Burrows/Hopwood on Autoblog

As part of the KIA announcement, fan favorite Autoblog picked up the story...

Burrows and Hopwood Signed to Kinetic Kia effort

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 3, 2009) – The all-new 2010 Kia Forte Koup’s motto – “One Hot Ride” – took on a new meaning today as Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled its U.S. motorsports program at the 2009 SEMA Show. KMA has teamed with the Kinetic Group to build and campaign two Forte Koups in the 2010 GRAND-AM KONI Sports Car Challenge Series in the Street Tuner (ST) class.


Read the rest of the story here...

Riley sets record...

Fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG), the Lucas Oil/Lessman Streamliner proved to be the world's fastest CNG vehicle when it hit an official speed of 323mph

Read the rest here

WIlden gets some hometown love after championship win

2009 Grand-Am KONI Challenge Champion Kenny Wilden got some attention from the papers at home...

...Link here

Mustang Challenge Hits AutoBlog...

This story (2010 Hurst Mustang to serve pace duties for Ford Racing Mustang Challenge) even got the attention of every OCD car junkies favorite website...

Check out the story, in case you hadn't already seen it, right here...

Trading Paint

Burrows and Hopwood, SCDA, and Motion Dynamics Put Sunday Group Management Behind the Wheel
By Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood

LEE, N.H. (Aug. 14, 2009) - No doubt that many of you are familiar with Sunday Group Management's lead motorsports scribe Matt Cleary. When not producing multiple releases every race weekend from the confines of the media center, he's often seen in the Rolex, KONI and Mustang Challenge paddocks, darting between transporters, capturing vital data points from driver, team owners and engineers alike. Additionally, Matt has been both our Media and Driver Manager since we started in the KONI Sports Car Challenge in 2007.

Click here for the full story...

Bell wins at Trois Rivieres

Trois Rivieres, Que- (16 Aug 2009) –Matt Bell checked another career accomplishment off his list on Sunday as he drove to his second Grand-Am KONI Sports Car GS Class victory with an impressive 2.7-second win in the challenging Grand Prix du Trois Rivieres.

Bell shared the victory with fellow Turner Motorsport driver Don Salama, who qualified the BMW M3 third on the grid and started the 90-minute race before turning the controls over to Bell. The victory puts Bell’s name on the same roster of champions at the track with names like Villeneuve and Rahal as the event celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2009.


Read the SpeedTV.com Story Here--

Segal Wins Glen

(Watkins Glen, NY) 8 August 09—Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato scored their first Rolex Sports Car Series victory of the 2009 season with a strong drive in the No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8 on Friday night at Watkins Glen. The Crown Royal 200 win was the second visit to Gatorade Victory Circle at the famed upstate New York circuit for Segal and Assentato, as the two triumphed along with co-driver Nic Longhi in the 6 Hours of the Glen last season.

The Friday night Glen victory followed an intense two-hour battle as the GT Class raced the sprint event alongside the Daytona Prototypes for the first time in three years, making every lap a high speed traffic jam on the 2.45-mile “short course.”

More here

Riley Camaro picks up "Momentum.."

The Chevrolet Camaro is set to battle the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger in the KONI Sports Car Challenge race series under the banner of Momentum Race Group. The Dallas-based race outfit will run a two-car team featuring a 2010 Camaro prepared by Riley Technologies and a lineup of well-seasoned drivers including SPEED World Challenge veterans Robb Holland and Jeff Altenburg...more here

Riley Ready with Camaro

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 9, 2009) - After months of anticipation, America's hottest new car has started to hit the streets nationwide and before the end of the year, will be hitting the tracks as well.

The all-new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has been making a big impression wherever it rolls up, and Riley Technologies expects the machine to have a similar effect when it makes a competition debut in the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge in the season-ending event Oct. 2-4 at Virginia International Raceway.

Read more here...

Buddy Rice set for Grand-Am return

Buddy Rice got his year off to a flying start with a victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but things have been a little quiet for him since then. However, the 2004 Indianapolis 500, champ will return to the cockpit next month, again in Grand-Am Rolex Series competition...

More here...

Window Dressing

Again...Picked a little bit better in terms of ones that "don't die instantly..."

Hopefully.

KONI Champs site goes live!

Check out the newest offering from SGM, as http://konichamps.wordpress.com/ has now gone live with updates about Trevor Hopwood and Adam Burrows, the 2007 KONI Challenge champions.

Bur-Hop To-Do=LRP

Adam Burrows, Trevor Hopwood To-Do List:
KONI Challenge Championship Check (2007)
Pole Position @ Lime Rock Park Check (2007)
Podium At Lime Rock Park


Lakeville, CT (20 May 2009)—No points for finding what’s yet missing on this list--it’s pretty clear what the champs have in mind for this Saturday as they team up once again in the No. 198 Fischer Skis MINI Cooper for the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge ST Class event at Lime Rock Park.

Saturday @ Mazda Raceway...

