plan was to go as fast as you can within your means. In other words, be as fast as you can while being perfect and not taking risks. So don't pound curbs, don't drop wheels off onto the dirt, don't over-rev. If you can do that while turning 1min50sec laps, great. If you can only do it while producing 1m52sec, that's fine, too.

Obviously, the Daytona Prototypes are going about eight or nine seconds a lap faster than that, so while they're keeping their concentration as they're lapping us, believe me, we're having to concentrate just as hard to judge everything just right when they're coming past! I would far rather be the car passing than getting passed because you have so much more control of the situation. There were 28 cars in the GT field, but 14 cars in DPs, so the mental focus in watching your mirrors while still trying to race who you're supposed to be racing in GT is quite a challenge. You're trying to get the DP to pass at the best time for you so you can try to control the risk, but you have to remember they're in a race, too, so you don't want to hold them up for too long. It's an overwhelming amount of information you're soaking up every lap. Journalists sometimes ask new GT drivers if it's frustrating to have to let prototypes past when you're getting your teeth into hunting down one of your own rivals. My answer is yes…but you have to remind yourself that later on that lap, or the next, that DP is going to be doing the same to the guy you're chasing, so you can get that time back. However, I've got to admit, it takes some mental discipline to not start over-driving if you've lost time because a DP's stolen your line on a corner. As a team, we constantly told ourselves that if we spin, or have a minor excursion or get muscled out the way by a DP, accept that lap time has gone, and you're not going to be able to get it back. That's tough to accept but if you don't follow that mindset and try to recover the time, you're going to be taking way too much risk.

In actuality, there were some close calls for us but nothing that led to contact or going off the track. From that point of view, the race was as straightforward as you can expect when 42 cars set off to go racing for 24 hours.

Like I say, my first stint started at about 8 p.m., when it's dark, but floodlighting is pretty good around Daytona. There are some dark spots where it's hard to see the edge of the track, but it's never like driving with just your headlights. I'd say the only difficult part of the night stints is figuring the closing rate of the cars behind you. You can't see who it is – all you see is lights – and you're not sure if they're particularly bright and quite a way back, or not so good but real close behind. So if it's a prototype, it's hard to guess when you're going to get passed by it.

Then, toward the end of the race, there's a new challenge. The track is actually still fast but only on the racing line. What's getting harder and harder as the race goes on is running off line. By the end of 24 hours, there's a ton of rubber marbles around, so letting a DP car through, or trying to pass a GT car gets more difficult because it leads you onto treacherous bits of track.

What I didn't have to deal with was a wet track. The first three hours were wet, and Sylvain double-stinted, and then for about half of Nick's double stint, it was wet, too. By the time I got in, it was dry but it wouldn't have bothered me either way. In our pre-race meeting, after seeing the radar and realizing the rain would only last a few hours, we just said: “OK, we have an amazing car, we know exactly what it is in the dry, so let's just get through the wet period safely, no heroics, and then go after them.”

My hat's off to the team and the drivers: we had a good plan that seemed to take account of everything. Fortunately for me, SpeedSource has won this race before, and we have some amazing people like Bill Riley to help with the strategy. We never had a penalty in pit stops; every maneuver in there went smooth at every changeover, so everybody stuck to the plan. Basically, we knew that if we kept the car on the asphalt, we'd be contenders at the end, and that is a very reassuring feeling to have.

You need that reassurance when you're sharing a car. Sitting on the sidelines – man, it's hard not to get nervous! But we trust each other to go fast without overstepping the mark so we can go back to the motor home to relax and sleep when someone else is driving. I just had faith that, no matter what, that car would still be in one piece when it was time for me to walk back to the pit lane and start my next stint. That, too, is very comforting.

Having said that, it didn't help with my sleep. Apart from one hour of shut-eye after my first stint, I found it near impossible to rest. I had my iPhone with the live timing, and a radio, too, and then there's the noise of the cars going around the track…It's really hard to switch off from all that and just sleep.

But now, I guess sleep is overrated: We won! The keys to victory were that we were on the pace, we spent less time in the pits than anyone else, we incurred no penalties, we had a good strategy, and the one or two hiccups that caused us to lose a few laps early on (we had a vibration that needed investigating) were remedied as fast as humanly possible. We stayed really focused and just started getting those laps back.

I'm very happy to say that the SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 will be my home for the rest of the year: I'm giving 110 percent of myself for the team, for Mazda and for Castrol Syntec. Being able to say I drive in the “factory” Mazda RX-8 is an unbelievable feeling for me. The GT championship is the goal for Sylvain and I; for Mazda, the manufacturers' championship is a huge deal, and I have no doubt that we'll be extremely competitive. The track schedule is similar to last year, there haven't been a lot of rule changes and the new car is improved, so our chances of winning more races and going for the title are as good as anyone's in the paddock.

I don't think we get another Rolex if we win the title, but myself, SpeedSource, Sylvain and Mazda will just concentrate on the results for now…

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT SIGNS IZOD AND HUNTER-REAY; ROLLS OUT INITIAL PLANS FOR HUNTER-REAY'S 2010 IZOD INDYCAR SERIES SEASON

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Jan. 4, 2010) - Andretti Autosport has signed Phillips-Van Heusen (NYSE: PVH) and its IZOD brand to team with driver Ryan Hunter-Reay during the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season and outlined the first phase of Hunter-Reay's program.

The initial focus of Hunter-Reay's effort in the #37 IZOD entry will be the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and will also include a number of other key series events before and after the month of May. The total number and location of those races has not yet been finalized.

The second phase of Hunter-Reay's Andretti Autosport program is targeted at running the full IZOD IndyCar Series schedule and is still in development.

Today's announcement deepens the relationship between IZOD and Hunter-Reay, which dates back to the 2008 season and Hunter-Reay's first IZOD IndyCar Series victory at Watkins Glen International. Hunter-Reay was named 2008 Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year, and claimed 2007 IZOD IndyCar Series rookie of the year honors despite joining the series only mid-season.

In 2003, Hunter-Reay became the first American rookie in 20 years to win an Indy car race when he took the checkers at Surfers Paradise, Australia. He later set the record for most laps led (250) in a single race when he lapped all but the second- and third-place cars at the historic Milwaukee Mile in 2004. He has also competed regularly in the Rolex Sports Car Series at the annual Rolex 24 at Daytona and also in the American LeMans Series, Baja 1000 and A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.

ALLEN SIRKIN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, PHILLIPS-VAN HEUSEN:
"Our involvement with Ryan Hunter-Reay began in the 2008 season with a memorable win at Watkins Glen International, and he's continued to develop into one of the league's top young drivers. Our new partnership with Andretti Autosport gives the #37 IZOD car the best possible chance of winning the 2010 Indianapolis 500. Since becoming the title sponsor of the IZOD IndyCar Series, we're thrilled at the level of excitement that has been built for 2010. An incredible schedule of races, a talented roster of championship drivers and a number of dedicated teams all vying for greatness will make for a thrilling season of IZOD IndyCar Series racing."

MICHAEL ANDRETTI, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT:
"We are excited about what we've put together with PVH and Ryan, and believe we can grow this program substantially over the next several months. We felt it was important to announce what we know and what we've secured, which is a great partnership under the IZOD brand name and a program that we feel will give Ryan an excellent shot of winning at Indianapolis. How far we take him into 2010 is still in the works, but we feel good about the potential that we will add Ryan to our driver lineup for the full season."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY, DRIVER, #37 IZOD CAR:
"Joining a team of Andretti Autosport's caliber has been my goal for the entire 16 years of my racing career and being able to strengthen my ties to everyone at IZOD through this effort is tremendous. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I am ready to give 120 percent to the program.
"I have never met a group of people who are more determined to win races, and especially the Indianapolis 500, than the people I am working with at Andretti Autosport. When the folks around you share the same enthusiasm and determination you do the prospect for success is high, which is why, Andretti Autosport is one of the winningest teams in IZOD IndyCar Series history.
"Michael Andretti is as hungry to win races today as he has ever been and it is an honor and a privilege to drive for the same person I looked up to as a young karter.
"Through its entitlement of the IZOD IndyCar Series, IZOD has positioned itself as the biggest supporter of our sport. To personally have IZOD's endorsement as a driver is truly an honor."

- END -

About IZOD and Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
IZOD, one of the best-known and best-selling apparel brands in the United States, is known for its sport-inspired, clean designs and colorful product lines. With a history in the United States dating back to the 1930s, the IZOD brand is licensed to 21 companies in the U.S. and 17 other countries. IZOD brand products include apparel and accessories for men, women, and children, soft home goods and men's fragrance. The IZOD brand offerings include products sold under the IZOD PerformX (technical and performance fabricated sportswear), IZOD Jeans, and IZOD LX (a luxury sportswear collection sold exclusively at Macy's) sub brands, which are sold in over 6,000 retail venues worldwide, including department, specialty and company-operated stores. For more information visit www.izod.com <http://www.izod.com/> .

Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation is one of the world's largest apparel companies. It owns and markets the Calvin Klein brand worldwide. It is the world's largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, IZOD, ARROW, Bass, and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, unlisted, A Kenneth Cole Production, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, and Timberland.

About Andretti Autosport
Based in Indianapolis, Ind., Andretti Autosport is led by racing legend Michael Andretti. Andretti Autosport, which is the winningest team in Indy Racing League history, fields multiple entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series and also campaigns multiple cars in Firestone Indy Lights in a joint venture with AFS Racing. Andretti Autosport boasts three IZOD IndyCar Series championships (2004, 2005 and 2007), two Firestone Indy Lights titles (2008 and 2009) and has won the Indianapolis 500 twice (2005 and 2007). For more information, please visit www.andrettiautosport.com

RHR Wraps the 2009 Season at the Homestead-Miami Indy 300

HOMESTEAD, FL Oct. 10, 2009—Ryan Hunter-Reay closed out the 2009 season in the No. 14 ABC Supply car with a 13th place finish in the Homestead-Miami Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday evening. Hunter-Reay finished 15th in the Series point standings while the ABC Supply team finished 16th in the final tally for the team owners.

Dario Franchitti used fuel strategy to win the race and the IndyCar Series title; it was his second career championship, with his first coming in 2007 with Andretti-Green Racing. Scott Dixon, his teammate and 2008 Series champion, finished third. However, Dixon edged out race runner-up Ryan Briscoe by one point to finish second in the Series point standings, giving the Target team a one-two sweep. Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves rounded out the top five in the race.

On Friday, Hunter-Reay qualified 21st for the race; he had lost valuable track time in the first practice session when debris knocked a hole in the No. 14’s radiator. The team repaired the car but with the limited practice, they didn’t find the right combination in time for qualifying.

In the race, Hunter-Reay gained a couple spots in the beginning but as the stint went on and the tires wore, he radioed in that he was getting a push exiting turn four. He held his 19th place position until the first stop and the crew made adjustments with front wings and air pressures. His lap times improved, but towards the end of the stint, he slowed as the car’s handling went away; the team pitted him a couple laps early to make more adjustments. They got the car to his liking in the final two stints which is when he ran his quickest laps of the race.

“We made some changes during the race and found the sweet spot on the last stint,” said Hunter-Reay afterwards. “I wish we could have started out that way. The ABC Supply guys did a great job for me—we had solid stops. The track conditions were pretty tough out there so I’m glad we’re rolling it back in the truck.”

The race was the first in Series’ history to run caution-free which made it tough for the drivers in the 100 degree heat. No cautions meant no time to relax as it was ‘pedal to the metal’ for the entire race, which, with an average speed of 201.420 mph, was the second fastest race in IndyCar Series history. Only the 2003 race at California Speedway’s two-mile oval had a faster average speed -- 207 mph. That 400-mile race was slowed by only one caution period for six laps.

Hunter-Reay, who ran the Grand Am sports car race earlier in the afternoon where he’d run as high as second, became the first driver to run both the road course and the oval tracks in the same day. Despite the sweltering conditions, when asked how he felt after the IndyCar race, he replied, “Fresh as a daisy! I feel good right now.”

The 2010 season will kick off in Brazil on Sunday, March 14th at a venue still to be determined.

Hunter-Reay Makes History Running Double-Header at Homestead

Who: Full-time IndyCar driver and Ft. Lauderdale native, Ryan Hunter-Reay will compete in both feature races today at the Homestead Miami Speedway.
No driver has ever competed on the Homestead Miami Speedway Road Course and Oval track on the same day!

What: The Grand Am of Miami Sports Car race will take the green flag today, Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 1:00 pm ET. The Firestone Indy 300 will take the green flag today at 4:00 pm. This is the final event of the season for both pro series.

The Cars: Ryan will drive the #95 Supercar Life Racing/BMW/Riley alongside full-time drivers Cristoph Bouchut and Scott Tucker. This car is a Daytona Prototype that regularly competes in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series, owned by NASCAR. He'll finish up his season in IndyCar, driving the #14 ABC Supply Co. Indy Car for AJ Foyt Racing.

Where He'll Start: Hunter-Reay qualified the #95 Supercar Life Racing BMW yesterday, securing the 5th place starting position for the 2 hour and 30 minute race.

Race Winner: While he's never competed in these cars together, on the same day...Hunter-Reay is very familiar with the characteristic of both cars and their style of racing. He won the last Grand Am sprint race he participated in while driving for Riley-Mathews in 2007. Bill Riley is engineering the Supercar Life this weekend, so RHR will be familiar with the team's approach to the race. He finished seventh here last year while competing for the Rahal/Letterman IndyCar Team.

Endurance: Today's double-header is expected to be especially challenging because of the extreme weather. We are expecting our third-straight day of record setting heat at the Speedway today. The Grand Am car has a closed cockpit with temperatures inside the car expected to be 120+. Hunter-Reay will wear a cool suit, which a fire-proof t-shirt that has veins over the front and back which cold water runs through. These suits certainly make a difference but in conditions like this, the difference is small.

Fortunately, Hunter-Reay is a Miami area native and used to the humidity. He trains in this weather everyday. The temperature today is expected to be 94 degrees with the humidex taking the temperature to a grueling 105 degrees!

Ryan's Comments: I am so excited for this challenge today. It is two very different disciplines of racing. The Grand Am cars on the road course are a lot of fun. It's going to be really tough in there in the heat of the day, racing in that car, but we have a fast, fast car and a great shot at the win. The IndyCar will be a bit cooler, obviously with the open cockpit and the race running later in the day. However, the IndyCar races at Homestead are notorious for the fast pace and pack racing which takes the ultimate focus. I'd just really like to say thank you to Scott Tucker and Supercar Life Racing for offering me this opportunity. They are a very talented group and it would be incredible to win that race with them today. I think we can do it. Also, thanks to my full-time boss, AJ Foyt. I appreciate him letting me do this. He's a Racer and he knows what its like to have this desire. I am looking forward to a solid race there to finish up the 2009 IndyCar Season with the ABC Supply Co. /Foyt Racing team. Racing with them has been an incredible experience, they are a great group and I am thankful for that opportunity! I am glad we were able to get a top-five with them this season, hopefully we can go for another today."

