ROLEX 24: Pruett Leads Opening Day of Daytona Testing... Multimatic's Maxwell fast in Contingental Sports Car Challenge sessions

Pruett, Ganassi 'Roar' In Opening Day Of Testing ... Defending DP Champions Lead Both Sessions At Daytona ... TRG's Pumpelly Fastest In GT As 3-Day Practice Begins

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - (Jan. 7, 2011) - Picking up where he left off last year, Scott Pruett ran the fastest laps Friday at Daytona International Speedway to lead the opening day of the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" in the car that dominated last year's Daytona Prototype championship.

The three-day session is giving competitors in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 an opportunity to prepare for the 49th runnning of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, set for Jan. 29-30.

"The Rolex 24 is our Super Bowl," Pruett said.

"A lot of energy goes into this event. It's monumental."

Pruett and co-driver Memo Rojas -- they pilot the No. 01 TELMEX/Target  BMW/Riley, for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates -- won nine of 12 races en route to the 2010 DP title. Ganassi's organization won the Rolex 24 three times from 2006-08, and finished second the past two years. Joey Hand tested with the team for the first time on Friday, and will be joined by second-generation IndyCar star Graham Rahal on Saturday.

Spencer Pumpelly was fastest in GT testing with an afternoon lap of 1:50.170 (116.329 mph) in the No. 67 Sargent & Lundy Porsche 911 GT3 Cup co-driven by Andy Lally, Steven Bertheau, Wolf Henzler and Brendan Gaughan. That lap was quickest than Bill Auberlen's time of 1:50.377 that led the morning session in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 co-driven by Boris Said, Paul Dalla Lana and Matt Plumb.

The test was the first official GRAND-AM event on the repaved speedway section of the 3.56-mile road circuit.

"The paving is phenomenal," said Ozz Negri, who shares the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley with John Pew, Marc Goossens and Michael Valiante. "It's  smooth as can be. It is a real joy going through the oval without the car going up and down. The transitions are very smooth, and I like the chicane better. I wouldn't do a single thing differently."

Saturday's testing begins at 9 a.m., and concludes with a 6:30-8 p.m. night session. Sunday activities run from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. All-access tickets are $15 both days - free to Rolex 24 ticket holders - with admission located at either of the speedway tunnels.

NOTES: A.J. Allmendinger, Michael McDowell and Justin Wilson were introduced as drivers of the No. 6 Curb Records Ford/Dallara, part of a three-car effort by Michael Shank Racing. ... John Edwards and Adam Christodoulou, who co-drove for SpeedSource in 2009, will join Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito in the No. 70 Mazdaspeed Mazda RX-8, looking to give the team its third Rolex 24 GT victory in four years. ... NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Colin Braun was added to the Starworks Motorsport lineup on the team's No. 8 Corsa Car Care Ford/Riley, joining defending Rolex 24 winner Ryan Dalziel, Mike Forest and Tomas Enge. Dalziel was second-fastest in Friday afternoon testing. ... Canadian Scott Maxwell led both Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge sessions in the Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302R. The Camaro of John Edwards and Matt Bell was second in the morning in the Stevenson Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro, while Billy Johnson and Jack Roush Jr. were second in the afternoon in the Roush Performance Ford Mustang.

From J.J. O'Malley, GRAND-AM Public Relations

Lucas Oil Sportsman Series: Lucas Oil Returns for 2011

Lucas Oil re-signs as title sponsor for the NSCA, and the 2011 season for the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series. This marks the 3rd season that Lucas Oil has stamped its brand on the Ontario wide touring series.

“We are excited to extend our relationship with Lucas Oil for another season,” stated Series Director Dave Connelly. “Lucas Oil is a huge supporter of motorsports at all levels and their continued support is a strong testament to the quality and professionalism of this series.”

The 2011 schedule will see a return to Delaware Speedway for the series opener on May 20th as well as the Labour Day event, Mosport Speedway will host the series as their feature for fans on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series weekend event on June 25th.

Sunset Speedway is next with a July 10th special event, Peterborough Speedway, Sauble and Flamboro Speedway wrap up the schedule for 2011. The 2011 schedule will feature both 100 lap and twin 50 format to offer the fans great side by side exciting racing.

Lucas is a top selling additive line in the North American truck stop industry, producing the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere.

"Our forte is to make better products for industries and specialty situations that are not having their needs completely satisfied by other oil products and, believe me, the major oil companies have left a lot of weak spots," says company President Forrest Lucas. "We have an excellent staff and a world of technology which we have gained through years of research. Together we have done a great deal in a short period of time and we intend to do a lot more."

