Sunday Group Management

New Home...

2011-06-28T10:15:00.001-07:00

Check out http://sundaygroupblog.wordpress.com/ for all the latest!

Fast Forward, Sunday Group Management

2010-12-31T14:10:00.000-08:00

A quick look back as we get ready to look ahead!

Crown Royal line up revealed

2010-12-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-goosens-valiante-complete-xr-rolex-lineup/

Speed, international flair, and a lot of experience...

Michael Shank Racing Generates New Media Coverage

2010-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

The announcement of a partnership between Michael Shank Racing and United Autosports for the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race created significant media buzz. Coverage expanded to outlets across the United States as well as internationally with the story even appearing on yahoo.com’s UK and Ireland sports site - www.eurosport.com. With story placements on www.speedtv.com, www.racer.com, www.autoweek.com, www.autosport.com, www.motorsport.com, and www.racintoday.com, the story potentially reached 1.95 million readers.

Michael Shank Racing Riley Returns to Action at Homestead

2010-12-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

(Homestead, FL) 1 December 2010- Nearly six months and countless man-hours later, the Michael Shank Racing Ford-powered Riley that was destroyed after being engulfed in flames in the closing moments of the Salen’s Six Hour at Watkins Glen returned to action on Wednesday at Homestead Miami Speedway as the Rolex Sports Car Series continued to test with the new specification Continental Tire ahead of the 2011 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in January.

Appropriately enough, the same driver who was aboard the machine when it was sidelined by flames, Michael Valiante, was among the first drivers to take it to the track on Wednesday. While GRAND-AM is not releasing official timing information for the test, the hard work that Michael Shank Racing put into the Riley restoration was on display as the car was right on the pace with Valiante behind the wheel.
More at...http://www.michaelshankracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=40626

SuperNats Coverage

2010-11-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/negri-skusa-day-1-blog

http://ekartingnews.com/news_info.php?n=16818&sid=d7ea5b900bd28152ac83cac1713d0408

Michael Shank Racing's "6 Million Dollar Man"

2010-11-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.grand-am.com/news/index.cfm?series=r&cid=40504

Riley Release gets some attention...Pt. 3

2010-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

http://americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=news|15307

Riley Release gets some attention...Pt. 2

2010-10-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101001/ALMS/101009992

Riley Release gets some attention...Pt. 1

2010-10-01T12:12:00.001-07:00

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/alms-riley-reveals-new-lmp2

Bell Gets Daytona Prototype Call-Back

2010-09-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Tooele, UT (7 September 2010) – Every notable career, be it in acting or racing, hinges on what happens in auditions.

And when Matt Bell got his first Daytona Prototype race start with Doran Racing in Rolex Sports Car Series competition at New Jersey Motorsports Park, it's safe to say that he aced the audition.

Despite the fact that Bell had never driven a single lap in a Daytona Prototype before the weekend started, he impressed in qualifying before setting a pace in the race that earned him the Jim Trueman award in a outstanding debut.

More here on Speed.com

Also picked up here at Grand-Am.com...

Kelby Breaks The Rule

2010-08-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

Ganassi PR wiz (left) Kelby Krauss mugged for photogs after his team took yet another win on the weekend. If only everyone had a secret tunnel in Pennsylvania. Oops. I've said too much.

http://www.autoextremist.com/the-line1/

Q and A With Trevor Hopwood

2010-08-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

From http://www.grand-am.com/news/index.cfm?series=k&cid=39069

Q & A With Former Series Champion, Race Winner Trevor Hopwood
Trevor Hopwood (No. 12 Mobis/Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup), who earned the 2007 Street Tuner title with Adam Burrows, answered questions about his summer and the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières, which he won in 2008.

Q. - Talk about what you have done this summer outside of racing.

T.H. - It's been a completely flat out but fun summer. I am the Assistant Director of the Adventure Camp in Kittery, Maine. It's a camp for middle school students, and every day we go a field trip. We might go to an amusement park one day, or ice skating or a trip to the beach the next day. This week prior to Trois-Rivières, however, is special; it's the annual camping trip. For two days, we take about 45 kids to Northern Maine. The trip includes a 14-mile canoe trip down the Saco River, plus other games, activities and a talent show. It's a tradition, and something everyone looks forward to each year.
Q. - Let's talk about the Kinetic Motorsports program and the new Kia Forte Koups.