Published 13.10.2009 at 09:01

Markus Niemelä received the Gilles Villeneuve Award

2008 Atlantic Champion Markus Niemelä crossed the finish line third in the last event of the Cooper Tires presents the Atlantic series Powered by Mazda season. 3rd place is the second podium for Jensen Motorsport Team in the Atlantic Series. Niemelä, who started fourth, was later penalized two positions due to an incident with Simona De Silvestro in the first lap.

Markus Niemelä: "Simona tried to pass me in the first lap going into Corkscrew chicane, we went side by side through the first part of the corner and I ran off the track in the exit. When I came back on track our cars touched and she hit the wall. This is very unfortunate as Simona was fighting for the title and my apologies for her and the Stargate team. Nevertheless I will not take the whole blame of the incident. We were both driving aggressively and this time it just didn't pay off and this is part of racing."

In the Price Giving Banquet Niemelä received a significant American motorsports award -The Gilles Villeneuve Award, named after the legendary Canadian Formula One star and 1976 Toyota Atlantic Champion, is traditionally awarded to the driver in the series who posses extraordinary ability, star quality and who has distinguished himself through sportsmanship, dedication and perseverance in the face of disappointment.

John Edwards was crowned as the 2009 Atlantic Champion ahead of Jonathan Summerton and Simona De Silvestro. Niemelä dropped down from 5th to 6th in overall points due to time penalty that followed the incident with De Silvestro in the opening lap of the last race.

Ryan Hunter-Reay: ABC Supply No. 14 Dallara/Honda/Firestone

• Ryan Hunter-Reay on Chicagoland: “I enjoy racing at Chicagoland; it makes for some great racing as the fans will tell you. The key for us is to go back there with a car that’s similar to the one we had at Kentucky and make a good race car out of it. I think the most interesting part of this weekend will be to see what teams are doing with the 300 lbs. of available downforce. At Kentucky there were quite a few different approaches and ours was somewhere in the middle. As far as the track goes, I’ve heard there are some new bumps. Chicagoland races like a big track whereas Kentucky races a little bit smaller. I think it’s because Chicagoland has more banking, but I’m not sure. I just know that some 1.5s feel like they’re a mile long and others feel like they’re 2 miles long.”

• RHR on racing at night: “I think it’s great for the fans. On the track, it’s the same for the drivers--night or day--but for the fans, everything looks a lot faster at night. There is one challenge associated with racing at night, though. On the in and out laps, it’s hard coming off the oval at 200 mph onto the access road which isn’t really lit up very well. You have to be very fast around the access road coming into pit lane and when you come off a very well lit oval onto a darker area that is flat with no banking, it is definitely difficult. One advantage to racing at night is that the track changes less because you don’t have as much of a temperature fluctuation.”

• Vitor Meira to be at Chicagoland: Meira, who hasn’t missed a race in the States since his first one back at Watkins Glen, will be at Chicagoland this weekend. Although he isn’t driving, Meira works as a teammate to Hunter-Reay; they discuss the track, car set-up and race strategy with team owner A.J. Foyt and chief engineer Adam Schaechter.

• ABC Supply roofing customer Vande Roofing, Siding & Construction of Roscoe, IL won the ‘Your Name Here’ contest for the PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300. The company name will be atop the sidepods of the No. 14 ABC Supply Dallara/Honda. Keith Vandewoestyner will receive selected merchandise, race tickets, hospitality and garage passes, plus a Meet and Greet with Ryan Hunter-Reay. The “Your Name Here” promotion selected winners by random drawing from a pool of entries sent in by ABC Supply customers earlier this year.

• IZOD spokesman Ryan Hunter-Reay will be appearing at the Macy’s department store located at 111 North State Street; Chicago, IL 60602 on Thursday, August 27 from 5:00 - 7 p.m.

• On Sunday morning A.J. Foyt will fly to Indianapolis along with some of his crew to watch their first Red Bull Indianapolis GP motorcycle race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Foyt had planned to go last year but Hurricane Ike hit Houston hard and he cancelled his plans to attend. It appears that weather won’t be a factor in this year’s race on Sunday.

• Past performance at Chicagoland Speedway: Hunter-Reay finished ninth last year after starting 16th. In his first appearance at the track in 2008 he started 12th and finished seventh. The Foyt team’s best finish came in 2001 when Donnie Beechler finished fifth and A.J. Foyt IV posted the team’s best start in 2004 which was sixth.

• The PEAK Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy 300 will be shown live at 9:00 p.m. ET Saturday night, Aug. 29 on VERSUS.

07-26-2009
Ende and Pumpelly Bring Home 4th Place in Alabama!

TRG's KONI Sports Car Challenge cars finished fourth and seventh in the Grand-Am support race at Barber Motorsports Park. Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly led the TRG charge with a fourth place finish.The 2.3-mile, 16-turn rolling road course located just east of Birmingham produced no cautions the entire two-hour-and-thirty-minute race.

Duncan Ende started the No. 39 DigiTrust Group/Adam's Polishes/Racer's Roast Coffee/ TRG Porsche 997 from his seventh place qualifying position, the best for a Porsche. Surrounded by big V-8 iron at the start Ende drove up to fourth place at the exchange with Pumpelly. Pumpelly was able to make it to the finish on the tank fuel for his stint securing a strong fourth place on the day.

"I had a pretty good start," Ende said. "We were the highest qualifying Porsche by a long way, which meant everyone around us had a lot more horsepower. The start was satisfying. I managed to get by a couple of the BMWs and was chasing the top three guys. The car went a little funky on me towards the end of my stint and I lost a little bit of ground. We were the best of the rest today, the first car without a big V-8 under the hood. It was a good points day."

"We had a really good car at the end," Pumpelly said. "I am not sure if the lap times reflected it, I was able to run down anyone in front of me and pass them. This was a really good job by the TRG guys. The car was great and the pit stop was flawless. The team is really hooked-up and all of the mechanics and strategist were really on this weekend." Kevin Buckler, TRG team owner, was hoping for a win today, but had no help from the officials. "We had 20 cars in the field and no ST cars," Buckler said.

"With a small field everyone tends to get spread out around the track and there is no incidents to cause cautions. Without that it is tough for our little Porsches to make up track position against the big V-8s. Duncan did a fantastic job in qualifying and was able to improve his position with a solid opening stint. Spencer just couldn't move up when everyone was spread out. We had a good day with both cars finishing in the top seven."

The KONI Challenge Sports Car Series will travel to Circuit Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Canada for round nine to be run on August 16.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

It was the best finish in three Indy 500 appearances for Townsend Bell, 34, a Santa Monica driver who was hired to compete in this year's race by the team KV Racing Technology.

"I had a blast out there," said Bell, who started 24th, moved up to 12th, fell back after a mishap during his first pit stop and then steadily climbed through the field again at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to finish fourth.

"We were smart when we had to be, aggressive when we needed to be," he said.

A highlight of his day was dueling with Paul Tracy, another veteran hired to drive a separate KV Racing car for the 500.

"We went through one side-by-side [lap] where I didn't lift [off the accelerator], he didn't lift," Bell said. "I know we're teammates, but we've become such good friends the last year or so that it's like playing a video game with your buddy. You're like, 'No way am I going to give up.' "

Asked whether Sunday's showing might lead to a full-time Indy Car Series ride, Bell replied, "We'll see. I've been doing it long enough to not plan or feel like I deserve anything. You just work hard and hope that things turn out."

Townsend Bell Enters The Top 10

Mario Moraes, who earned the seventh starting position in the No. 5 KV Racing Technology-Votorantim entry, led all drivers with a best lap of 222.739 mph (40.4061 seconds). Team Penske teammate and front-row starters Ryan Briscoe (222.406) and Helio Castroneves (222.395) followed, while reigning race champion Scott Dixon (222.374) was fourth and Tony Kanaan (221.890) fifth.

"The car is really good in qualifying setup and now it's very good in race setup," said Moraes, 20, who will be competing in his second 500-Mile Race. "As a team, everyone is working on one thing together. Townsend Bell is doing a great job and was in the top 10 at the end of the week, we're going to put everything together and get one solid race car for everyone."

Bell, one of the three second-week entries, had a quick lap of 220.938 mph (40.7355 seconds) in the No. 8 Herbalife car - good for 10th overall. The third KV Racing Technology car, driven by Paul Tracy, qualified 13th.

RYAN HUNTER-REAY USES CUSTOM DESIGNED INDY 500 PROGRAM

Ryan has commenced using a training program specifically designed by Performance Physixx director Simon Hayes for his Indianapolis 500 preparation. The way the circuit is set up is to balance muscle groups that support the shoulder girdle that come under significant g loads. During high force oval racing the muscles of the Rotator Cuff (shoulder stabilizers) need to be both strong and balanced as a group. The balance ratios between the individual muscles is important to a driver's overall conditioning as this can have a direct affect on driving. When these muscles don't support the spine and shoulder complex effectively other muscles come into play creating muscle fatigue in crucial areas.

The neck muscles are placed under extreme g loads in cornering, thus we use specific drills to place tension in those muscles over time varying both the intensity of tension and direction of applied forces. Specific driving exercises with resistance is also carried out to train proprioceptive movement patterns and the central nervous system. Muscle endurance and aerobic conditioning are emphasized due to the length of the race, the body has to cover a distance of 500 miles (800 km), or 200 laps.

Townsend Bell Interview

Townsend Bell frequently glanced at the Timing & Scoring monitor during an interview relating to the announcement that he'll drive the No. 8 Herbalife/KV Racing Technology car beginning the second week of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

The IndyCar Series veteran had to keep an eye on track activity - especially who was atop the speed chart on the initial day of all-car practice.

"This is a race that I can't miss; I have to be here, which makes it really exciting," said Bell, who made his Indianapolis 500 debut in 2006 with Vision Racing.

Bell, 34, who finished 10th in the 500-Mile Race last year with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, will join Mario Moraes and Paul Tracy in a three-car effort. He was KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser's teammate in 2001 with Patrick Racing in CART, and "now I have the honor of racing for him." Bell also was the 2001 Indy Lights champion.

"If you look at the progression KV made last year coming in as a new team, post-Speedway their oval program really started to improve and it has carried through this year," said Bell, who has made 19 IndyCar Series starts. "I've been watching that. To me, it's just an incredible opportunity to come in and have no concerns about the competitiveness of the program and the quality of the equipment and people, and put what I know and what I've learned and put that to good use.
"I'm looking forward to having a fast race car and making the most of it."

Townsend has been increasing his training with Performance Physixx with a specially designed training regime, and has also been out on the Karting track in preparation for the 500.

TRG's Ende and Pumpelly Win KONI Sports Car Challenge Race at New Jersey Motorsports Park

May 2 , 2009
Millville, New Jersey: TRG's Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly won today's running of the Garden State 250 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge Series GS race at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

In the No. 39 DigiTrust Group/Adam's Polishes/Racer's Roast Coffee/TRG Porsche 997 Duncan Ende started the weekend off right by putting the 997 on the front row in qualifying. In the race Ende turned fast and consistent laps to keep the Porsche upfront, handing the car over to Pumpelly in prime position. The keys to the race win was Ende's qualifying position and early race pace, the strategy call by team owner Kevin Buckler to refuel early and take left side only tires. Pumpelly sealed the deal by driving flawlessly and passing the No. 91 for the lead and taking the victory.

"I had a really good stint," Ende said. "I was able to get a good start, even though I was on lined up on the outside. I was able to avoid any type of carnage in the first couple of corners. I was running second pretty comfortably the first ten minutes or so. Then I got boxed by some ST traffic coming on the straight-away and then I lost a few spots. I settled in after that and ran consistent laps. I was able to maintain a gap and gave it to Spencer who ran a great race to bring it home in first place."

"We originally thought that the 91 was going to have to pit for gas," Pumpelly said. "Then Kevin came on the radio and said maybe they won't. I then had to get a little more aggressive, I was able to get a run on him and get by. TRG did an awesome job the last pit stop. It was super fast, we got on and off pit road the best we have all season. I think that was more than the four second gap than we won with, I really have to hand it to them. Duncan did a great first stint and they helped with those four seconds as well."

The race was the opposite for John Potter and Andy Lally in the No. 41 Magnus Racing/TRG Porsche 997. Potter started the race and handed over to Lally on lap 24. Lally proceeded to run in tandem with Pumpelly until lap 45 when the Porsche lost power, ending the day for the duo.

"We took a big points hit today," Lally said. "I was just cruising along following Spencer to the front when it just let go. No real warning, it just quit. That is a tough way to go when we have had two good races and almost won at Homestead in the last race. We will pick ourselves up and be ready to race tomorrow in the GT event."

Kevin Buckler, TRG team owner, had a near perfect race with the No. 39.

"That was a great race," Buckler said. "Duncan did an excellent job to set the tone for the team in qualifying yesterday by having us start on the front row. He did a great job at the beginning and then Spencer brought it home. We made the right calls in the pits, our pit stops were really good and the win is a great reward for this team. This was a long time coming and well deserved. John Potter was also a superstar today with his stellar first stint. I am sorry for John and Andy, but those guys will come back stronger than ever."
The KONI Challenge Sports Car Challenge Series race from New Jersey Motorsports Park will be televised on the SPEED Channel, tape delayed, on May 9 at 12:00 p.m.

TRG was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing ever since. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 27, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 (three) at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. TRG's young KONI Sports Car Challenge Series team has logged three wins and recorded eight podium finishes in their first three seasons of competition.

TRG is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance racing parts. The group specializes in engine and chassis tuning as well as full service professional race car preparation. The company also provides electrical and mechanical engineering services, driver development and arrive-and-drive opportunities. TRG is based in Petaluma, Calif., near its home track of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. The company's NASCAR operation is based in Mooresville, North Carolina with a new state-of-the-art facility coming on-line at New Jersey Motorsports Park in late 2009.
For more information contact please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com. Detailed team info can be viewed at www.theracersgroup.com and www.trgmotorsports.com

Michael Guasch Continues Winning Ways at Virginia International Raceway
Master Class Competitor Moves Into Top-Ten With Another Solid Outing

April 27, 2009
Danville, Virginia

In a race marred by multiple incidents and caution flag periods, Michael Guasch, of Walnut Creek, California, maneuvered through the trouble to record his second consecutive Master Class victory in Round Two of the Star Mazda Championship presented Goodyear at Virginia International Raceway as
part of the Bosch Engineering 250 race weekend.

Driving the #91 Molecule Labs JDC Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda, Guasch would out-qualify and outrace all fellow Master and Expert Class competitors, recording a fourteenth place finish and move into a tie for tenth place in the overall championship.