Daytona Line-Up Announced For #8 Starworks Motorsport Entry

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (January 07, 2011) – Starworks Motorsport is pleased to announce it will field an experienced five-driver line-up when the #8 Miracle Grout Shield Ford-Riley Daytona Prototype hits the track for the ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’, hosted at the legendary Daytona International Speedway in Florida, 27th – 30th January 2011.

Showcasing experience across a variety of international motorsport platforms including Formula One, NASCAR and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, the team’s entry consists of defending ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’ Champion Ryan Dalziel (SCO), together with his Starworks Motorsport team-mate from last season Mike Forest (CAN), while Tomas Enge (CZE), Colin Braun (USA) and Jim Lowe (USA) complete the driver roster.

“I’m really excited about our line-up in the #8 car,” commented Starworks Motorsport Team Principal, Peter Baron. “I’m glad that Ryan and Mike will be working together again and that Ryan and Tomas are reunited after some successful outings for me in the past. We’ve had Colin Braun on our radar for the ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’ for some time and I’m glad it’s going to work out this time to get him in our car.

“We’re also happy to be welcoming a Daytona Prototype newcomer in the form of Jim Lowe. He’s got a wealth of experience at this event in the GT class so we know he’ll be a solid driver for us as we target the top step of the podium. We had a ton of interest from drivers to take the seats now filled by Tomas and Colin but we like the fact that they’re ‘no-ego’ racers and that they share our desire to win. We know our car will be fast with Bill Riley calling the shots on engineering and with Ford power pushing us around the track!”

Dalziel won last year’s ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’ before joining Starworks Motorsport to partner with Forest for his most competitive season to-date in the Grand-Am Series, the Orlando-based Scot finishing fifth in the points at season’s end. Peter Baron’s strongest finish as a team owner at the ‘Rolex 24’ came in the form of a second place runner-up finish back in 2007.

The ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’, the opening round of the 2011 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, starts at 3pm EST on Saturday 29th January with 24 hours of flat-out endurance racing following on the 3.56-mile road-course layout at Daytona International Speedway. The race will be broadcast live in parts by SPEED – www.speedtv.com

For further information on the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series please log on to: www.grand-am.com

www.starworksmotorsport.com

ACT: Canadian stars set to invade New Smyrna Speedway in February

Waterbury, VT – Quebec City racer Donald Theetge might have been the first Canadian to enter the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Goodyear Speedweek Cup event to be held at the New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, but the Canadian competitor list continues to lead the way toward the first-ever ACT events to be held during the World Series of Asphalt Short Track Racing in New Smyrna. The two 100-lap main events will be held on Sunday, February 13th and Monday, February 14th.

While many head to Daytona during Speedweeks in February, most asphalt short track fans can be found each night from February 10th-19th during the 10 days that is the World Series of Short Track racing in nearby New Smyrna, FL. The tradition of northern competitors heading to Florida from the days of Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, Bugsy Stevens and a host of the greatest from the Northeast Modified division to Late Model Canadian great Jr. Hanley--- New Smyrna has always been the place to be during the heart of the northern winters.

ACT announced today that 2010 Castrol Champion Karl Allard has entered his Quebec City Larue Industrial team into the inaugural Goodyear Speedweek Cup event. Allard narrowly beat out another Quebec Champion, Patrick Laperle from Montreal, QC, who has also entered the two events. Laperle is one of the few ACT drivers to compete at New Smyrna in the past few years. His family team led most of the World Series standings in 2009 in the Late Model crate division before he was wrecked in the next to last night of competition. The Allard-Laperle rivalry will get an early start in 2011.

Other notable Canadian teams that will make the trek to New Smyrna include Quebec veteran Yvon ‘The Bullet’ Bedard and London, Ontario’s Jonathan Urlin. A large number of young Canadian teams have entered, including: Justin Holtom, Tim Dorning and Spencer Macpherson from the Ottawa region of Ontario, along with Castrol regulars Patrick Hamel and Kevin Roberge from Quebec.

“We are really excited about the pre-entries we have received. I don’t think we will have any problem filling our 26-car field with the support we are getting. Right now we have an equal number of Canadian and US teams who have entered, and we expect another half dozen entries by the January 10 deadline,” said Tina Gallison, Director of Administration for ACT.

The Goodyear Speedweek Cup will use the unique qualifying system of heat racing, and each 100-lap event will award points on two consecutive nights to determine the overall standings and the first winner of the Goodyear Speedweek Cup.