Michael Shank Racing strong in Qualifying@MRLS

Bell Breaks Record

Scores Pole again...at home track...

http://www.sundaymanagement.com/~sunday/news/read/bell-storms-to-record-setting-pole

Fast start for MSR@MRLS

Speed covers Fast Friday for MSR...

Found link...

An older link about Trevor Hopwood, racing driver and teacher...



http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090309/GJNEWS_01/703099965

D'Amico Gets his Challenge On--SPEED

MUSTANG: SPEED Radio’s D’Amico Takes the Challenge

For many watching the races from the stands, it might seem like no matter how close you are to the race, it’d would take a million years to actually get in and do it yourself.

But that’s not the case, and Race Day On Fox broadcast talent Rob D’Amico is living that dream as he is experiencing the “Making of a Race Driver in 30 Days” as he gears up to make his Ford Racing Mustang Challenge debut this weekend at New Jersey Motorsports Park in round 5 of the 2009 season.

With little background in the sport save for a massive amount of passion, and the good fortune to work covering the sport as Race Day on Fox is broadcast to over 440 affiliates around the country, D’Amico’s experiences serve as a good example of someone accelerating their life to become a race driver.

Michael Shank Racings Takes the long view

Michael Shank Racing will provide an awesome weekend for some fast karters...read about it Here...

Roush ready for Mustang Challenge

Koni racer and son of famed Ford family looking for another podium in a Mustang down in Alabama...

Read more here...

Hunt Agrees-Mustang Challenge Is The Place To Race!

James Hunt recounts his run in Mustang Challenge competition...

Apex starts on the box

Mar 22, 2009
Team Apex Takes Podium in Formula BMW Americas Opener

Rookies take 3rd, 6th, and 7th in race 1

Puebla, Mexico (21 March 09)—Team Apex got a strong start to the 2009 Formula BMW Americas season on Saturday, as Australian James Kovacic led the Apex charge with his run to third place in round one at Autodromo Miguel E. Abed in Puebla, Mexico. It was a strong team outing, as Brazil’s Joao Victor Horto scored 6th ahead of teammate Colombian Martin Sala, who came home in 7th.

Read more here...

Bell takes Pole--Homestead

Here
Also, read the SGM story "Bell Races 0ut of the Hospital, On to the Pole" Here

Lally in Mustang Challenge for Homestead Round two

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (March 14, 2009) - Two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Andy Lally will add another item on his already impressive racing resume on Sunday as Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series officials announced that Lally will race in round two of the 2009 Mustang Challenge championship at Homestead Miami Speedway.

After SPEEDTV.com writer James Hunt showed his mettle with a run from 13th at the start to take ninth at the finish and earn the BFGoodrich "Take Control" award, Lally will have his work cut out for him to match that benchmark as he takes over the driving duties behind the wheel of the Capaldi Racing-prepared No. 00 "Media Car" on Sunday.



Read it here....or here...

Caddell Wins Round 1...SPEED TV.com

Read the story

here...

SPEED-- FRMC Qualifying

Speed picked up the story about Ford Racing Mustang Challenge qualifying on Friday...read about it here--

Hunt Goes To School

SPEEDTV.com writer James Hunt, who will race in the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge season-opener at Homestead Miami Speedway this weekend, got some seat time recently at the Miller Performance School at Tooele, Utah. The school uses Mustangs that are nearly identical to the FR500S that is the basis of the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge...

Read what James had to say about getting schooled here!

Twitter-Activated

Went ahead and set up a Twitter account to do short blasts...SGM, maximizing the media...

Follow here if you want...

http://twitter.com/Sundaygroup

"Double life" for Mr. Hopwood

Source: Seacoastonline.com...

KITTERY, Maine — The question: What do driving race cars and teaching high school students have in common?

The answer: Trevor Hopwood.

A KONI Sports Car Challenge champion as a rookie who also serves as an educational technician at Traip Academy, Hopwood began racing at age 12 in Pennsylvania and Ohio with karts. When he turned 16, he moved up to Spec Racer Fords and never looked back.

Read the article here

Life at 150 MPH

Fosters Democrat covers Hopwood...

Ozz Gets His KONI On

Michael Shank Racing driver Ozz Negri will be making a KONI Challenge debut next weekend in Homestead.

He'll be driving a Ford Mustang with Ford powerhouse team Rehagan Racing, with Canadian Ken Wilden as his teammate...

SPEEDTV.com picked up the story.

Trev Goes Skiing

2007 KONI Challenge Champ Trevor Hopwood had a good week off in February with some skiing, some bench racing, and some fund raising...

...Read about it here

All-new MustangChallenge.com Goes Live...

A completely new look and feel for the home of the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge...

Check it out here!

Could be interesting...USF1

Looking forward to seeing what the skinny is come Tuesday at 12:00 PM ET--Tune in to SPEED Tv to find out...

Here is the (as of yet, sparsely-populated...) site-

Sad News from Utah

Larry Miller passed away on Friday.

The photo is from his appearance at the Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup banquet, as he congratulates champion Andrew Caddell. The Mustang Challenge is just one of the countless legacies of Miller.