“I’m a little disappointed with the number of caution periods we had during the race but I’m excited to be climbing back on the podium again,” Guasch explained afterwards. “JDC Motorsports, my engineer Rick Cameron, and my mechanic Rafael Navarro gave me a great car right from the start of the weekend and I’ve been improving behind the wheel as well. I was able to qualify within one-tenth of a second of the previous track record set in 2007 and was within two seconds of some extremely talented young drivers that are running in this series.”

Starting sixteenth in the field of twenty-eight Guasch would lose several spots on the opening lap as trouble between several cars ahead of him slowed his progress, but he would recover and regain spots on each subsequent restart. “The restarts were challenging as everyone was bunched together and the cars behind were getting a strong tow as we headed towards the first turn,” Guasch explained. “It was a definite challenge to focus on moving up while at the same time protecting your position and your car to avoid contact that might end your race early.”

Joining Guasch on the podium were race winner Peter Dempsey along with fellow JDC Motorsports teammates Alex Ardoin and Joel Miller and fellow West Coast and Molecule Formula Mazda Challenge competitor Patrick O’Neill.

Guasch now shifts his attention towards Miller Motorsports Park, just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, for Round Three of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on May 14-16.

MATHIASEN AND BOMARITO RE-SET FOR 2009 ATLANTIC CHASE

For immediate release: Encino, California March 2, 2009 Last season's dominant Team-Driver combination has once again teamed up to chase the 2009 Cooper Tires presents the Formula Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda.

American Jonathan Bomarito once again joins forces with last season's Team Owners of the Year, Ray and Leslie Mathiasen and the Mathiasen Motorsports team that took Bomarito to a series high for race wins, poles and laps led on their way to a close runner up position in the 2008 Atlantic Championship.

The team returns with the full squad intact from last year and race engineer/technical director Alain Clarinval looks forward to getting off to a fast start in the series testing at Palm Beach and Sebring in preparation for the season opener March 20, 2009 at Sebring, Florida during the 12 Hours of Sebring weekend of racing. "This is a fantastic chance for us to go back with our well oiled machine of a team and an outstandingly talented driver that we know how to support and provide for him to be the very best.

It's like wearing old shoes that are so comfortable but that got polished to a mirror and with new laces to tighten them well," said Clarinval. Stated team owners Ray and Leslie Mathiasen, "We are extremely grateful to Jonathan that he has agreed to return and drive for us once again in 2009.

The team we have assembled for the most part will be identical to the one that came so close to winning the Atlantic Championship in 2008 and now also includes a full time data support engineer to assist Alain Clarinval. We definitely have some unfinished business to take care of and with the added incentive of a substantial improvement in the prize fund structure provided by the Atlantic series, everyone on the team is totally committed to achieving our mission of winning the 2009 Atlantic Championship. It's been a long off season and we can hardly wait for the first race of the season in Sebring this month. This is a great series and we are proud to once again be part of it."

Bomarito shared their enthusiasm for the upcoming season. "I am really looking forward to being back with Mathiasen Motorsports. To say we have some unfinished business is an understatement.

I want to thank Ray and Leslie Mathiasen for giving me another opportunity to keep racing and further my career in Motorsports."

01-28-2009

8th and 14th Place Finishes in Koni Challenge and the Rolex 24 Hours Usher in a Strong 2009 Season

It feels like a month ago that I left Los Angeles for Daytona, but I am finally back home after a very, very long week. The Rolex 24 Hours proved to be a dream weekend for TRG and Porsche, the team taking first and second in the GT class with the 67 and 66 cars and Porsche also capturing thrid place in GT, not to mention the overall victory in a Brumos Daytona Prototype in the closest finish in the history of the race! Unfortunately, our 68 car could not rise to that level in the race, but we all honestly knew we were not out there racing for the win and we are all proud of making it twice around the clock to finish 14th in GT. My codrivers, Steve Miller, Chris Pallis, Josemanuel Gutierrez, and Scott Schroeder all did a great job and together we survived a race that saw so many fall by the wayside. We lost some significant time in the garage making repairs during the night, but the crew did a stellar job and got us back out there on track. It really is due to our fantastic crew that we managed to bring home the result we did.The weekend was even better for me in Koni Challenge. Our 8th place finish in the Fresh From Florida 200 on Friday afternoon could have been a bit higher with some different luck, but after leaving Daytona with zero points after an engine failure in 2008, I am immensely happy to start the 2009 season with a solid top 10 result. Spencer and I will be using this is as a good first building block to begin our championship assault on. I'm attaching the team's Koni Challenge post race press release for you below, so please enjoy and look forward to more updates soon!

CLIENT ADDITION: BILLY GOSHENFULL NAME: William J.Goshen

BORN: May 30th
1990

HOME: Brea, California

EDUCATION: Junior at Whittier
Christian High School

HOBBIES: Wakeboarding, Water Skiing,
Riding Quads, Snowboarding
RACING EXPERIENCE

2007 Formula TR Pro Series 2.0 Liter Champion - 7 Wins, 9
other podiums, 8 Poles

2006 Formula TR Pro Series 1.6-Liter Championship Runner-up

Four (4) Times IKF Regional Champion

2005 Stars of Karting National 3rd

2005 Stars of Karting, Western Division Runner-up

Three (3) times IKF Grand National Champion

2004 Shifter Karts USA (SKUSA) Mission Region Champion

Racing Go-Karts since 1997

BIOGRAPHY

Billy Goshen was born May 30, 1990 in Brea, California. He currently is a junior at Whittier Christian High School. Billy has a younger brother, who is also involved in racing, and two younger sisters. Billy’s grandfather, Bill Sr. and his father, Bill Jr. along with an uncle have all been involved in racing. Having been born into a family with two generations of racing it could be said that Billy was “born to race.” His father introduced him to go-kart racing in 1999 at nine years of age. From the very beginning, whenever he was at the track and not in his go-kart, Billy could be found trackside watching and studying the older drivers. When at home, rather than cartoons, Billy would be watching the speed channel. Whether it was Champ Car, the Indy Racing League, NASCAR or Formula One, he could name all of the top drivers and where they stood in points. There is no doubt, Billy Goshen has racing in his blood.

In his first year competing in go-karts, Billy had already begun winning races. In 2001, Billy won the Junior State Shifter Championship and the Apex Club Championship in all three of his classes. Looking for more competition and bigger challenges, Billy began competing in the International Karting Federation (IKF), Region 7. In 2002, Billy repeated his four Championships from 2001 and added the California State Championship in the 60cc shifter class. In the Super Karts USA (SKUSA) Super Nationals 60cc shifter class, Billy finished second out of 40 international participants. He was also beginning to make his mark in IKF, recording his first win and finishing third for the points championship in both the 60cc shifter class and the HPV 1 class.

In 2003, Billy stepped up to the 80cc shifter class, finishing 3rd in the SKUSA, Mission Region Championship and 4th in the IKF Region 7 Championship. In 2004, Billy recorded his first National Championship in the IKF Grand National Championship, 80cc Jr. Superstock CR Shifter Class.
He also won the SKUSA, Mission Region Championship in the 80cc Shifter Class and was runner up for the IKF, Region 7 Championship 80cc Jr. Shifter Class.

Billy’s first love in go-karting has always been shifter karts, which allowed him to showcase his driving talent and his ability to go fast. This became quite apparent in 2005 when Billy went undefeated in the IKF 80cc shifter class. Not only did he win the IKF, Region 7 Championship in the 80cc Shifter Class, he also won the IKF Region 7 Championship in the HPV 2 class.

Prior to 2005, Billy had not raced in the Stars of Karting series because of the travel commitment and the amount of school he would miss.
The second and third race of the year was held at Rocky Moran Kart Track in Beaumont, California. Always looking to compete against the best, Billy entered the two races for the weekend winning the Saturday race and finishing 4th in the Sunday race. With his strong showing, the decision was made to run the rest of the series. Billy won the next three races before blowing an engine in the second race in Canada while leading. In all, he won five of the eight races he entered and finished second in the Stars of Karting National final in Austin, Texas. By not having entered the first race of the year at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, he spotted the National and West Coast champions more than 140 points each and finished 3rd National and 2nd West Coast, losing the championship in each by less than 10 points. His success in Stars of Karting substantiated that Billy was one of the elite shifter kart drivers in North America.

In 2006, Billy graduated to racing an open wheel car on road courses by competing in the Formula TR Pro Series 1.6 liter class. He finished as the runner up for the Championship with 3 wins and 12 podiums out of the 18 races. In spite of concentrating on the Formula TR Pro Series, he still found time race go-karts on a limited basis. Billy made it a great finish to his go-kart career by winning the IKF, Region 7, HPV 4 Championship and an additional two IKF Grand National Championships in the 80cc Limited Shifter Class and the 80cc Senior Shifter Class. Billy’s karting career ended with 3 Grand National Championships, 5 Regional Championships, 9 State and Local Championships, over 80 wins and more podiums than can even be counted.

In 2007, Billy stepped up to the 2.0 liter class in the Formula TR Pro Series. With his 7 wins, 16 podiums, 8 poles and 12 fast laps, Billy captured the USA Formula TR Pro Series Championship, his first car racing Championship. With his desire and willingness to drive anytime and anywhere, Billy drove for Richie Hearn Motorsports in the Formula BMW race at the Grand Prix of San Jose. Without any testing or practice, Billy finished in the top 10 in both Saturday and Sunday’s race, his first time racing on a street course.
Wanting to gain experience in other forms of racing, Billy drove a Mazda RX 7 in the 25 hours of Thunderhill. To gain some oval experience, he also raced a late model on several occasions. In the last two months of 2007, Billy has again teamed up with Richie Hearn Motorsports to drive a Pro Formula Mazda in the West Coast Star Mazda Winter Series. Without any testing, in the first four races, he has 1 win and 2 thirds. Tommy Burns, a former F-1 driver, has had the opportunity to observe Billy at several of his Formula TR races and was quoted as saying “Billy Goshen has the talent to compete at the highest level of open wheel racing.”

Despite his highly competitive nature and strong desire to win, Billy always maintains his composure when driving, no matter what the situation. Before the start of a race, he outwardly appears very calm and collected. Billy likes to get behind the wheel early to collect his thoughts and envision what he needs to do in the race, putting himself in a zone to become one with his car. Even though he has had tremendous success in racing, he remains very humble. In the pits, Billy enjoys talking with the spectators about racing and explaining the intricacies of driving a race car and the handling characteristics. Although they are competitors, he maintains camaraderie with his fellow drivers. Because of his personality, Billy has always had a strong following and tremendous fan support.

When not racing and going to school, Billy has given time to those less fortunate by helping feed the homeless during the holidays. For the past 4 years, he has made an annual trip with his church to Mexico to help build homes in one of the poor areas. Billy attends church regularly and maintains a strong Christian faith. In his limited leisure time, Billy enjoys wakeboarding, waterskiing and snowboarding.

Ende and Pumpelly Ready for 2009 KONI Challenge Championship Run with TRG

December 18, 2008 - Petaluma, CA-Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly will be returning to the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge Series for the 2009 season. The duo will once again race the No. 39 TRG Carlsen Porsche/TheDigiTrust Group Porsche 997 GS entry.

The 11-race season will kick-off at Daytona International Speedway on January 23, with a three day test planned January 3-5. The '08 season was highlighted by the duo leading several laps as well as posting several fastest race laps resulting in second place finishes at Lime Rock and Miller Motorsports Park.

Ende is looking forward to the KONI season as well a lot more success with teammate Pumpelly.

"Our goal for the 2009 season is the same as it was for 2008, to compete at the front of the pack each weekend and win the championship," Ende said. "The number one thing we had to overcome last season was the lack of reliability we were dealing with. I think we've come a long way in that department. I think we just need to drive our race and get a little bit of luck. We finished second at Lime Rock last year despite being hit hard by another car and needing an extra pit stop to replace a bad wheel. In Utah we finished second again after I needed to stop before the drop of the green flag to replace a belt on the engine and then we worked our way up through a 60+ car field. We definitely would have had a shot at winning either of those races if things had gone a bit more smoothly. Spencer and I like our car setup pretty much the same way, which is a nice start. Besides that, Spencer is one of the quickest guys in the field, so I can just focus on keeping the car clean and in a respectable position throughout the opening stint."

Pumpelly shares Ende's thirst for wins and a shot at the KONI GS championship.

"We are going into the season with the thought of winning the GS title," Pumpelly said. "To do that we need to keep doing the things we did well in 2008 and we should be able to take some wins. A lot of things last year came down to bad racing luck and that is not something we can change, but if TRG remains as strong as the team was last year we should have more good chances. Duncan and I both bring a strong focus to the track and we both have the same championship goal.""Duncan and Spencer showed a lot speed in 2008," Kevin Buckler, TRG team owner said. "Duncan qualified and raced that car upfront consistently all season and really showed his true potential as a front running professional driver. They finished second twice and had top 10 finishes at Mosport, Watkins Glen and VIR. They also led a lot of laps. The TRG crew has had a very busy off season working on the Porsche 997s making many improvements on the speed, engine management, and reliability and handling fronts. We are running for a championship this year. We are looking forward to getting these guys in the winner's circle right off the bat at Daytona and being threat to win every weekend."

Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge 2009 Schedule
Daytona International Speedway January 2- 5- test
Daytona International Speedway January 22-23
Homestead Miami Speedway March 13-15
Thunderbolt Raceway May 1-2
Laguna Seca May 15-16
Lime Rock Park May 22-25
Watkins Glen June 4-5
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course June 19-21
Barber Motorsports Park July 17-18
Trois-Rivieres August 14- 6
Miller Motorsport Park September 18-20
Virginia International Raceway October 2-4

TRG was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing ever since. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 25, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. TRG's young KONI Challenge team has logged two wins and recorded seven podium finishes in their first two seasons of competition.

TRG is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance racing parts. The group specializes in engine and chassis tuning as well as full service professional race car preparation. The company also provides electrical and mechanical engineering services, driver development and arrive-and-drive opportunities. TRG is based in Petaluma, Calif., near its home track of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. The group also has race prep facilities in Charlotte and New Jersey.

More information and a complete press kit can be found at www.theracersgroup.com. Please contactpress@theracersgroup.com or 707-935-3999 for additional information.

2009 24 Hours of Daytona Testing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 1, 2009) - Teams from the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will get a head start on the 2009 season Jan. 3-5 with three days of testing at Daytona International Speedway.
Known as the "Roar before the Rolex 24," the session is the lone scheduled testing at the speedway prior to the 47th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Jan. 24-25. All three days of the session are open to the public for $10 admission, which includes access to the infield, Sprint FANZONE and garage. Saturday's session also includes fan forums, including drivers from GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Banner Racing and Hyper Sport.

Saturday's schedule opens with Rolex Series practice at 9 a.m., and includes night practice running through 8 p.m. Sunday's schedule runs from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., with Monday's activities running from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge will also test all three days in preparation for its Jan. 23 season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona.
Nearly 50 entries have been received for the test, which will feature 19 Daytona Prototypes and 29 GT entries.

TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will have a pair of Lexus-powered Rileys in preparation for a potential fourth consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, including the No. 01 of defending series champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas.

Five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Hurley Haywood is part of a two-car Brumos Racing entry, with Michael Shank Racing, Penske Racing and Krohn Racing also entering two cars. Other entries include 2007 co-champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, with three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson set to join them for the Rolex 24; 2005 Rolex 24 winners and series champions Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor; 1995 Rolex 24 winner Christophe Bouchot, for Level Five Motorsports; Childress-Howard Motorsports, making its Rolex 24 debut with three-time event winner Andy Wallace; and Spirit of Daytona Racing, featuring motorcycle champions Scott Russell, Jeff Ward and Jason Pridmore.

Several of the teams, including Ganassi, Penske and Shank, are also expected to announce their Rolex 24 driver lineups at the test.

TRG and Farnbacher Loles Racing both have five Porsche GT3s entered in the test to head the GT lineup. Defending Rolex 24 class winner SpeedSource will have a pair of Mazda RX-8s, while 2008 champions Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards share the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R with Jan Magnussen.

The GT entry also includes three Corvettes and a pair of Ferrari 430s.

CLIENT ADDITION: PHIL GIEBLER
Racing has been a major part of my life since I was ten.

I grew up in Ventura, California and my family and I spent most Friday or Saturday night’s at our local short track at the Ventura County Fairgrounds…it’s funny but you wouldn’t know if it was Indiana, Georgia, Upstate New York or Idaho once you walked though the gates, it’s small town America and my racing roots are no different than AJ Foyt’s, Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart’s or Jeff Gordon’s. On my tenth birthday my dad took me and a friend karting and I knew then and there how I wanted to do for the rest of my life that day.

My dad and I started going to every race we could and my love of motorsports grew and my dream became a near obsession.

When I was eleven, I got my first racing Go-Kart, which is where most successful racers start their careers these days, and within months I was winning regularly and became a US National Karting Champion by the time I was twelve years old. I earned two additional National Titles by the time I was 16. A year later, I was competing internationally as Factory Kart driver, representing the USA in several world championships. Highlighting my karting career was a First Place Finish in an International Race. This had not been accomplished by an American driver in more than 25 years. Two Time F1 World Champion, Fernando Alonso was a regular competitor in my in karting days and we beat each other on several occasions.

My karting successes awarded me the opportunity to move up into racing cars, by way of the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship, I won my first car race as a result. In 1999 I continued following my dream and moved to France. I had won a scholarship to be a part of a World Famous driver development program called Elf La Filiere, several top racers in F1 were part of the La Filiere program. I became the first and only American to win in the Elf La Filiere Championship in its 25 Year history. I won several races and finished second in the 99 Championship. I continued driving for ELF moving up to the 2000 French Formula 3 Championship, where I also won several races and finished second in that Championship.

Competing in this diverse, high-level European racing brought me success, and I received the Team USA Scholarship, given to America’s most talented driver. I ended up winning the Formula Palmer Audi Winter Championship in England, late in 2000, as a result of that scholarship.

In 2001 and 2002, I decided to accept every test day that was available and jumped at every opportunity I was given to drive. I tested and raced in England, Germany, Spain and Italy. I was able to demonstrate my natural driving ability by adapting to new tracks, new teams, and a variety of cars and I ended up finishing third in the 2002 Spanish F3 Championship.

In 2003, my hard work and perseverance paid off and I landed a ride in the Formula 3000 Series for a total of four races. It was an amazing experience to represent my country on what is considered the final step to F1, the Formula 3000 Championship, on the famous Monaco Grand Prix Circuit.

2004, saw me return to the United States to race the IRL’s Indy Pro Series…I won out of box at the Miami Homestead Gran Prix after starting in last place due to engine problems at the beginning of the race. It was my first major open wheel race in America and the very first time I’d ever driven on an oval.

The Indy Pro Series win and several other podium finished awarded me the opportunity to represent America in the A1GP World Series. I loved every minute of it. I became the first American in history to step onto the A1GP Podium with a second place finish in Zandvoort, Holland. I continued to compete for the team from 2005 to 2007, and remain the most successful American to ever compete in A1GP.

May, 2007, I made it…qualifying for my first Indianapolis 500 in dramatic fashion after a mechanical failure sent me hard into the wall during a qualifying attempt that would have soundly put me into the field…batter and bruised, I bumped my way into the final, 33rd qualifying spot within mere minutes of the final gun. I went on to become Rookie of the Year as the top finishing rookie last year.

After Indy, I decided to give something back to the sport that has brought me so much happiness and success, and I returned to karting. I began coaching and developing promising drivers, opening a karting shop and running a successful Karting Team.

But once you run a lap at nearly 220 MPH, inches from the wall…it’s hard to think about wanting to do anything else. Here I am fifteen years later and the dream and desire hasn’t changed a bit. I am out pounding the pavement, looking for my next ride, win and championship.

Phil Giebler

David Coulthard- Retirement
November 3rd, 2008 - Best of luck to DC in all his future endeavors both business and personal, and many thanks for allowing me the privilege of working with one of the best Formula 1 Drivers.

ATLANTIC RACING SERIES, LLC PURCHASED BY ATLANTA BUSINESSMAN BEN JOHNSTON

October 31, 2008 BROWNSBURG, Ind. (October 31, 2008) - On the heels of an outstanding, 35th anniversary season of the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, which wrapped up at Road Atlanta earlier this month, the series' future has been solidified as it was announced today that Atlanta-area businessman Ben Johnston has purchased Atlantic Racing Series, LLC from Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed. "It is very exciting to play a part in the future of such a historic racing series," Johnston said. "The Atlantic staff and teams are the best racing has to offer and we are honored to have the continued sponsorship of Cooper Tires and Mazda. It will be a fantastic season." Johnston, 53, also owns Alpharetta, Ga.-based Media Brokers, Inc., which specializes in media planning and buying. He is a long-time road racing enthusiast and owns eight regional titles in SCCA Atlantic competition. Johnston also made one start in the Atlantic Championship in 2005. "I am absolutely thrilled that Ben has stepped forward to ensure the Atlantic series' position as the longest-running open wheel driver development series in North America will continue well into the future under his ownership," said Atlantic Championship President Vicki O'Connor. "At the same time, I must thank Kevin Kalkhoven and Jerry Forsythe for their outstanding support and ownership of the series over the past several years, and for ensuring the series' operation in 2008.

Likewise, we are indebted to our wonderful partners in Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and Mazda North American Operations for their contributions to making the 2008 season a reality and we look forward to continuing those relationships well into the future as well. We literally couldn't have done it without them or the fantastic teams and drivers that made this one of the most competitive and memorable seasons in Atlantic history." The series will continue to operate out of its Brownsburg, Ind. headquarters under the leadership of O'Connor, who has helmed the Atlantic Championship since 1985. The series plans a schedule of 10 to 12 events for 2009, with an official schedule announcement expected shortly. Also expected in the near future is an announcement regarding television coverage for the 2009 season. Series partners Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and Mazda North American Operations applauded the sale to Johnston. Mazda just completed its third season as the series exclusive engine supplier and sponsor, while Cooper Tire wrapped up its second season as presenting sponsor and official tire.

"Cooper Tire is thrilled to have Ben on-board as the series owner," stated Chris Pantani, Director of Motorsports for Cooper Tire. "His vision for the series is a breath of fresh air, and Cooper Tire looks forward to working closely with Ben and the other series partners for a successful 2009 season." "The Atlantic Championship is the top rung of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder," added Robert Davis, Senior Vice President, Product Development and Quality, and the man responsible for Mazda's North American motorsports operations under the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development banner.

"We have greatly enjoyed our past three years with the Atlantic Championship and are looking forward to continuing that partnership with Cooper Tires and the new series owner. We greatly appreciate the heritage of the series. Our team members have been attending Atlantic races as far back as 1976 and we want to do our part to carry on the tradition." The Atlantic Championship is the longest-running open-wheel driver development series in North America and celebrated its 35th Anniversary season in 2008, with Finnish rookie Markus Niemela taking the series championship in the final race of the season.

The series is noted for its long history of graduating its drivers into the top levels of motorsport throughout the world, including IndyCar champions such as Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti, Jacques Villeneuve, Jimmy Vasser, Greg Ray, Sam Hornish Jr. and Dan Wheldon, Indy 500 winners such as Sullivan, Rahal, Villeneuve, Buddy Rice, Wheldon and Hornish, and Formula One world champions such as Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg.

In 2008, Atlantic graduates battled for race victories and championships in top North American series such as the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in addition to various other series all over the world. Learn more about Atlantic at www.atlantic-championship.com.

One more race.. DC

21/10/2008 Well here I am one race away from the end of my F1 career and I guess I should be feeling nostalgic, but the reality is I am focused on trying to prepare for the race as best I can which will include a trip to Argentina for a Red Bull promotion.

The marketing machine that surrounds formula one never stops so the quest to sell more cans of Red Bull see a very active promotional team working the various markets. I had tried to see if ex Argentinean F1 driver Carlos Reutemann (who is a politician now) would be around to drive my car but unfortunately he is out of the country so I will have to entertain the expected 10 000 crowd on my own. Back to Brazil and I am really looking forward to the race.

I have been able to podium there a few times over the years and I won in 2000 so hopefully a good omen for the coming race. I was thinking of asking the drivers to keep well clear of me into turn 1 to give me a better chance of finishing my last GP but I know all too well that when the lights go out racing instincts take over. So for me a good end would be of course first of all seeing the chequered flag and if I can do that in the points then I would be happy. All good things come to an end so although it has been the driving force in my life I am looking forward to the next phase which will still involve Formula one through my consultancy agreement with Red Bull and of course the big thing will be the arrival of little DC this winter, I am really excited about that because at the end of the day that’s what life is all about.

I have been asked repeatedly how I would like my career to be remembered and although I don’t really think too much about the past I would like to think that I would be viewed as someone who tried there best with the talent they had, was a team player (which I think my long team relationships would confirm that!) And last but most importantly was a sportsman, after all without following the rules what do you have?

Client addition: Townsend Bell
September 23rd, 2008 - Townsend Bell has begun a training program with Performance Physixx to increase his muscular endurance in upper body and core muscle groups for open wheel Indy racing for the end of season Nikon Indy 300 Streets of Surfers Paradise sat October 25 th to Sunday October 26 th.

Townsend Bell's motorsports travels have taken him to Europe in the FIA Formula 3000 Championship and back to the United States in a variety of series. He won the 2001 Indy Lights title, has competed in CART and now is back in the IndyCar Series where he had made 12 starts between 2004-06. Bell competed in his first Indianapolis 500 in 2006.

TRG Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2008
TRG KONI Challenge Team Battles to Second Place in Utah

In the course of Sunday's two-and-a-half hour Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series race at Miller Motorsports Park, the two-car TRG Porsche team experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows and finished the day celebrating on the podium with a second-place finish.

No. 39 Carlsen Porsche/The DigiTrust Group/Adam's Polishes/Fox River Coffee Porsche 997 co-drivers Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly battled all the way from the back of the field to score a hard-earned podium result. Meanwhile, the No. 41 Carlsen Porsche/Cohen Financial Porsche 997 co-drivers Andy Lally and Scott Schroeder missed out on what would have likely been their second victory of the season due to a mechanical failure.

"This was a crazy week-and-a-half or two weeks," said TRG owner Kevin Buckler. "We had just a total thrash getting everything built and ready for this weekend, and we had lots and lots of issues to get here. The guys just persevered and did a really good job to get everything ready."

Schroeder and Ende both turned in stellar qualifying performances on Saturday, with Schroeder taking second on the grid for his second front-row qualifying performance of the season and Ende slotting in just behind Schroeder in third. Just as the green flag dropped on the race, however, the day's first dramatic moment unfolded as Ende brought the No. 39 machine to pit lane to replace the fan belt.

Miraculously, Ende managed to get back on course without losing a lap, although he rejoined the race in last place on a 4.5-mile road circuit where full-course cautions are somewhat rare. Nevertheless, Ende took up the challenge and fought all the way back up into the top 10 before pitting to turn the car over to Pumpelly.

Pumpelly picked up where Ende left off, although he was still a good distance behind the race-leading No. 41 machine with Lally at the wheel. The No. 39 team got just the break it needed when the double yellows flew for the second and final time with less than 10 laps remaining. The caution period allowed Pumpelly to line up in fourth place, directly behind the lead group of cars for a restart with five laps to go. He moved into second place when the second- and third-place running cars tangled and went off course and brought the No. 39 Porsche home 4.009 seconds behind the race-winning No. 96 BMW.

"When they told me that I had to come in at the start to change the belt on the engine, I never imagined that we were going to wind up on the podium," Ende said. "I was actually sure we were going to go a lap down. The guys on the crew did a phenomenal job getting the belt changed, and then it was just up to us to put our heads down and get through the field. We got the yellows we needed, but it was a tough race. We both drove our hearts out. Spencer would like to have one more spot, but it was a helluva race. Everybody did a great job."

It was the second KONI Challenge Series podium result of the season for Ende and Pumpelly. The duo also finished second in Round 2 at Lime Rock Park in May.

"We had an issue that was just a completely random failure of a part that was checked and triple-checked by the guys," Pumpelly said. "They do such a great job that you hate for things like that to happen, but we came in the pits on Lap 1 and the guys fixed it like rock stars and got us right back out. We were able to get some lucky yellows and catch back up. We didn't really have the time to get to first, but a podium was good after all of the effort that the guys put in today."

In the No. 41 Porsche, Schroeder held his second-place position for the first seven laps of the race before taking the lead on Lap 8. He would go on to lead a race-high 15 laps before pulling onto pit road to make way for Lally's stint. Once the pit stop cycle was complete, Lally put the No. 41 machine back at the head of the field and led seven laps of his own.

However, just as the No. 39 team began to celebrate its opportunity to close the gap to the leaders with the second full-course caution, disaster struck the No. 41 team as an engine failure cruelly ended the race for Lally and Schroeder with less than 30 minutes remaining.

"It's a bit disappointing," Schroeder said. "We had a great car. This TRG Porsche was really strong. During my stint, I managed to pull away a big lead and handed over to Andy with a clean car. Unfortunately, we just got caught out by one of those little things that get you every sometimes. I'm not too worried about it. We'll find out what happened and go to VIR with a stronger car. We have the pace, now we just need some things to go our way. I look forward to the next race."

"It's a shame because it was such a solid car, and we were in the captain's chair there," Lally added. "We were in charge of our own destiny, and unfortunately we just had a little bad luck. We dropped the oil pressure and the engine just shut off, just like that. It happened in a 10-second period. It's a shame. I'd cooled down for probably 30 seconds and I thought I'd heard a miss and I had been coasting. I thought at first that it was a header, and I put it in gear and stepped on the gas. As soon as I did that, the low oil pressure light came on and that was it. We were done."