From ACT

Kia Canada Inc. completes 2010 with a record year of 53, 882 units sold and continues industry-leading streak of 24 consecutive months of sales growth

-2010 is Best Year in Kia Canada’s 11 year history
-Sales growth momentum continues at industry leading 2 full years
-Kia Canada records 11 record sales months in 2010
-December 2010 sales increase 14.9 per cent
-2010 year-to-date sales increase 16.8 per cent
-Kia Canada out-paces industry sales in 2010

Mississauga, ON, January 4, 2011 – Kia Canada Inc. completed 2010 with a record year reporting 53,882 sales nationally marking a successful year for the eleven year old Company in Canada. Kia Canada was also successful in December 2010 by extending the industry-leading sales streak of 24 consecutive months which currently leads all manufacturers in Canada largely driven by Canadian demand for the Kia product line-up and a strong dealer network. Kia Canada also recorded 11 best-ever or record breaking months in 2010 including the month of December with 3039 vehicles reported while sustaining a 14.9% increase over December 2009. Kia Canada finished up 2010 by out-pacing industry performance with a 16.8% increase versus 2009 results.

“2010 was an exceptional year for Kia Canada and its retailers executing 3 successful, all-new vehicle launches with the 2011 Sorento CUV, 2011 Sportage CUV and the 2011 Forte5-Door compact car while sustaining aggressive results with the balance of the Kia product portfolio” said Maria Soklis, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kia Canada Inc. “2011 is a pivotal year for Kia as it marks the second year of its design-led transformation starting with the all-new 2011 Kia Optima mid-size sedan in early 2011 offering world-class design, technology including all-new powertrains and safety”.

2010 also signified record sales for the top three selling product lines including the Forte line-up, the Sorento and Kia Soul which was the first vehicle to launch the current design-led transformation by Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. Additionally, the product offensive will continue into 2011 starting with the all-new Kia Optima and followed by four additional exciting vehicles that exude the winning formula that has been the staple of success for Kia over the last 24 months. “Kia Canada will experience another exceptional year in 2011 through the strengthening of our product breadth and continuing to provide a product line-up that includes high quality, fuel efficient vehicles that Canadians desire” added Maria Soklis.

Sales Highlights

Kia Canada Inc. experienced its best year on record in its eleven year history in Canada:

2010 Top 5 volume Sales

Forte: 13,578 (best year)
Sorento: 10,214 (best year)
Soul: 9,857 (best year)
Rio: 7,887
Rondo: 6,307

January Incentives Kia Canada commences its new program for January launching the “The Kia New Year’s Revolution” allowing a cash purchase of the 2011 Rio for $9995 (plus delivery, destination, applicable taxes and other fees) when combining all incentive offers. Incentive offers for January are up to $6000. A unique offering of 0% financing over an 84 month term will be available on all 2011Kia Rio sub-compact vehicles. In addition, other low rate financing for other 2011 vehicles will be available along with the offer of “Don’t Pay until Spring”. These options make it easier to acquire a new Kia vehicle. Cash buyers can also select up to seven vehicles from Kia Canada’s line-up for under $20,000

NOVICH AND ROGERS TO DRIVE WITH COMPASS360 RACING

(Toronto, Canada) -- Grand-Am's Continental Tire Street Tuner Champions, Compass360 Racing, added two talented rookies to their four-car program for 2011, today announcing the signing of Andrew Novich and Dan Rogers. The duo will share the team's #77 Honda Civic Si starting at Daytona Test Days next week.

Californian Novich is no stranger to the team, having driven with C360R in the last year's season finale at Miller Motorsports Park in September. "Andrew had very little time in our car at Miller," noted Team Principal Karl Thomson. "He was on the pace immediately, and he really impressed us with his feedback and relaxed attitude. We've been watching him progress through TDI Cup and are excited to be working with Andrew as he moves into the role of a pro driver over the coming seasons."

Rogers, who hails from Anchorage, Alaska, has raced primarily in the Pacific Northwest and is keen to move up to Grand-Am. "I've raced a few BMWs in Pro-3 and GT2 and am really looking forward to learning the Honda. I've raced against previous C360R drivers Kevin York and Ted Anthony Jr., and know the team will give me a great car."

Driver development specialists Speed Secrets will be supporting the car along with returning sponsors Skunk2, Honda Performance Development, Powerslot Rotors and Cobalt Brakes. "All of the pieces are coming together for another great season for Compass360 Racing," remarked Technical Director Ray Lee. "We've got some really strong drivers signed up to help us try and get another Manufacturer's Championship for Honda and go for our third straight Driver's and Team's title. The competition's always tough in this series, but we're ready."

Test Days at Daytona, or the "Roar Before the 24", take place at the famed track on January 7-9th, in advance of the first Continental Tire race of the season on January 27-28, 2011. Tickets for Test Days and the Race are available at the Daytona International Speedway website, here: http://tinyurl.com/2vfq6o7

Compass 360 Communications, a firm offering marketing expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. The team, with support from Honda Performance Development (HPD), fields four front-running Honda Civic Si's in Grand-Am's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, winning series Championships in 2010, 2009 and 2007. The team also won the 2010 Canadian Touring Car Championship, with support from Durabond. For details visit http://C360R.com.