T.H. - It has been quite an interesting season. When the cars rolled off the truck at Daytona we had one goal: to finish that race. We did and we have finished every race since then. We know the Kinetic guys will develop the car like mad and the speed and results will come as we have seen so far. That race at Lime Rock Park was definitely the best of the season; we had a top-five finish and I led. I never had a doubt in my mind that the car would get faster and it is continuing to get faster.

Q. - What sets Trois-Rivières apart from some of the places we visit on the circuit?
T.H. - Obviously, it is a street circuit so that alone makes it unique. But there are many other aspects that make it such a special weekend. It's our only stop in Canada, which is very important for the series. We have many teams and drivers from Canada, so it's great for them to all have a home race. The Canadian fans are incredible as well. It is easily the highest attended race of the year for us. They love their racing there and hopefully we can put a good show on for them. No other city puts as much effort into promoting an event and having all sorts of activities at night downtown.

Q. - What are the chances the Kia can break through for a victory at Trois-Rivières?
T.H. - I think we have a good shot. It will be an interesting race. They have increased the time back to two hours, which will play into our hand a bit. It's a small but strong field this year. The race is going to be all about saving the brakes. Adam is finishing this weekend so hopefully I can leave the car in really good shape so he has something to fight with at the end. Kinetic, Adam and myself have all proven we know how to win here.

AJ News...

2010-08-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

AJ SIGNS WITH RPM

Watkins Glen, NY, 6 August 2010-- Arriving at the 2007 Daytona 500 with less than 150 laps of stock car driving experience under his lap belts, AJ Allmendinger faced an uphill battle as he looked to translate a winning open-wheel background into success in the NASCAR Sprint Cup ranks. Deepening the disadvantage as his career progressed was the constant wave of change, as the Californian worked hard to find success while adapting to different manufacturers, teams, and crew chiefs in an entirely new discipline.

But those hard turns made for an even stronger racer, and now AJ Allmendinger will look to translate a stable home at Richard Petty Motorsports into greater glory in the future as the team announced on Friday at Watkins Glen International that Allmendinger has signed a multiyear contract to drive the No. 43 Ford Fusion in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.

Allmendinger first raced with the organization in 2008 as he impressed with strong finishes in a season-ending run of five races, netting him the chance to rejoin the team as Gillett Evernham Motorsports merged with Yates Racing and the Petty organization to form Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009.

AJ launched the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with a run to third in the Daytona 500 as he raced to keep racing, using funding from prize money to continue to keep the machine on track despite a sponsorship shortage.

That drive and commitment won him a shot in the famed No. 43 under the watchful eye and guiding hand of The King, Richard Petty, for 2010. With a pole position in Phoenix and a strong mid-season run of top-15 race finishes, that vote of confidence by the team has been repaid as Allmendinger has flourished in the stabilized situation.

Getting the opportunity to drive the No. 43 for the King in a competitive environment, with the chance to lock in a stabilized future, was too much for Allmendinger to pass up.

“I have to say that I'm pretty excited about moving into the next chapter of my career with Richard Petty Motorsports,” said AJ. “There were several other good opportunities out there, but for the first time in my NASCAR career I have the chance to continue building on something good. I really think all of us on the 43 and at RPM can maximize that. We're all pretty passionate about that."

Allmendinger recently made his 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup start, and he picks up new supporters every time out.

“We are very pleased to have AJ as a part of the RPM family,” said team owner Richard Petty. “He has proven without a doubt that he is a very talented racer. His passion for the sport is second to none and his desire to be at the top is clear each and every week. I believe in him and what he can do and everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports is thrilled to be able to continue the relationship.”

AJ will look to keep the strong runs going this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup returns to road course action in Sunday’s Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen.

New Burrows Voices of Speed

2010-08-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

As we arrived at New Jersey Motorsports Park, it struck me how quickly the Continental Tire Series season has gone by.

Burrows talks New Jersey...and some motor changes!

Longhi Joins Rum Bum

2010-07-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

News out of Daytona winner's camp as Bacardi focuses on finishing his degree...

http://sundaymanagement.com/~sunday/news/read/rum-bum-racing-adds-longhi-to-driver-line-up#read_more

Two-For-Two...

