Global Motorsports Group Announces Three Car World Challenge Team for 2010

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Coming off of its strongest season yet in the World Challenge Championship, Global Motorsports Group is announcing its return to the championship for the 2010 season.

GMG, based in Southern California, will return with a trio of Porsche 911 GT3s to compete in the World Challenge GT class. Leading the team will be team owner and driver James Sofronas of Newport Beach, Calif. Sofronas enjoyed a stellar 2009 season, in which he scored wins at the Long Beach Grand Prix and at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on his way to finishing a career-best second in the championship.

Joining him will be series veteran Dino Crescentini, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., who is back for his third season in the Stoptech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3. Crescentini scored a win in 2009 at Watkins Glen International Raceway, on his way to finishing the season in ninth place. In the third GMG Porsche will be William Ziegler, the 2009 World Challenge Rookie of the Year. All three cars will be outfitted with GMG’s line of World Challenge parts, StopTech brakes, Sparco safety gear and BBS wheels. GMG also enjoys a close association with Porsche Motorsports North America.

“There is no doubt that World Challenge is one of the most competitive and demanding racing series in North America,” said Fabryce Kutyba, co-owner of Global Motorsports Group. “This allows us to develop and test our World Challenge line of components and complete packages for Porsche cars. GMG’s products are the direct result of our involvement in motorsport, and through this race winning experience we are able to develop the best products in the world to enhance performance and maintain factory reliability.”

“We are very happy and proud to announce that we are returning to World Challenge GT with all three of our 2009 drivers for this season,” said Sofronas. “World Challenge has been the foundation on which we have built our race team and our Porsche product line. GMG World Challenge parts can be found not only on our race cars, but our customer’s street and race cars. We are excited to see what 2010 holds for us.

“On a personal level, I can’t wait to get back into the No.14 GMG Porsche GT3 and fight for a championship. Finishing second last year and getting those two wins was great, but now it is time to go after the top spot at the awards banquet. I can’t wait for the lights to go out in St. Petersburg.”

Sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing, the 12-race 2010 World Challenge Championship begins March 26-28 with a doubleheader race weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. For more information, please visit www.world-challenge.com.


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Nemco Motorsports Signs Waverly Property Group As Associate Sponsor For Daytona Speedweeks 2010

NEMCO Motorsports today announced a partnership with Waverly Property Group of Daytona Beach, which includes associate sponsorship of driver Joe Nemechek’s entries in this month’s Speedweeks events at Daytona International Speedway.

Waverly Property Group, an independent real estate company with a focus on waterfront properties, will serve as associate sponsor on Nemechek’s No. 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup and No. 87 Nationwide Series cars throughout the events in Daytona. The partnership marks Waverly Property Group’s first venture as a team sponsor with NEMCO.

"We welcome Waverly Property Group to the NEMCO Motorsports team and look forward to giving them the best experience possible," said Nemechek. "We’re guaranteed a qualifying spot in the Nationwide Series race and feel very confident about qualifying for the Daytona 500 given our success rate last season. We’re coming into Daytona prepared not just to qualify well – but to race well."

Nemechek, a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner and former NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, spent the majority of the 2009 season qualifying for races in the hopes of finding funding to race. Fielding both NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series cars out of his family-owned NEMCO Motorsports shop again in 2010, Nemechek says they’ll take it one race at a time.

"We had a lean staff at NEMCO over the off-season but our guys put in the extra hours to get ready for Daytona," Nemechek explained. "Our hope is if we can have a good effort, a potential sponsor may take notice and find NEMCO to be an appropriate and affordable fit. For now, we’re coming to Daytona to race 300 miles in the Nationwide race (Feb. 13) and 500 miles in the Daytona 500 (Feb. 14). We’re thankful for the support of Waverly Property Group in helping us kick off the 2010 season.


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Western Motorsports 2010 plans announced

Western Motorsports Announces 2010 Schedule/Drivers
Ready to Kick off Season at Parker 425

Escondido, CA-Western Motorsports announced today their 2010 drivers lineup and race schedule for 2010. The Escondido, California based team will compete in both endurance desert racing and short-course racing. Sean Backus has been tabbed as the primary driver of the 7200 Class #7265 Eleven Western Builders Chevrolet. Backus will compete for the Best in the Desert Racing Association championship along with a tentative run in the Baja 500 and Baja 1000. Secondary driver Brett Backus will share driving duties for the 7265 team including a primary start for the first race of the year. Sean Backus will not be able to make the first start at the Parker 425 due to an off-track injury. Filling in for the inured Backus will be long time veteran racer Danny Ashcraft. The 7265 team is also pleased to announce they will rely on the strength of BFGoodrich Tires for the 2010 season.

After finishing in the top five in both the Protruck and Best in the Desert series points championship, Western Motorsports will return for a championship chase in their #1265 Eleven Western Builders Ford Protruck. Rick Backus has been named the primary driver of record for 2010 with veteran off road racer Dave Mason splitting the driving duties with Backus.