Here is the press release from Miller Motorsports Park...

AJ Goes LA

LA Times Features Richard Petty Motorsports' strong season start...

It's out West to the Sunshine state this weekend for the AutoClub 500 at California Speedway, but the #44 is going to have to once again make the show on speed, so pray for no rain....

Big Day at Daytona For AJ

AJ Allmendinger had a big day in his first-ever Daytona 500 start on Sunday. After taking the green from 20th, he moved up into the top 10 by lap 50, and into the top 5 before the race reached the 100 lap mark.

With just over 50 laps to go, the rains came and the race was called official, with AJ scoring 3rd at the finish, good for a healthy $786,063 winnings. Hopefully the strong performance up front will see Richard Petty Motorsports secure the funding to have AJ run all year long.

AJ's site has several stories as well...

LRP Changes Gears for Vintage...

Lime Rock Park will stage a new look and feel Vintage festival this Labor Day weekend. The event is the (I think...) 26th annual such weekend, which attracts a lot of good looking cars, and people, to the Northwest Connecticut facility in a celebration of all things automotive...

Read about it here...

MSR News: A Good Day At Daytona...

It was a good day at Daytona for Michael Shank drivers AJ Allmendinger and Colin Braun....Hopefully both of their race days will go well too!

AJ is In!

AJ Allmendinger will start the #44 Valvoline Dodge from 20th on the Daytona 500 grid this Sunday. Last time he was there, he was leading the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley.

The race marks AJ's first Daytona 500 start as he embarks on his third season of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition.

Free tickets, I got your ticket right here!!

The upcoming lid-lifter for the Mustang Challenge and round two of the KONI Sports Car Challenge will see a unique spectating opportunity, as the two series and the track have allowed anyone who would like to come visit for free. Given that the event drew modest crowds in the past, this could be a great way to get people in the door and aware of both these production-car based series.

HMS, which has had more iterations and configurations than Penske has sponsors who pay him to NOT be on the car (Marboro, Verizon, etc...) in the past few years, has no trouble selling out the big Ford finale NASCAR weekend, but is actively working to be successful with the moved IndyCar date (from March to October, along with the Rolex Series), which has been strong, but nothing like the Ford Champions weekend.

Will this work? We will see...but it could create a lot of opportunity that would not have existed in a more traditional promoter partnership.

Interested? Click herefor your own set...

RSR Motorsports

RSR Motorsports was well represented at the KONI season-opener. Three cars with new paint schemes, a full RV and trailer layout in the paddock, and one more RV in the infield as part of the support operation, not to mention six quick drivers. Unfortunately the weekend didn't turn out as hoped for, as the "...rabbit out of a hat..." top ten finish was thwarted by a halfshaft problem.

Riley Scores Fifth

The Rolex 24 battle saw Riley Technologies score an amazing fifth in a row as the Mooresville-based manufacturer locked out the Daytona Prototype podium once again in Daytona...

Winners Presser@24

KONI Checks on the Champ...

Grand-Am's website covered Caddell's big weekend at Daytona...

Riley TDC

At $185,000, track day car lets fans join fun
Larry Edsall / Special to The Detroit News

Later this month, 20 cars are expected to be on the starting grid for the 47th annual 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race. Those cars will be powered by Porsche, Pontiac, Lexus, Ford and BMW racing engines.

Of those 20 cars, a dozen or more will be Riley chassis, designed and built in Mooresville, N.C., by Riley Technologies, a company that traces its heritage to famed Indycar and aerospace engineer Bob Riley.

More here as Detroit News talks Track Day Car...

Mustang Champ shows speed and poise on the high banks...

Caddell Strong in KONI Challenge Debut at Daytona

Impressive performance before procedural penalty sets Champion back
Daytona Beach, FL (23 January 2009) – 2008 Ford Racing Mustang Challenge Champion Andrew Caddell showed his championship credentials on the big stage Friday as he posted a strong performance in his Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge GS Class debut in the Fresh From Florida 200, co-driving a Ford Mustang FR500C with fellow Mustang Challenge racer Jim Click to a tenth place finish. The race outing came as part of the Ford Racing Champions Prize for the Mustang Challenge Champion as Caddell converted his strong season-long performance in Mustang Challenge competition into the chance to race the Ford Mustang FR500C at the “World Center of Racing.”

Read the rest here

Belated BurHop

Read here about the Bur-Hop debut at Daytona....

Bummer ending....

After leading and running strong with both cars, Michael Shank Racing withdrew from the Rolex 24 At Daytona after encountering problems in the drivetrain. Read here

Marks Take

Mark Patterson is as skilled with the Blackberry as he is with the race car, as he tells some fantastic first-person tales of what it's like behind the scenes of Rolex Sports Car Series racing. Read about it here...

Race time...

With everything else done...a busy grid and some final interviews as everyone got focused on the racing...

One more thing...and then racing...

The final item on the list after the driver meeting, and before the driver introductions was the autograph session, which was well-received...