2010-07-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Michael Shank Racing awas back on the podium in Daytona Prototype competition today as Ozz Negri and John Pew were third after a long green-flag flat-out run to the checkered flag.

Read about it here...
http://www.michaelshankracing.com/news/index.cfm?cid=38391

BURROWS: For Our Crew

2010-06-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Latest Voices of Speed from Adam Burrows...

Adam Burrows' Continental Tire race at Mid-Ohio was more about the work put in by his crew than how they fared behind in the cockpit.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/burrows-for-our-crew/

Autoextremist.com Covers FRMC...

2010-06-24T10:21:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite sites on the web, a Wednesday must-stop with some fresh coffee, is autoextremist.com. Peter De has an incredible point of view on the auto industry and I've been tuned in I think since the very first "issue" back ten years ago when I was working at Skip Barber.

I've pestered him to run my updates about the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge, and he was good enough to run one here this week about our event at Mid-Ohio....

Newest SPEED Blog From Burrows...BURROWS: Highs At Home

2010-06-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Sunday Group Management DRIVER Adam Burrows has posted his latest on the Lime Rock Park and Watkins Glen rounds...

BURROWS: Highs At Home

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/burrows-highs-at-home/

Our Freinds up North...

2010-06-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

New Canadian website to check out...and they picked up the MSR story!

http://racecanada.ca/Articles/New/2010/10060303.html

Turner Turns 200

2010-05-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Big accomplishment for the leading BMW tuner...

Read about it here!

“The Way It Is” With BAT Engineering

2010-05-11T07:59:00.002-07:00

http://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2010/the_way_it_is_no233.html

Indianapolis, IN—BAT Engineering’s Alan Mertens and Bruce Ashmore were recently profiled by MotorsSport’s Gordon Kirby in the latest edition of his highly respected insider column, “The Way It Is.” BAT Engineering has made a proposal to the Indy Racing League for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar design.

Kirby, who has seen the full arc of the IZOD IndyCar Series through his decades of contributing to the sport with his journalistic coverage, pressed the designers about their design, the infrastructure that will be required to support the teams, and the various ways to feature efficiency with the design.

Safety is a key focus of the BAT Engineering design, and as the clock ticks on while the process moves forward, the conversation moves to the drastic need to move forward in 2012 before yet another back injury is suffered with the current design.

The two Indianapolis 500-winning designers also shed some light on the comprehensive production, spares, and team integration plans that the BAT Engineering business plan holds as well as the long-term plans for the organization.

Kia Keeps On Trucking...

2010-05-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

Sales up once again...

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2010/05/11/477043.html

Sunday Group Management "Rookie of the Race"

2010-04-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Kyle Gimple won the Sunday Group Management "Rookie of the Race" award this weekend at VIR--He's holding a check that will see $150 be donated to Austin Hatcher Foundation in his name from SGM. Congrats and welcome to the Mustang Challenge, Kyle!

http://bit.ly/9I00an

Burrows and Hopwood Target Progress at Homestead

2010-03-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

Homestead, FL (3 March 2010)—Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood will be back in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge action this weekend as the series heads to South Florida for the Miami 200 as part of the Miami Grand Prix event at Homestead Miami Speedway.

The duo will return to the cockpit of the No. 12 Kia Motors/Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup for Kinetic Motorsports in Saturday’s 2.5-hour enduro on Homestead Miami’s 2.3-mile infield road course.

The Kia program kicked off at Daytona International Speedway in January, and several goals were met as the new machine scored its first race finish after Burrows and Hopwood combined for a 19th place result at the “World Center of Racing.” That solid first step will hopefully be the first of many as the team returns to action this Saturday afternoon.

“This is just the second race for this program and we still have a lot to learn about the car, so our main focus is just getting another race finish with the Koup and continuing to build on what we learned at Daytona,” said Hopwood, who will be particularly pleased to visit Homestead after severe weather in his native New Hampshire has kept the area without power for days on end. “I’m really looking forward to getting down there--it feels like it has been forever since Daytona. We had a great start to the year with Kinetic in Daytona, and I just can’t wait to get down to Homestead and get back in the car.”