The No. 41 team was credited with 26th place in the Grand Sport (GS) class, but for most of the race, it appeared that Lally and Schroeder would be celebrating in Victory Circle, just as they did last month at Iowa Speedway.

"Having the cars throughout the course of the weekend come together to culminate in those guys qualifying second and third was incredible," Buckler concluded. "Scott handily leading half the race like that was absolutely fabulous for him and for TRG. I was so proud. Then, it goes from absolute joy and ecstasy to heartache as Andy was handily leading the race and the engine blew. We don't know what happened, but we'll figure it out.

"Duncan did a great job. They had a little miscue in the beginning with the fan belt. We're glad we brought him in to check it. Duncan, especially, scratched his way back from dead last clear through the field and ended up pitting in ninth or 10th. It was unbelievable. Spencer did a great job, the yellow fell our direction, and we ended up finishing P2. It was a gamut of emotions and a roller coaster ride this weekend, no doubt, but we'll take that second place for Duncan and Spencer."

Next up for the TRG KONI Challenge team is the six-hour season finale at Virginia International Raceway on Sunday, October 5.

BOMARITO TAKES THIRD WIN AND EXTENDS ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT
TROIS-RIVIERES August 17, 2008 TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, Canada (August 17, 2008) - Jonathan Bomarito took a big step forward in his quest to be champion of the 2008 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda with a dominating victory in the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

After starting from the pole position in his No. 26 Del Taco/Stone Brewing/Discount Tire/RLM Investments machine for Mathiasen Motorsports, Bomarito got away clean on the race's standing start and was never seriously challenged, leading every lap of the 44-lap race to score his third victory of the season and the fifth of his Atlantic career. He won by 1.590 seconds over American rookie Jonathan Summerton, who he now leads by 28 points, 191-163, in the championship standings with three races remaining. Although Sunday's race was the first for Atlantic on the legendary 1.521-mile street circuit in Quebec since 2003, Bomarito became the 10th consecutive polesitter to win in Atlantic competition at Trois-Rivieres.

"First of all, I can't tell you how thankful I am and happy to keep that streak alive, that's for sure," said Bomarito. "It was an amazing weekend. It was perfect for us, both qualifying sessions and the race. The guys were telling me on the radio my gaps and also where James (Hinchcliffe) and Markus (Niemela) were. James went out and then Markus went out a little bit later in the race. I think we were within seven or eight points before the race and now to be leading by 28 points is huge with only three races to go. It refocuses how we have to approach these last three races, but realistically, as long as we're quick and continue to do what we're doing, and the car keeps living like it is--the guys keep doing an amazing job--we'll be okay at the end of the championship."

Summerton moved to second in the overall point standings and the Rookie of the Year points lead with his second-place performance. It was Summerton's third top-two result in his past four starts and was his sixth top-six result in eight races this season. He gained two spots in the point standings this weekend, and earned a bonus point for running the fastest lap in the race.

"It turned out to be a very fun race in the end," Summerton said. "With the two yellows, it didn't quite help us as we'd planned. I don't know if we started with a little too low tire pressure, but every time a yellow came out, the first two or three laps were a real fight with the car. Then, the tires started to come in again and we were able to lay down some fast laps and start catching Jonathan (Bomarito). In the end, he was constantly very fast and had a great car. We were just trying to push away and it didn't quite work out, but second place, we're quite happy with it. To take over Rookie of the Year point standings is a great accomplishment. I'm real happy about that and hopefully we can bring a win back from New Jersey."

Dutchman Junior Strous returned to the podium for the first time since winning at Mont-Tremblant in June with a third-place run in the No. 6 NEM/Shell/HTP/Muermans Group/Red, White & Bluezz entry for Condor Motorsports/Team Holland. It was the third podium result of the season for Strous and moved him back into the top five in the point standings heading into the final three races of the season.

"Obviously, I'm really happy with this," Strous said. "After Mont-Tremblant, I thought, 'Well, we've got it now.' I kept working really hard, but Edmonton was really bad and Road America was really bad for us, but I always finished. We had some engine problems in Edmonton in both races. This weekend, we were struggling again. We didn't really have the speed. We tried to minimize the damage in qualifying. I started eighth and I knew it was going to be a tough race, because the walls are really close here, it's slippery off-line, and everybody wants to win here. You can do it. If you're a bit further back, you can advance quite well, you can pass really well. The car was really good. I'd like to thank the team.

"Everybody worked hard the last few weeks and months to get it all back together again. It's a podium finish and with all these guys that dropped out of the race, I think we're doing pretty good (in the championship). Jonathan (Bomarito) was really quick this race. He did a really good job. I'm looking forward to the next race. We've got a little time off. I'm heading back to Holland. Again, I'd like to thank the team and all my sponsors, Shell, HTP and NEM for their support, and especially (Condor Motorsports team owner) Carlos Bobeda."

Finishing fourth for her best result since a season-opening victory in Long Beach was Simona De Silvestro in the No. 34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/NEI/Entergy machine for Newman Wachs Racing. De Silvestro got the bonus point for the most positions improved from start to finish for her charge from 11th on the grid. Rookie Dane Cameron completed the top five in the No. 19 MAZDASPEED/Finlay Motorsports/Lynx Racing machine for Genoa Racing. It was the rookie's fifth top-five result in his last six Atlantic starts.

NOTEBOOK:
· Despite a damaged front wing, which dropped him back a few positions in the running order, Canadian rookie Daniel Morad matched the best result of his Atlantic career with a sixth-place run in the No. 70 Metro Directories of Georgia/Grapeking machine for Eurointernational. Morad also finished sixth in the season-opener at Long Beach.

· Mexican driver David Martinez picked up his third seventh-place result in three races aboard the No. 7 Axtel/Tecate/Madisa entry for Forsythe/Pettit Racing. He returned to Atlantic competition last weekend at Road America for the first time since 2006 as a replacement for his injured countryman, David Garza.

· Tom Sutherland picked up an Atlantic career-best result of eighth in the No. 88 ClickAway Computers & Networking machine for Brooks Associates Racing. Sutherland's previous best result was 10th in the first race of the Edmonton doubleheader last month.

· Greg Mansell matched the best finish of his Atlantic career with a ninth-place run in the No. 5 Sunseeker entry for Walker Racing. Mansell previously finished ninth in the first race of the Edmonton doubleheader.

· Finnish rookie Henri Karjalainen picked up the first top-10 result of his Atlantic career with a 10th-place performance in the No. 2 GNLD machine for Montreal's Jensen MotorSport. Previously, Karjalainen's best result was 11th in the second race of the Edmonton doubleheader. Karjalainen's team owner, Eric Jensen returned to the Atlantic cockpit for the first time since 2005 and finished 15th in the No. 22 Jensen MotorSport entry.

· It was a tough day for James Hinchcliffe and Markus Niemela, who both came into the weekend within seven points of leader Jonathan Bomarito. Hinchcliffe, who was second in points coming into the race in the No. 3 Indeck/Tire Rack/NOCO machine for Forsythe/Pettit Racing, was involved in an incident with the No. 25 Uni-Select/Deans Knight/Wasteco entry of fellow Canadian driver Kevin Lacroix on the seventh lap of the race, taking both drivers out after contact with the barrier. Series officials determined that Hinchcliffe was guilty of avoidable contact and he was penalized one position, leaving him 20th in the final race results, one spot behind Lacroix. Niemela, meanwhile, suffered a mechanical failure on Lap 30 and he was forced to retire in 17th place. Hinchcliffe and Niemela are now tied for third in the championship with 155 points apiece.

SPECTACULAR FIRST 2008 PODIUM FINISH FOR RUM BUM RACING!

Matt Plumb and Gene Sigal posted their best finish of the season and their best Daytona Prototype career finishes with a third. Plumb led a race-high 31 laps in the No. 7 Rum Bum Racing BMW Riley, which was the highest-finishing BMW in the race. The pair's previous best finish was fifth, which came twice this season.

Plumb led a race-high 31 laps before Gurney's winning pass, and Darren Law made a pass for second-place with just under two laps remaining. Plumb and Sigal advanced 15 positions to third in the No. 7 Rum Bum Racing Dinan BMW Riley, taking home the Suntrust most improved position award. Matt Plumb and Gene Sigal posted their best finish of the season and their best Daytona Prototype career finishes with a third. Plumb led a race-high 31 laps in the No. 7 Rum Bum Racing BMW Riley, which was the highest-finishing BMW in the race. The pair's previous best finish was fifth, which came twice this season.

Plumb led a race-high 31 laps before Gurney's winning pass, and Darren Law made a pass for second-place with just under two laps remaining. Plumb and Sigal advanced 15 positions to third in the No. 7 Rum Bum Racing Dinan BMW Riley, taking home the Suntrust most improved position award.

While it rained - and sometimes poured - during Saturday's EMCO Gears Classic for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, Rum Bum Racing co drivers of the #7 Rum Bum/Big Vision Miami/ Caramba Tequila/ Dinan BMW Riley almost won their first race of the season but Plumb had to give up the lead only 9 laps before the end to finish third. Matt Plumb crossed the finish line 1.347 seconds behind the race winner Gurney.

Plumb was spectacular in his stint and proved once again his unbelievable talent.

"It felt great. The conditions were a little sketchy, but obviously it allowed us to move up pretty quickly because we had a good wet setup", declared co-driver Matt Plumb after the race. "The Rum Bum Racing car ran flawlessly. We never had any issues. I am excited, the team needed a strong result and we got one at the right time. The Pirelli tires were great, but obviously, near the end, we may have found the limit on the rain tires."

"I am so happy for the entire Rum Bum Racing team and for Luis Bacardi, the owner of Rum Bum who trusted us to get that kind of results in 2008" announced Rum Bum Racing team owner and co-driver Gene Sigal. "It was exciting, the Dinan BMW engine was awesome and very powerful and definitely the best engine out here in the rain condition. We thought it was going to rain all weekend, but we thought we would get some practice time in the rain. When the race started, I just tried to keep it clean and give a good car to Matt. But right at the beginning of the first lap, I got rear-ended. That was the worst of it, but I saw parts flying everywhere. But it all worked out well. The team did a great job. We've been through a lot the last few weeks, but everyone stayed with the game plan. We set up the car to work through both dry and wet conditions. The Pirelli tires worked out great, they held up for two hours. Matt had a handful at the end but we had a great time." Added Sigal.

Gene Sigal who started Sigalsport in 2004 is one of the only active series drivers that has now scored a podium finish in all classes of the Rolex Series including SGS in 2004, GT in 2005 and 2006 and DP last Saturday at Mid-Ohio.

Rum Bum Racing gained four positions in the championship and is now 10th in points in the 2008 Rolex Series team point standings. The next race is at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, July 3.

TRG's Ende and Pumpelly finish second in KONI Challenge GS race at Lime Rock Park-strong showing from Schroeder and Ludwig.

May 27, 2008 - LAKEVILLE, Conn. - TRG drivers Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly earned their first podium finish of the 2008 Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series season today finishing second in the GS race at Lime Rock Park.
Ende started 13th in the No. 39 DigiTrust Group/Adam's Polishes/Fox River Coffee/Sherab Khandro.com Porsche 997 and quickly fell six positions at the start due to getting caught behind a slower car. But, as the field began to spread out, Ende began picking up positions and even had the No. 39 machine in the top-10 before handing it over to co-driver Pumpelly.

On lap 51, Ende brought the No. 39 Porsche 997 to pit lane for a green flag pit stop that included a driver change. Now with Pumpelly behind the wheel the team had some work to do because Pumpelly fell from 10th to 22nd before all of the pit stops had cycled through.

"My opening stint went pretty well," Ende said of his start. "I lost several spots at the start. I tucked in behind the wrong guy in turn one and people went around us on the outside in turns one and two and then on the inside in three. But, then it was a pretty steady stint. I was basically behind one of the Turner and one of the Automatic cars the whole time. It was just a waiting game - waiting for one of them to make a mistake. But, it was pretty hard to pass.

"It was a steady stint until one of the Automatic cars decided to out-brake himself. He hit the side of the curb and then hit our car. It did not put us out so we counted ourselves lucky."

Undaunted by his position, Pumpelly managed to knife through traffic setting faster lap times as the race went on. In fact, Pumpelly set the team's fastest race lap with a 0:59.029 on lap 102 of the 140-lap event.

On lap125, Pumpelly was running third when he passed the No. 37 Mustang GT for second. With only 15 laps remaining and with the leader having a nearly 12 second lead over the field, Pumpelly did his best to chase down the leader. But, he simply ran out of time cutting the eventual race-winner's margin of victory down to 2.302-seconds.

"TRG gave me an excellent car this weekend," Pumpelly said. "I couldn't have been happier with the team and my co-driver Duncan. We dug ourselves in a hole with the DNF in Daytona. So, we are looking for nothing but good finishes from here on out if we are going to be in the championship hunt. I think Duncan and I can contend and that's what were here for and what TRG is here for. Today was a good day."

David Coulthard celebrated his first podium for two years at the Canadian Grand Prix - the race where he claimed the first points of his career in 1994.
The Scot had not scored in the first five races of 2008 but made amends with a surprise third in Montreal.
"I am delighted because I never expected to get a podium this weekend," the 37-year-old Red Bull driver said.
"Canada was where I scored my first points so I am in a reflective mood - 15 seasons seems a long time."
Coulthard, who was last on the podium in Monaco in 2006, used his experience to pick his way through the field from 13th place on the grid.
He worked his way up to third following the intervention of the safety car and the fall-out from Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen's pit-lane crash.
After two retirements this season and two best-place finishes of ninth, Coulthard was satisfied to get his campaign up and running.
"I have had a horrible, ugly start to the year," said Coulthard, who has now finished on the podium 62 times in his Formula One career.
"So I'm delighted to get a podium for the team, it's a real credit to Red Bull for the efforts they are putting in."
Coulthard had to run to take his place on the podium after his car ground to a halt after the race.
And the Scot said he had to nurse his car through the closing stages of the race as its performance began to deteriorate.
"You cannot believe how difficult it was at the end," Coulthard said.
"I just had to bring the car home. Funny enough the car stopped in the pit lane so I'm glad it did it after the chequered flag.
"You can expect some unusual results here, so we fuelled it long and the one-stop strategy worked well.
"The start was pretty hairy with all the cars bunched up but my goal was to get to the finish and get the points so this is a great result.

May 22, 2008

TRG's Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Team Ready for Restart After Long Break

PETALUMA, Calif. - It has been four long months since the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series opened its season in the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway, but TRG's Grand Sport (GS) program is ready for this weekend's restart at Lime Rock Park.

TRG will field a pair of entries in Monday's 2.5-hour race around the 1.53-mile, seven-turn road circuit at Lime Rock. Co-driving the No 39 DigiTrust Group/Adam's Polishes/Fox River Coffee/Sherab-Cando.com Porsche 997 will be Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly, with Scott Schroeder and Peter Ludwig sharing the No. 41 Cohen Financial/Wolf-Tec Inc./www.WTinc.com/Ludwig Motorsports Porsche 997.