The third Western Motorsports team is all new for 2010. Dave Mason Jr., who graduated from the Kart Modified Division in the Lucas Oil Series at the end of last year. Mason Jr. will pilot the new Western Motorsports #365 Alumacraft Chassied 1600cc Limited Buggy in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. The car was previously campaigned by Team Green Army's driver Mike Halliday and is being prepped for Mason Jr's debut. The first race of the 2010 season will be at the Lucas Oil Facility in Lake Elsinore Ca. on March 5th through the 7th. For more information on the Lucas Oil Series go to www.lucasoiloffroad.com

Western Motorsports hasn't had much of an off season. They moved into their new race facility this past week. The new location is shared with sponsor Eleven Western Builders retail services division and provides greater space and organization for the team. The shop will be Co-managed by PRO Truck Crew Chief Josh Nelson and #7265 Truck Crew Chief and Team Engine Specialist Steve Reeder.

"I think we have a good plan and solid organization heading into this year," said team owner Rick Backus. "Maybe more than we ever had in the past. All of the team leaders sat down at the end of last year to plan 2010. The first question I asked is why do we do this? We determined that winning was secondary to enjoying what we do. We off-road race because there is no other feeling like it. We all share a passion for it. With that phrase at the top of the list [enjoying what we do] we determined our approach to planning the year."

"Second on the list is winning races," added Backus. "But really it all comes back to enjoying the process of racing. I think we'll be more organized this year and have a structure for the team in place that keeps things fun, but efficient, and that ultimately will lead us to success."

The team will be testing all race vehicles this weekend with the first race kicking off February 5-7 at the Legendary Blue Water Resorts and Casino Parker 425. The race is known as the "crown jewel" of desert races. Western Motorsports has entered both the #7265 Chevy Truck and the #1265 Protruck Ford. Navigating the way for Brett Backus and Danny Ashcraft will be veteran co-driver Greg Atherton for the 7265 team. Dave Mason will start the race for the team's Protruck with Rob Fox riding shotgun to navigate. Rick Backus will take over the pilot seat along with co-driver Mark Moffatt near the midway point of the race. From the time trials run to the new Downtown Parker Experience to the race itself catch it all LIVE at www.bitd.com


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Championship-Winning Auh Motorsports Announces Its 2010 European Racing Programme

Abu Dhabi-based racing team, AUH Motorsports, have today announced their European Racing Programme for 2010. The championship-winning team will be taking four Radical Supersport cars to compete in the Radical European Masters Series. In addition, the team will compete in the FIA GT 4 European Championship and selected Endurance races with its two factory-built Aston Martin Vantage GT 4 race cars.

The driver line up for the European Racing Programme is yet to be announced as the team is currently evaluating race applications from a number of drivers and there is still time for new drivers to register their interest with the team.

Team Principal Carl Rolaston said; "We had a fantastic debut season in Europe and we are very keen to return with a strong line up of Emirati and Emirati-based drivers. We expect to be the only Middle East-based team running in both series and our participation gives local drivers the chance to compete with (and beat) strong European competition in their own backyard. Both series will see drivers race at some of the most famous tracks in Europe - including Spa, Silverstone and the Nurburgring - and competing at these circuits for any Middle East driver is an opportunity not to be missed."

AUH Motorsports last week won the GT 4 class in the Dubai 24 Hours against stiff local and international competition. Racing in the winning car was local Abu Dhabi driver Humaid al Masaood, who is also a major shareholder in the race team, and who will be looking to continue his winning streak in Europe.

Last week’s success comes on the back of the team’s Championship-winning debut in the Radical SR3 European Series in 2009. The winning drivers were Bassam Kronfli and Christophe Hissette, both locally based in the Emirates and who will be looking to defend their title in 2010.


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Motorsports Links: Mercedes GP Reveals 2010 Livery

Formula One: Mercedes GP Kick Starts 2010 Campaign
Mercedes Grand Prix Petronas introduced the colors of its new racecar, the MGP W01, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on Monday. The car has an understated silver livery with green accents. The team’s drivers, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, were on hand. “Driving for Mercedes-Benz again is like the closing of a circle for me as I started my racing driver career with the three-pointed star on my helmet,” said Schumacher. (The New York Times)

Formula One: Problems for USF1 and Campos?
Bernie Ecclestone told the Salzburger Nachrichten: “Campos and the American team (USF1) have problems — financial, not technical.” Ecclestone, who was in Austria for the world cup ski races, added: “I think Formula One is looking much stronger than it has for a long time. It’s a shame to lose some manufacturers, but let’s be honest: we all knew that their time in F1 was limited.” (Autosport)

Nascar: Hamlin Tears A.C.L.
Denny Hamlin tore a knee ligament playing basketball on Friday. Hamlin, who finished fifth in the Sprint Cup last season, had surgery on his right knee in December, but this latest injury is on his left knee. He will hold off on surgery until the end of the 2010 season. (The Associated Press)

N.H.R.A.: Four-Lane Drag Racing?
The N.H.R.A. announced the Four-Wide Nationals in late-March at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., the only track with four lanes. It will be the first time four cars have raced together in an official event. “It’s our version of March Madness,” said John Force, the 14-time N.H.R.A. champion. “A lot of racers have mixed feelings about it, but I love it.”


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