The Street Tuner (ST) class has once again attracted a significant field for the Miami 200, with nearly 40 racers entered for the event. The traffic will be dense, as the race will also include the Grand Sports (GS) class machines, making for a field of over 70 cars. But racing in that kind of traffic is old hat for the two, who combined for a run to the championship in their rookie season of GRAND-Am competition. While the ambition is to score the best result possible, the plan for the weekend also includes gathering lots of new data.

“We’ve spent a lot of time with Christian (Rushforth, Kinetic Motorsports engineer) since Daytona talking about how we can make the most of this Homestead weekend, so we have a pretty detailed test plan for the event,” said Burrows. “The Koup has so much potential, and we haven’t even started to scratch that surface yet. Every lap we get, we learn more. Hopefully we can have another weekend like we did at Daytona, because the car was bullet-proof, and that was key to our weekend.”

The Miami 200 is slated for a 1:05 PM ET green flag on Saturday, and the 2.5-hour event will be carried on a tape-delayed basis on SPEED Channel March 13th at 1:00 PM ET.

 PR inquiries about Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood should be directed to Matt Cleary at Sunday Group Management; 317.908.2975 (mobile) or media@ sundaymanagement.com  

For additional information: 
  www.trevorhopwood.com
www.konichamps.wordpress.com
www.sundaygroupmanagement.blogspot.com

Sunday Group Management--GA.com

2010-02-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

GRAND-AM's First Time Winners Were a Long Time Coming--

http://bit.ly/brdFEu

AJ talks Daytona

2010-02-19T07:04:00.001-08:00

While waiting for the rain to clear in Daytona ahead of the 24, Autosport sat down and got the low-down on how to get around Daytona International Speedway in a NASCAR Sprint Cup machine...

So don't miss the upcoming issue!

Grand-Am Video Clips

2010-02-15T13:50:00.001-08:00

Some highlights from the opening round of the 2010 GRAND-AM season, which featured the debut for KIA as well as Rum Bum Racing!

The future of Indy Racing?

2010-02-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

The future of IndyCar? Autoweek has pics of Dallara's Delta

http://bit.ly/arjqMu

Sneak Peak...Kia Ad for the Super Bowl....

2010-02-05T11:59:00.001-08:00

Impressive Rolex 24 at Daytona Debut for Turner Motorsport

2010-02-04T07:33:00.001-08:00

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - January 31, 2010 - The 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona threw 24 hours of constant curveballs at Turner Motorsport as the team made a debut Rolex Sports Car Series race outing in one of the toughest events on the calendar. But the experienced team responded with the same kind of dedication, preparation, and focus that has earned the organization countless wins and championships in races across the country.

The team, which was making its 192nd start in professional racing with a BMW, was making its very first start in the Rolex Sports Car Series, although one would be hard-pressed to feel accurate in calling the organization a “rookie” outfit.

And that showed.

Read the rest here...
Impressive Rolex 24 at Daytona Debut for Turner Motorsport

Negri Talks Front Row

2010-01-28T14:08:00.001-08:00

BurHop Hits the Track with Kia

2010-01-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

Dorsey on the 24

2010-01-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

SPEED Channel Talent Dorsey talks @ the 24....

Mustange Challenge nets $275,000 for charity!

2010-01-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

(Scottsdale, AZ—23 January 2010— There was hardly a dry eye in the house as the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge FR500S went across the stage and was sold for an astounding $275,000 at the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction.

One might suspect that the price was the source of all the eye-watering, but that was not the case as the reason for the emotion was clear as scores of young children, along with their families and a rousing contingent of Mustang Challenge racers and staff, were up on stage with the SPX-donated FR500S as the entire amount will be donated to St. Jude.

Read more here

Turner Assembles Dream Team

2010-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

TURNER'S DREAM TEAM SET FOR DAYTONA 24 HOUR RACE

NEW CAR, NEW SERIES, TOP DRIVERS, WINNING TEAM: THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

The news sweeping throughout the BMW racing world is that Turner Motorsport has expanded into the GT class of the Rolex / Grand-Am Sports Car Series. They are entering a BMW M6 to compete in 2010 season, starting with the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. Turner Motorsport brings with them championship winning experience, a race-proven crew, and a "Dream Team" driver line-up that means business.

...check out the video here...
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/video-gallery.shtml

AJ Takes the lead...

2010-01-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

AJ Allmendinger has moved to the front in the voting as Grand Am looks to find out what Cup Driver will have the biggest ippact on the Rolex 24...