"I'm really impressed with the level of professionalism all of our drivers have projected during this unusually long break in the season," said TRG Team Manager Jason Myers. "They have maintained their level of fitness, training as often as possible, studying tracks and of course, getting behind the wheel as much as possible. It really shows how much they care about their performance with TRG and ultimately their racing careers."
Schroeder co-drove the No. 41 machine to an eighth-place finish with Andy Lally in the season opener at Daytona after starting from 42nd on the grid. He is joined for the first time in the No. 41 machine by New Paltz, N.Y. resident Peter Ludwig, who won the KONI Challenge GS race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last year alongside Pumpelly and started and finished second in the Lime Rock GS race with Pumpelly while driving for Marcus Motorsports.

Pumpelly and Ende, meanwhile, swing back into KONI Challenge action looking for a bit of revenge after missing out on a potential victory in the Daytona season opener. Ende qualified 10th and kept the car within sight of the leaders throughout his stint before handing the controls over to Pumpelly to finish it out. Pumpelly drove the No. 39 machine all the way to the front of the field within the final half hour, only to have a terminal mechanical failure strike just seconds after taking the lead. They wound up 32nd in the GS race standings. Pumpelly is also currently second in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series GT standings with co-driver Tim George Jr. heading into this weekend's sixth round of the season, also at Lime Rock Park on Memorial Day Monday.

"We have worked on our engine reliability issues," Myers said. "The No. 39 car had a podium in the bag at Daytona before the pop, no questions asked. That much was proven by Schroeder and Lally climbing all the way from 42nd to finish in eighth position. We just need them to go the distance, and we believe we have now remedied this. All of us here at TRG-the engineering staff, the car chiefs and mechanics, etc.-have been working extremely hard trying to scrounge every ounce of performance we can out of the cars."

In last year's GS race at Lime Rock, both Ende and Schroeder led the historic event. Ende and Grant Maiman wound up fourth in the No. 39 TRG Porsche, while Schroeder and John Bibbo co-drove to a 20th-place result in the team's No. 40 machine.

"Last year, Duncan Ende and Scott Schroeder both led the race at Lime Rock and each are coming back for some sweet revenge," said TRG owner Kevin Buckler. "The drivers have been working hard on their fitness and the team has done everything it possibly could on the mechanical side. Everybody has been working really hard and we're ready for the race. We want this one bad."

The KONI Challenge Series GS race from Lime Rock will be televised on SPEED at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 31. Live Timing & Scoring data from every session will also be available on www.grand-am.com.

TRG was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing ever since. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 23, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours or Le Mans.

TRG is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance racing parts. The group specializes in engine and chassis building as well as full service professional race car preparation. The company also provides electrical and mechanical engineering services, driver development and arrive-and-drive opportunities. TRG is based in Petaluma, Calif., near its home track of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma as well as its new facility in Charlotte.

ENDE PREPARING FOR THE FITTEST SEASON OF HIS LIFE

April 15, 2008 - Duncan Ende partnered with Spencer Pumpelly who started the 2008 Grand Am Rolex and Koni Challenge Series with a debut in the 24 hours of Daytona, which was only hampered by mechanical trouble to his TRG Porche. He now sets his sights on pushing for the Koni Challenge title and has been preparing during the long break by ramping up his physical conditioning program by working with Former Mclaren F1 and David Coulthard’s personal fitness consultant.

Simon Hayes is the director of Performance Physixx and has worked with professional race drivers for the past decade including many in Formula 1. The training Duncan has been doing is principally targeted to assisting him to perform physiologically and mentally better in the car. This requires the driver to incorporate resistance/weight training exercises in a pattern that keeps the muscle groups in balance but also stresses the major muscle groups required in racing. Advanced weight routines are used such as single arm bench presses with heavy dumbbells whilst balancing on a stability exercise ball for high repetitions. Duncan will move from exercise to exercise resting only long enough to set up for the next exercise, these short rest periods serve to work the individual in a state of constant muscular fatigue. Also, every workout the exercises are changed or equipment used is changed to challenge the body to constantly have to adapt to a new stress. Further, to constantly develop increased levels of endurance through a variety of workouts, which include:

The grueling infamous Santa Monica stairs in California, involving running up and down over 50 steps set in a steep staircase where Duncan will perform a variety of interval training regimes. This means alternating single step sprints with double step striding. A very different workout is carried out in Manhattan Beach running up sand dunes, which calls for unbelievable core stability to balance the body whilst running up steep dunes. As race drivers perform high levels of activity whilst seated a much ignored form of cardiovascular training is kayaking again using sets of sprints and recovery intervals to both work the active muscle groups used in driving and work core stabilizers.

On the face of it, this is not training one would immediately identify with training for motor racing. However when you can operate in an environment where you limit fatigue this relates to improved concentration and performance in the car, the ability to win, states former British Royal Marines Commando and Performance Physixx Director Simon Hayes.

Simon continues ‘Duncan is one of the best young drivers out their in GT racing, and I don’t use those words lightly. His comittment and determination to succeed have been the cornerstone for his consistent improvement in not only his fitness levels but also each part of his race craft’.

Duncan Ende can be reached at: www.duncanende.com
Simon Hayes and Performance Physixx currently have openings for new clients and can be reached through their web site at: www.performancephysixx.com

May 6th, 2008 - Team Rum Bum racing finished 5th in the Rolex Sports Car Series, Bosch Engineerig 250 at Virginia International Raceway. Watch video.

April 1st
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE FOR SIGALSPORT RUM BUM IN MIAMI!

The Sigalsport Rum Bum Dinan BMW Riley co-driven by Gene Sigal and Matt Plumb finished 5th at the 2008 Grand Prix of Miami last Saturday. This fantastic performance for the Los Angeles based team is further proof that the team is strong and ready to fight with the best teams of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series DP class this season.

Sigal and Plumb ran a great race and Plumb was even able to run one lap in third place but had to give up the podium finish position after a hectic battle with Goossens and Negri in the last laps of the race.

This race marked the first race for Sigalsport’s new sponsor, Rum Bum. Freshly launched on Friday, March 21, Rum Bum is a multimedia entertainment company owned by Louis Bacardi, great grandson of the Bacardi company founder. In addition to launching his new brand and introducing a new lifestyle, Louis Bacardi also launched Rumbum.com, a unique sports and entertainment website designed to interact with sports fans from all around the world.

“This is a remarkable performance for our Sigalsport Rum Bum Dinan BMW racing team,” said Sigalsport Rum Bum team owner and co-driver Gene Sigal after the race. “I am so proud of my teammate Matt Plumb and our crew. They did an outstanding job and even if we did not win this year like we did in 2007, the 5th place is like a victory after what our team has been through in the last three months! I really want to thank Louis Bacardi for giving us a chance to prove to him that the Sigalsport team combined with the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series can be a great formula to develop and create brand awareness for a new brand like Rum Bum. I am very excited by the idea of taking our Sigalsport Rum Bum team to Mexico in less than three weeks,” added Sigal. “Mexico is a motor racing nation and this will be a great marketing opportunity for Rum Bum to be exposed to a new international Hispanic crowd.”

With this excellent result, the team jumped from 14th to 8th in points in the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Series team point standings.

“I am so happy to finish 5th in my second Daytona Prototype race,” declared Matt Plumb after the race. “Gene did an excellent job in his stint. I have to commend the team for putting such a great car together and our engineer, Brian, for a well-though-out race strategy. I am delighted at the idea of going to Mexico with Gene and the Sigalsport Rum Bum team. We will use the new version of the V8 Dinan BMW engine out there and even if I don’t know the Hermanos Rodriguez track yet, I have a feeling that our car will be very competitive in Mexico City,” added Matt Plumb.

The Sigalsport Rum Bum team will make several announcements before the Mexico City race. The next Rolex Sports Car series race is scheduled in Mexico City on April 17-19 and will be broadcast live on Speed TV, Saturday, April 19.

March 24, 2008
O'Malley: Sigal Looks to Reclaim Magic
By J.J. O'Malley

Last year, Sigalsport broke through with a victory in only its eighth start in the Daytona Prototype ranks, winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Saturday, owner/driver Gene Sigal is hoping to repeat that magic in the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami, when he debuts the No. 7 Rum Bum BMW Riley he shares with Matt Plumb.

"It's very exciting to be coming back," Sigal said. "There's definitely a lot of pressure. A lot of things have changed since last year, but nevertheless, we're hoping to use the momentum from last year. Hopefully, we'll get a podium finish there."

As Sigal said, a lot has changed. The team went winless through the remainder of 2007 AFTER Bill Auberlen and Matthew Alhadeff took the checkered flag at Homestead.

Then, Sigal planned a major revision for 2008. He renamed the team Fortune Market Racing and switched numbers from No. 05 to No. 7 for himself and new co-driver Plumb. It was not a lucky number, though. The sagging stock market was not the best time to debut a publicly traded race team.

"The Fortune Market ordeal was very unfortunate for us," Sigal said. "It forced the team to take about 10 steps backwards. It put us in a very feeble position, knocked out and down on our butts. Now, we're starting to move forward again."

It was back to Sigalsport for the Rolex 24, where Sigal was forced to step out of the cockpit to secure funding to run the event. The team finished 28th overall and 14th in Daytona Prototype.

Now, there is new hope for the team. Friday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., Luis Bacardi announced the launch of Run Bum Nation, a new brand and lifestyle company. A highlight of the festivities was the unveiling of the Rum Bum Sigalsport BMW Riley Daytona Prototype that Sigal and Plumb will drive in the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami.

"Hopefully, we can get a relationship going that will last through the next couple seasons," Sigal said. "It's going to be very exciting when you have Rum Bum Racing, Rum Bum TV - which is going to host webisodes - along with a concert series and Rum Bum apparel, which will have everything from t-shirts, hats to dog leashes, everything under the sun.

"Obviously, Rum Bum Racing is what we're responsible for, and we're going to try to take the Rum Bum Nation and promoted it through the Grand-Am Series. It's a very diverse company, and it's a very exciting project. We're glad to be part of it."

Sigal isn't the only driver looking to recapture past magic this weekend.

Auberlen will join Joey Hand in Alex Job Racing's No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Porsche Fabcar. While Auberlen shared in last year's triumph, Alex Job won the Homestead event in 2006 with drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Patrick Long, in only the team's second start in the Daytona Prototype class.

JC France also won at Homestead in his second Daytona Prototype start in 2003. He will have a new co-driver in the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley, 2002 Homestead GT winner Joao Barbosa. France had perhaps his best personal drive in a Daytona Prototype last year in the Miami event, when he finished fifth with Hurley Haywood.

While 2005 Miami winner Max Angelelli is no stranger to Gatorade Victory Lane, his new co-driver, Michael Valiante, is looking for his first victory. They'll be debuting a new car, the brilliant orange No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara.

With a long list of non-Miami winners competing this weekend - including Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, Scott Pruett, Marc Goossens and Oswaldo Negri - odds are that we'll have a first-time Homestead victor. That is, unless one of the past winners can reclaim some old magic.

RUM BUM TO SPONSOR SIGALSPORT AT GRAND PRIX OF MIAMI

Miami, Florida, Thursday, March 20, 2008 - Sigalsport won the 2007 Grand Prix of Miami last year and 2008 co-drivers Gene Sigal and Matt Plumb will do everything they can to score another success on Saturday, March 29, when the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series returns to Homestead Miami Speedway for the second round of the 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series.

After a good season start at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Sigalsport found a new sponsor for the 2008 GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami. Rum BumSM is a company and brand owned by Luis Bacardi which is officially being launched to the media and the public on March 21. Rum Bum’s business plan includes the launch of Rumbum.com, Rum Bum TV SM, Rum Bum GearTM and the development and marketing of Rum BumTM signature products.

"I am very pleased to start a relationship with the Sigalsport team. Miami is our home town and sponsoring the defending Grand Prix of Miami Champion is definitely the best vehicle for Rum BumSM to launch and start promoting its new brand and lifestyle," announced Luis Bacardi, President of Rum BumSM.

"Our goal is to combine the Sigalsport sponsorship with a focused objective for the Rum BumSM brand to emerge as a pioneer and best-in-class broadband, event and viral marketing platform, as a sponsor within the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series racing community designed to catapult Rum BumSM as a leading lifestyle brand within the nation," announced Luis Bacardi.

"I am very excited that Luis Bacardi selected our team to promote its new brand and lifestyle" announced Gene Sigal, team owner and co-driver of Rum Bum Sigalsport. "Our objective for Rum Bum is to identify entertainment investment opportunities surrounding the sponsorship of the Sigalsport team in affiliation with the Grand Am Rolex Series and to assist with creating and implementing a marketing plan for Rum Bum," added Sigal.

The Grand Prix of Miami will be broadcast March 29 on Speed at 6:00 PM ET.
SIGALSPORT: Started in 2004 by American businessman and racecar driver, Gene Sigal, to operate his Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series racing program, Sigalsport is poised to become one of the most successful sports car racing teams in North America. In just its eighth Daytona Prototype start as a team, Sigalsport scored its first Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series overall victory in the 2007 Grand Prix of Miami. In only four seasons, Sigalsport evolved from a newborn team to a Daytona Prototype championship contender in the Rolex Series. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, in a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, Sigalsport is one of the fastest growing and most ambitious teams in the paddock and is always ready for the next challenge.

MILLER AND RUSSEL SCORE TOP 5 IN THE FRESH FROM FLORIDA 200 AT DAYTONA

Jon Miller, co-driving with David Russell in the #99 Automatic BMW M3 sponsored by Weeden Consultants and Fresh From Florida started the season off on a high note. Miller took advantage of a rainy qualifying session to post the 3rd fastest time. Starting from the second row, Jon challenged for the lead as soon as the green flag fell.

“It was nice to be starting up front of such a huge field. I had some bad luck here last year so I was really looking for some redemption. I was focused on making a clean start and settling in to a good rhythm. Coming into turn 1 I had a run on the leader, but I decided to back off and follow him down to the horseshoe. I wanted to push him pretty early in an effort to run with him and gap the cars behind us, or force him into a mistake. I was able to slip into the lead in turn 6 on the first lap and I never looked back. I had such a great car that I was able to build a lead of over 10 seconds at one point. I didn’t need to be overly aggressive with the ST traffic because of this, and it was a real joy to run at the front.”

These were the first laps that Miller has led in Koni Challenge competition, and he led for a race-high 28 laps before pitting to hand off to co-driver David Russell. Russell rejoined in second and fought inside the top 3 until the final laps. He and teammate Jeff Segal in the #09 car worked together, trying everything to get around the two Mustangs in front of them, but the horsepower differential proved to be too much.