Vote here...

What do you think?

2010-01-11T06:42:00.000-08:00

AJ Allmendinger is but one of several NASCAR Cup drivers entered in the 24 this year. GA.com is asking "Which NASCAR driver will have the biggest impact on the Rolex 24 At Daytona?"

AJ has lead the race every single year he has been entered (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), and will look to do it once again this year, although there is only one lap that he really is interested in leading.

What do you think? Let them know HERE

New livery breaks cover...

2010-01-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

With the news that Michael Shank Racing and Crown Royal Extra Rare have teamed up, the cameras were focused on the sharp new livery for the No. 60 machine...

Nasty in Daytona...

2010-01-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

It's some nasty weather in Daytona as the Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Sports Car Challenge teams convene to kick off the 2010 season. But the weather is not cooperating as sleet and snow and gray skies have greeted the racers on Saturday.

Several teams and drivers will be making announcements in the coming days...

Burrows/Hopwood on Autoblog

2009-11-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

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

Burrows and Hopwood Signed to Kinetic Kia effort

2009-11-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-10-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-11T08:26:00.001-07:00

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

...Link here

Mustang Challenge Hits AutoBlog...

2009-09-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T06:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

(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.."

2009-08-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

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

Hopefully.

KONI Champs site goes live!

2009-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Michael Shank Racing strong in Qualifying@MRLS

Bell Breaks Record

2009-05-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

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

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

Fast start for MSR@MRLS

2009-05-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Speed covers Fast Friday for MSR...

Found link...

2009-05-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-14T15:01:00.001-07:00

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

Roush ready for Mustang Challenge

2009-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

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

Apex starts on the box

2009-03-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T06:39:00.001-07:00

Read the story

here...

SPEED-- FRMC Qualifying

2009-03-14T04:08:00.001-07:00

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

Hunt Goes To School

2009-03-13T05:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Fosters Democrat covers Hopwood...

Ozz Gets His KONI On

2009-03-06T05:54:00.001-08:00

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

2009-03-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-03-02T15:08:00.001-08:00

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

Check it out here!

Could be interesting...USF1

2009-02-23T09:21:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-17T08:29:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-02-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-02-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T09:47:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-30T09:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-29T06:09:00.001-08:00

KONI Checks on the Champ...

2009-01-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

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

Riley TDC

2009-01-27T08:00:00.003-08:00

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...

2009-01-27T07:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

Bummer ending....

2009-01-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-01-24T16:54:00.001-08:00

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

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

2009-01-24T16:50:00.000-08:00

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

Three more in the books

2009-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

SGM was involved with three more press conferences on race day morning as Spirit of Daytona (SGM News) announced a new partner, Coyote Cars discussed the status and plans for the chassis manufacture and development plans, and Oswaldo Negri also participated in the Homestead press conference about the Championship weekend in October.

Why, yes, I am the champ...why do you ask?

2009-01-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

2008 Ford Racing Mustang Challenge champion Andrew Caddell made his KONI Challenge debut on Friday, and took part in the pre-event activities including the autograph session. Caddell didn't just show off his John Hancock, as he also had the distinctive Miller Cup on hand with him as well...

Busy Friday

2009-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

There was a buzz on Friday leading up to the Fresh From Florida 200 to kick off the 2009 season. Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood were in full swing, signing autographs before taking to the high-banks for their first race with RSR Motorsports.

Things didn't turn out as planned, alas, as a drivetrain problem stopped them short of a top-ten, which would have felt like a win given the MINI's liking of tighter tracks. On to Homestead....

Modern History

2009-01-24T16:29:00.001-08:00

Spotted in the paddock were a pair of Lola's old and new...

Now THAT's a Debut!

2009-01-24T16:23:00.000-08:00

SGM racer Matt Bell made a great KONI Challenge GS Class debut on Friday in the Fresh From Florida 200 as he started from third, ran as high as second, and kept the car in the lead pack to turn over to Bill Auberlen, who brought the Turner car home in first at the checkered flag.

Bell has long looked up to Auberlen, and getting the chance to race with him is the fulfillment of a dream of sorts. Clearly, he held up his own end of the deal and will be a talent to keep an eye on...

Read more about the race here...

Old School-

2009-01-24T16:21:00.001-08:00

A couple of 356's camped out track side on the night before the 24.