“Dave did an awesome job, as always. It was a treat to get to drive with him, because he and I have been friends for a long time. It’s always so tough to be sitting in the pits, watching your co-driver go by. You’ve got to trust that he will do his best and when you get out of the car, it’s out of your hands. I had total confidence in Dave and I was glad to see him and Jeff working together at the end of the race.”

However, with only a few moments remaining in the race, it almost all came crumbling down. Dave was locked in a tight battle with the lead group of GS cars fighting for a spot on the podium, when an ST car lost control at the entry to the bus stop and made heavy contact with the driver’s side of the #99 car.

“I was watching the live Speed channel coverage in the pits and I saw the crash happen with less than ten minutes to go. I couldn’t believe how hard the hit was, and once I recovered from the shock of that, I realized that Dave was still circulating and didn’t even lose a position! I have a bad history in that corner, but this time it was just a bit of body damage, so I was relieved to see the car cross the finish line. “

Miller and Russell pick up valuable championship points with their strong finish and Miller hopes to continue the trend of strong drives at the front of the field and strong finishes for the rest of the season.

Jon’s 2008 plans are not final yet, but he plans to continue to compete for the Koni Challenge GS championship at the next round at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut on May 26th

Sigalsport Prepares To Defend Race Title At Homestead

Gene Sigal and Matt Plumb were on hand at Homestead-Miami Speedway, taking the first steps in defending their team's GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami race win from a year ago.

Well, not exactly. Sigalsport captured the win a season ago, with Bill Auberlen and Matt Alhadeff behind the wheel. Though each driver has moved on this season, the team still wants to prove they can compete for Rolex Series wins.

"It's exciting for Sigalsport to come back to Miami," said Sigal, the team's owner as well as pilot. "This was our first DP win in only eight tries. I know we're going to have some tough competition, there are teams setting blistering paces out here."

From the outside, a lot has changed for the Sigalsport BMW from a season ago. In addition to the driver changes, the yellow and blue paint scheme and the No. 5 has given way to a red and black No. 7.

Internally, however, consistency has been one of the team's key strengths.

"Our team has been around for five years now, all with the Grand-Am Series," Sigal said. "We've got guys that have been around that entire time, and even the guys that are new aren't really new; we had relationships with them in the past. My new co-driver Matt Plumb, we've always had a chance to work together away from the pro events and I think it's going to be a good combination so we'll see what happens."

Sigal drove the Tuttle Racing Daytona Prototype at the test, with his co-driver on hand to provide coaching.

"Matt was here for the two days and kind of helped me get up to speed in the car," Sigal continued. "I had to get out of the seat for Daytona, so the only time I've had in the car recently was one test at Daytona and that's not enough time to drive one of these cars."

Sigal also hinted at one more big change before the team returns for the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami.

"The team unfortunately couldn't come to the test this week because of sponsorship issues, but we're going to be running a very exciting sponsor from the Miami area at the race and do our best to defend our win," Sigal said.

Miller Opens 2008 KONI Challenge with top-five at Daytona

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

Orlando-based racer Jon Miller got his 2008 Grand-Am KONI Challenge season off to a fast start recently, taking a strong fifth-place finish in the No. 99 Weeden Consultants Automatic Racing BMW M3 with co-driver David Russell the season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Miller, who raised eyebrows as he shrugged off difficult and changing conditions to take third on the nearly 100-car grid, kept his foot in it as the green flag dropped, immediately challenging another BMW for the lead and securing it in a clean move.

“It was nice to be starting up front of such a huge field,” said Miller, who will complete his studies at the University of Central Florida this spring. “I had some bad luck here last year so I was really looking for some redemption. I was focused on making a clean start and settling in to a good rhythm. Coming into turn 1 I had a run on the leader, but I decided to back off and follow him down to the horseshoe. I wanted to push him pretty early in an effort to run with him and gap the cars behind us, or force him into a mistake. I was able to slip into the lead in turn 6 on the first lap and I never looked back. I had such a great car that I was able to build a lead of over 10 seconds at one point. I didn’t need to be overly aggressive with the ST traffic because of this, and it was a real joy to run at the front.”

The run at the front marked the first laps that Miller has led in KONI Challenge competition, and he proved it was no fluke as he led for a race-high 28 laps before turning the controls over to co-driver David Russell during a pit stop. Russell rejoined in second and fought inside the top 3 until the final laps. He and teammate Jeff Segal in the #09 car worked together, trying everything to get around the two Mustangs in front of them, but the horsepower differential proved to be too much.

“Dave did an awesome job, as always,” said Miller. “It was a treat to get to drive with him, because he and I have been friends for a long time. It’s always so tough to be sitting in the pits, watching your co-driver go by. You’ve got to trust that he will do his best and when you get out of the car, it’s out of your hands. I had total confidence in Dave and I was glad to see him and Jeff working together at the end of the race.”

Locked into a battle for the final spot on the podium, things looked to be crumbling down as an ST-class entry lost control at the entry to the bus stop corner and made heavy contact with the drivers side of the No. 99 Weeden Consulting machine.

“I was watching the live Speed Channel coverage in the pits and I saw the crash happen with less than ten minutes to go. I couldn’t believe how hard the hit was, and once I recovered from the shock of that, I realized that Dave was still circulating and he didn’t even lose a position! I have a bad history in that corner, but this time it was just a bit of body damage, so I was relieved to see the car cross the finish line with a top-five finish.“

Miller and Russell pick up valuable championship points with their strong finish and Miller hopes to continue the trend of strong drives at the front of the field and strong finishes for the rest of the season. Miller’s 2008 plans are not final yet, but he plans to continue to compete for the KONI Challenge GS championship at the next round at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut on May 26th

Additional information available:

Weeden Consultants:
www.weeden-consultants.com

Driver Contact:
John Miller, jonmiller34@gmail.com
www.jonmillerracing.com

Sigalsport led the Rolex 24 at Daytona and finished 14th in DP.

January 27, 2008 - Sigalsport Dinan BMW team finished 14th in the DP class at the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the first round of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series and the most grueling endurance race in North America. With Matt Plumb at the wheel, the No. 7 HighCo / Cintas/ GRW.com.mx / Careco Sigalsport Dinan BMW Riley qualified 9th, proving once again the competitiveness of the team.

The No. 7 car co-driven by Matt Plumb, Stephan Gregoire, Quentin Wahl, Michael Cullen and Paddy Shovlin, led 16 laps during the first hour of the twice around the clock race! This was a remarkable performance from the Sigalsport team and its drivers who did not have a ride a week before due to problems encountered with Fortune Market.

"It was an outstanding performance that we finished the race and also that we led the race" declared Sigalsport team owner, Gene Sigal. "Our crew did a phenomenal job in preparing the car for the race and knowing the budget we had to do it, this was a miracle" added Sigal. "I had to step out of the car and sell my seat to one of our drivers because we had no budget to go racing after what happened with Fortune Market. Our drivers, Matt Plumb, Stephan Gregoire, Quentin Wahl, Paddy Shovlin and Michael Cullen formed a great driver roster and despite four accidents during the race and a gearbox problem that forced the team to change the XTRAC box after six hours, they were able to finish the race in 14th place in DP. We want to thank all the vendors (Dinan, Suntrust, Riley, XTRAC, EMCO, OMP, Guarneros, Dynamic Suspensions, Windrush Evolutions, MOTEC, etc.); our dedicated sponsors (HighCo, Careco and Cintas); our drivers, the friends of the team that financially helped too and our crew who scarified so much and stuck with us. Without all of them the team would not have been able to race at all" declared Sigal.

Matt Plumb and Stephan Gregoire did most of the driving at night and kept the car at the top of the speed chart at all times during their stints. They really helped the team climb back from 45th position after the first two accidents to 28th overall at the finish.

The Dinan BMW V8 engine that was in the car was extremely reliable, knowing that it was the same engine used for the January tests and the race. It really showed that Dinan BMW technicians developed a fantastic engine over the last two seasons and that they must be commended for their efforts. The new Dinan BMW engine will be used for the first time at Homestead by the Sigalsport team in the No. 7 car.

Alex Job Racing/Bill Auberlen Post-Daytona Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 27, 2008) - Just a couple hours after the sun came up on the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team suffered a disappointing blow when something happened to No. 23 Porsche-powered Crawford Daytona Prototype engine.

Driver Joey Hand was running third with nearly four hours remaining in the race when the crew noticed light smoke coming from the rear of the No. 23 machine. At first, they thought it might be a light tire rub and told him that there was some smoke coming from the car. Hand radioed back and said he didn't feel anything wrong. Just about that time, more smoke trailed behind the car and the team told him to pit.

On lap 569, Hand brought the car to pit lane thinking it might be a tire problem. When Hand stopped in the pit box, Hand got out of the car (completing his third consecutive stint) and Bill Auberlen got in. As the team diagnosed the problem, they noticed a lot of fluid under the car and pushed it back to the garage. Once in the garage, the team realized its day was finished due to an engine problem.

"I just wheel when I am told to wheel," Hand said of third consecutive stint. "I drive as hard as I can all the time and as long as I possibly can. And, that's what I did in this race. These guys put a lot of heart and dedication into this program and the least I could do is give it my all. I coach a lot of kids in go karts and I tell them, ‘I'll either win or I'll put on a show.' And, I think we did a great job of putting on a show for Ruby Tuesday and Alex Job.

"We proved that we're going to be contenders. Bill and I are going to be in this car the rest of the season. It was a real pleasure to drive with Pat Long and Andy Wallace. I think we had a team that could have won today. This result was very disappointing because fourth place was five laps back. All I had to do was keep it out of the fence and we would've been fine. Porsche gave us a new, great motor, which is what kept us in the race all night long."

"I told you this car was going to race better than it practiced," Auberlen said encouragingly. "And, it raced like a great piece of machinery with a great team behind it. Everything was going our way. We had a five lap lead on fourth. At worst, I thought, ‘Let's bring this thing home, get a podium, and get some points.' But, this is racing. You can't count your eggs before they hatch.

"This was disappointing. I am not disappointed so much for myself because I've been racing this race since I was 17 years old. I've won it a few times, but I've lost it more than I've won it. So, I am use to it. But, when you see the crew that have been working all night long with their faces black from all of rubber and brake dust, with no sleep, you feel bad for them. Alex Job, the team and all the guys did phenomenal job and I just want to thank them."

"The whole crew prepared the car flawlessly," driver Andy Wallace said. "And, my co-drivers did a fantastic job throughout all of the changing conditions. It was sure nice to see ourselves at the top of the board for quite a long time. Our team put a lot of effort into this race and this year it wasn't meant to be."

"It's very disappointing," Team Owner Alex Job said. "We had a roller coaster ride for about 20 hours. We led a couple of different times. Something happened to the engine. I feel real bad for the drivers because they gave it everything. I feel real bad for the crew. They also gave it everything because they don't sleep. They work straight through. I feel bad for Porsche because we came real close to winning this thing. But, unfortunately it was not today."

The Ruby Tuesday Championship next heads to Homestead Miami Speedway for Round Two of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 March 27-29.

Ruby Tuesday is one of the nation's leading casual dining restaurant companies, with more than 900 restaurants worldwide. It was founded in 1972 by Sandy Beall, who serves as Chairman and CEO today. The company is committed to uncompromising freshness and quality, served by passionate employees who take pride in delighting guests with an excellent dining experience. The menu features a wide variety of fresh signature items and entrees, among them the Fresh Garden Bar, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Chicken Fresco and Premium Aged Prime Sirloin. Guests can also enjoy Ruby Tuesday's renowned fresh handcrafted burgers, featuring its exclusive Triple Prime Burger. Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the NY Stock Exchange (symbol: RT). To find out more about Ruby Tuesday, visit www.rubytuesday.com.

Automatic Racing Daytona Release
January 27, 2008 - DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Automatic Racing started the 2008 Grand-Am KONI Challenge season in style, with finishes of fourth, fifth and seventh for three of the team's BMW M3s.

Grand Sport title defenders Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal finished fourth in the No. 09 Fresh from Florida/Automatic Racing BMW M3, followed across the line by Jon Miller and David Russell in the No. 99 Fresh from Florida M3. Charlie Putnam and Charles Espenlaub had a solid run, moving from 36th on the starting grid to seventh over the course of the three-hour race.

Miller, one of the most impressive drivers in the race, was the top qualifier for Automatic Racing after posting the third-quickest time. After the green flag, he moved into the race lead on the first lap and held onto the top spot for a long 28 laps.

Finally, after an hour of racing, Miller had to pit to refuel the No. 99, which carried the Weeden Consultants banner this weekend, and he turned the controls over to Russell. Russell ran as high as third during the remainder of the race before finally finishing fifth. With only two laps to go, Russell managed to keep the car in control despite a violent hit from another car, narrowly avoiding late-race disaster.

"Given our drama at the end I just wanted to see the car make it to the checkered flag," said Miller. "I'm ecstatic to have led so long at the start. The cautions didn't go our way but that's racing."

"I'm really happy we were able to get a great finish for the Fresh from Florida representatives and the Commissioner," said Russell, referring to Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson, who was on hand for the race. "It's great to get a solid standing in the points early. The next track is much better for BMWs and we'll be aiming for the podium."

Thornton was only able to qualify 25th because of rain during the qualifying session, but he got to work moving the No. 09 through the field and led the race for three laps before pitting under caution to hand over to Segal.

Segal ran as high as third, lapping without a hood after a mounting bracket broke. The loss of bodywork didn't slow him down, and he and Thornton got an excellent start to their championship defense by earning fourth.

"I'm very happy with fourth today," said Thornton. "This is traditionally a Mustang track and to be the top BMW is great for the team. As a team owner I'm extremely pleased to have three cars in the top seven. Everybody did great today."

Putnam and Espenlaub are making their debut with Automatic Racing this weekend, but their flawless teamwork handed them seventh in their first outing in the No. 91 M3. Espenlaub, who drove the second stint, was up to 11th before a stop and go dropped him to 20th. Undaunted, he got to work making up positions before finally breaking into the top ten.

"It's fantastic to get this result for our first race in the car. Charles did a fantastic job. I'm happy I could get the car to him in a good position and in good shape. I can't say enough good about the car and the team," said Putnam.

The No. 90 Automatic Racing BMW M3 of Joe Masessa and Nick Longhi were plagued by a fuel pump failure that forced the car into retirement. It was a disappointment to both since the drivers were steadily working their way toward the front.

The next KONI Challenge race for Automatic Racing will be at Lime Rock Park from May 23-26.

Fans can keep up with Automatic Racing's season in both KONI Challenge and the Grand-Am Rolex Series at www.AutomaticRacing.com.

01-22-2008
Duncan Ende Returns to the Track and the Tube This Weekend!
While winter is still very much in evidence in much of the country, the Grand Am Rolex Sportscar Series and Grand Am Koni Challenge are poised to kick off the 2008 racing season this weekend.
The action gets started on Friday afternoon when Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly begin their run at the 2008 Koni Challenge championship. The No. 39 Digitrust Group/Adams Polishes/Fox River Coffee Porsche 997 is set to take on a field approaching 100 cars in the Fresh From Florida 200 along the high banking of the world famous Daytona International Speedway.

The following day, Duncan Ende makes his Rolex Series debut aboard the No. 63 TRG Porsche GT3 Cup car in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Teaming with Ron Yarab Jr., Pierre Bourque, and Hima Maher, Duncan and his codrivers will pilot the 420 horsepower, 175 mph GT car twice around the clock in one of the most historic and prestigious tests of car and driver speed and endurance in the world.

The Rolex 24 will be televised live on Fox on Saturday the 26th, starting with a half hour pre-race show at 1:00 pm Eastern, 10:00 am Pacific, and continuing through the wave of the green flag for 90 minutes of coverage before turning over to Speed Channel, who will bring you another 15.5 hours of coverage up to and past the fall of the checkered flag on Sunday afternoon. Don/'t miss the bright red No. 6 car take on the best field of sportscar racers in the world on the legendary 3.56 mile Daytona track!

Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly return to the airwaves with the Koni Challenge series aboard the No. 39 Porsche. Speed Channel will bring you the Fresh From Florida 200, Saturday February 2nd, at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific. Speed will be airing six Koni Challenge races throughout the year, bringing you some of the most exciting and diverse production based car racing in the world!

www.duncanende.com
The DigiTrust Group
Adams Polishes
Fox River Coffees Racers Roast
Koni Challenge

11-06-2007
Successful Rookie Debut Hints at Great Possibility In 2008
When Los Angeles native Duncan Ende first decided to take on the call of the Koni Challenge in 2007, to many outsiders it seemed like a daunting task. With a background purely in the open wheel ranks, the change to a heavier, softer-sprung TRG Porsche 997 was undoubtedly a major challenge for the 22-year old.

“The Porsche was definitely a different beast from what I’d been driving in the past, but the opportunities with Grand-Am and TRG were just too tempting to pass up” stated Ende.

However, after dueling it out with a number of very experienced competitors during the 12-race season, Duncan can proudly look back on a very accomplished debut year, which would result in three top-10 finishes, including leading several races & a season best 4th in Lime Rock, Connecticut.

“Duncan’s progression throughout the season was exceptional” noted TRG team owner Kevin Buckler. “We had a young man who came in to our development program as one of open wheel racing’s more promising talents, and through his focus, determination, and open minded attitude with our engineers and driving coaches, I can proudly say that Duncan is becoming one of sports-car racing’s fastest-rising stars.”

One of the reasons Duncan decided to take the plunge with TRG was because of their highly-rated driver development program. Utilizing the best available on-board data acquisition software and video, and coupling Duncan with such standout coaches as Daytona 24 Hour winners Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, and Grant Maiman the ability for Duncan to quickly get on the pace was greatly helped by TRG’s resources.

“I have to thank guys like Andy and Spencer, and of course my 2007 co-driver Grant Maiman. These guys were constantly feeding me with positive re-enforcement as well as constructive critiques, and I think that all combined to such a fun year,” stated Ende.

“Duncan’s progress throughout 2007 was impressive. He really kept me honest at the end of the year, and my best memory was watching him run in the top three in Utah,” stated TRG coach, and Duncan’s 2007 teammate, Grant Maiman.

Spencer Pumpelly will be Duncan’s team mate for the 2008 Koni Challenge season.

I think with Spencer’s talent and TRG’s teamwork, there’s no reason we can’t seriously run for the championship next year.” said Duncan.

With 2007 now fresh in everyone’s minds, and Duncan and Spencer preparing for their first test together at the upcoming November test days, the team shows nothing but promise.

“I think all of our cars have a great shot at the Koni title next year,” exclaimed Kevin Buckler, “but without doubt Duncan and Spencer are going to be really tough for everyone to beat. We have two top-line drivers in that car and a year of experience under all of our belts and I think everyone in the paddock is going to take notice.”

Duncan Ende will continue with his sponsorship from a number of different organizations in 2008, including the DigiTrust Group, Adam’s Premium Car Care Products, KnowledgeNews.net, and even his own “Racer’s Roast” brand from the Fox River Coffee Company.

TRG is a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance automotive parts, an engine and chassis building and tuning facility, a full-service race-car preparation shop and multiple professional race teams. The company also provides electrical and mechanical engineering services, driver development and arrive-and-drive services. TRG is based in Petaluma, Calif., near its home track of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Porsche Lends Support to TRG's Seven-Car Daytona Assault
PETALUMA, Calif (December 28, 2007) -- Setting out for next week's Daytona Test Days, The Racer's Group has one goal in mind-to continue the winning streak. Having reached the podium five of the last six years, including winning once in class and once overall, TRG is seen as one of the favorites to win the GT class in the 46th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona January 25-28.

The odds just got a little better. As if entering seven Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 cars filled with a number of previous winners and strong drivers wasn't enough, TRG has signed four of Porsche's top factory drivers to the TRG roster. Romain Dumas, Emanuel Collard, Richard Westbrook and Martin Ragginger will join the team to assist in the effort at Daytona.

"TRG has had an incredible streak in the last six years, and we're ready to include this year as the seventh," stated an excited TRG team owner Kevin Buckler. "Porsche has been an incredible partner since we started this team, and their continued confidence in us pushes us that much harder to hold up our end of the bargain. 'Excellence was expected' is one of Porsche's mottos, and we plan to deliver."

Hopes are high for TRG's number 66 Porsche GT3 Cup 997. The drivers will be Bryce Miller, Ted Ballou, and Andy Lally. Running the 66 for the full season, Bryce Miller will be driving in his first race with the team after an impressive 2007 rookie season in Rolex GT. As an IMSA Cup champion, Bryce is also widely recognized as one of the best Porsche drivers around. California native Ted Ballou will join the group for his second Daytona run. After a winning season in the Koni Challenge series, Ballou wants to capitalize on his growing experience with a strong team. Andy Lally, TRG's long time multi-series champion, adds an exclamation point to the group.

"I am extremely excited to be driving with TRG at this historic event," stated the young Miller. "The team is focused on a championship in 2008, and I have to thank Porsche and the entire TRG squad for really stepping up to help make this a realistic possibility. Daytona is the toughest race of the year, so having a terrific car and talented teammates will only help.

Looking to defend last year's podium, JLowe Racing's number 64 TRG entry is another standout. The regular pairing of Jim Lowe and Rolex 24 winner Jim Pace will share the 64 car. This will be their fourth year together. Lowe is a Neurosurgeon by weekday and professional race-driver by weekend. He has shown a steady rise in performance over the last two years, highlighted strongly by last year's podium at Daytona.
"Jim Lowe and all of the guys on the 64 have been an incredible group to work with over the past two years," continued Buckler, who is excited to be running another year with the group. "The 64 car has quickly become one of Rolex GT's stronger competitors, and it's been a real treat to have a group of their caliber under our umbrella. Jim and Jim are tough competitors and have become good friends and that makes it even more satisfying to help them achieve their goals."

"We've got a tremendous line up for this year, and we definitely want to be on the podium again, perhaps even higher!" exclaimed Lowe. "Last year's result was a major highlight for me, and I'd love to go home with a watch this year."

Joining Lowe and Pace will be Tim Sugden, RJ Valentine, and Johannes Van Overbeek. Daytona veteran Valentine and teammate Andy Lally won more Rolex GT races than any other driver in 2007, and will be running in at least eight races for 2008. Van Overbeek is the recipient of the 2007 Porsche International Driver's Cup, after being one of only two drivers who managed to take Porsche to victory in the American Le Mans GT2 category. Porsche selects one independent driver a year for the honor, with an alumni list that includes Bob Wollek, Marc Lieb, and Kevin Buckler after his wins at Daytona and Le Mans in 2002. JLowe Racing's fifth driver Tim Sugden won this prestigious trophy in 2005, adding to his impressive list of accomplishments.

TRG's 67 car is yet another entrant with high expectations for this year's Rolex 24. As a car with four hot young talents, patience and consistency will be the key to their race. Driving in his first Rolex 24, season long driver Tim George, Jr. puts it best. "I feel we have one of the top driver line-ups for the race, and I have to thank TRG for helping me get this together. I look forward to making my 2008 debut with TRG among such great co-drivers. I understand that we must all stay clean and consistent. As in everything I do, I will give this race my best effort."

Running in his second Rolex GT race for TRG, New York native Tim George, Jr. will be joined by an all-star line-up. Tim had an impressive rookie season in last years Koni Challenge, and looks to continue his success. Driving alongside Tim for the whole season will be the 2006 Daytona 24 Hour winner Spencer Pumpelly. Spencer will be looking to add another watch to his collection, or perhaps give it to his recently engaged fiancé?! In addition, 2001 US F2000 Champion Bryan Sellers will join the 67 car lineup. Bryan will be running select races in 2008 for TRG with RJ Valentine.

When it comes to legends, look no further than the line-up in TRG's number 62 entry. Featuring five drivers from different backgrounds, the team is highlighted by one of sportscar racing's most colorful characters, Jack Baldwin.

"I've been friends with Kevin for a very long time, and it's great to run together this year," stated the Trans-Am legend Baldwin. "We've got some really hungry guys in this car, and I want to see everyone get the best out of this experience."

Driving alongside Baldwin will be Claudio Burtin, Scott Tucker, and Ed Zabinski. Burtin has a wealth of experience in various sportscar and Trans-Am machines, and is a longtime friend of Baldwin. Kansas native Scott Tucker joins the team for his second run in Daytona. In spite of running his first professional car race in 2006, Tucker has already elevated himself to a proven winner in 2007's Ferrari Challenge series. In his 23 years of racing, Zabinski has driven open-wheel cars, sportscars and Prototypes. "This is a great car with a terrific group of drivers. Keep an eye on these guys" commented Buckler. The 62 car will be sponsored by Foametix, the leader in spray-on foam insulation.

DUNCAN'S VIEW
In the 63 car, youth and experience is the name of the game for this foursome. Starting with 22-year old Duncan Ende, speed and patience will be the key to his race. As one of the up and coming stars in last year's Koni Challenge series, and one of TRG's newest professional drivers, Ende will be making his Daytona 24 debut. Joining Ende will be Ron Yarab, Pierre Bourque, and Hima Maher. Bourque brings a wealth of experience in different forms of motorsports, from driving Porsches to NASCAR. Yarab is making his first Daytona start after testing successfully with the team in 2007. Maher is living his dream with the opportunity to race in the 24, and welcomes his new sponsor Wiegele Helicopter.
"Running at Daytona with the history, prestige, and number of drivers that are coming is unbelievable," stated the young Duncan Ende. "This is undoubtedly the biggest race of my life, and I look forward to making the best of it."

Also in the "legends" category, completing TRG's seven-car attack will be the 65 of Russ Oasis, Tom Atherton, Jim Stout, Jason Daskalos and veteran Tommy Archer. For years the group has been recognized as a staple for the Dodge Viper brand, competing and winning in the Trans-Am and the Speed World Challenge series. Having driven at Daytona for years with Dodge, the opportunity to run with TRG and Porsche will provide a new challenge.
"The 65 car is our sleeper car," stated Buckler. "These guys are all accomplished racers, they're smart, and they are all good friends. These are critical ingredients for a successful race at Daytona. Tommy Archer is one of the most recognized and respected drivers in sportscar racing. He's run his own team for years and managed to garner a lot of success. It's a real honor that they came to us for this year's race, and I know they bet on the right horse."

Car 68 is back with a vengeance again this year piloted by a trio of Skip Barber all stars and friends. Michael Gomez, Michael Auriemma, and John Mayes will be making their first run as a team together in a brand new TRG prepared 08 car. It will be the 2nd Daytona 24 for Gomez and Auriemma. "This is a great group of guys and they all have extensive experience at the speedway and will rely on their speed, smarts and good team chemistry for this years successful run" commented Buckler.

The addition of the four Factory Porsche Drivers will really put a cap on this incredible TRG lineup. Romain Dumas is coming off a stellar year in 2007. Running full-time for Roger Penske's American Le Mans Series effort in the Porsche RS Spyder, the Frenchman accumulated eight wins to earn him the LMP2 championship. Emmanuel Collard is considered one of the most versatile drivers in the paddock. Having driven everything from Formula One cars to Daytona Prototypes he will be looking for his 2nd win at Daytona
Also from the Porsche squad will be 2006 Porsche Supercup Champion Richard Westbrook, the latest in Porsche's arsenal of factory drivers. Completing the line-up will be Porsche's newest German hot-shoe Martin Ragginger.

The addition of these drivers by Porsche to the TRG squad is a major honor for Buckler. "We have a long history of working hand in hand with Porsche and the Factory Drivers here at Daytona and with quite some success. We understand and respect that is a major vote of confidence by Porsche in our teams abilities to once again deliver the goods and we are ready. I honored to a part of this tradition and to have Romain, Emmanuel, Richard and Martin as part of my squad. These guys are the best or the best and they are truly welcome addition to this years Daytona effort.

With the next test only days away and the race only a few weeks away, Daytona brings a combination of challenge and promise. Seven cars are a major task, requiring over 100 crewmembers, a caravan of haulers, and endless amounts of food and drinks. Not to mention many flights, hotels and extremely detailed planning for the whole army. However, for TRG this is all part of the tradition.

"It is sort of a logistical nightmare but these guys are used to it by now and everything tends to flow smoothly," joked Buckler. "We're able to run so many cars because we employ incredibly talented people to run the program. Our experienced and efficient operation allows us accomplish things that smaller teams can't and to try and make every aspect of our program first class so that everyone benefits. As our support from Porsche demonstrates, TRG has always prided itself on putting the best group of guys in place to do what they do best. This is the only way we could continue to pull this off year after year. Our driver line-up is one of the strongest ever for 2008. There's not a weak shoe in the whole group, and not a single driver who can't maintain a solid pace. It's going to be tough, but it would be nice to see the top step of the podium again. We are confident and we are ready."

No. 62 Jack Baldwin, Claudio Burtin, Scott Tucker, Ed Zabinski?No. 63 Duncan Ende, Ron Yarab, Pierre Bourque, Hima Maher.?No. 64 Jim Lowe, Jim Pace, RJ Valentine, Johannes van Overbeek No. 65 Russ Oasis, Tom Atherton, Jim Stout, Jason Daskalos, Tommy ArcherNo. 66 Bryce Miller, Ted Ballou, Andy Lally. No. 67 Spencer Pumpelly, Tim George, Bryan Sellers No. 68 Michael Gomez, Michael Auriemma, John Mayes?At Large Romain Dumas, Emanuel Collard, Richard Westbrook, Martin Ragginger

TRG is a manufacturer and distributor of high performance automotive parts. TRG is also an engine and chassis building and tuning facility. There is a full service racecar preparation shop and facility to house the professional race teams. The company also provides electrical and mechanical engineering services, driver development and arrive and drive programs. TRG is based in Petaluma California, near its home track of Infineon Raceway.