KINETIC MOTORSPORTS READY TO LAUNCH KIA MOTOR'S U.S. MOTORSPORTS PROGRAM AT DAYTONA
January 25, 2010
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KINETIC MOTORSPORTS READY TO LAUNCH KIA MOTOR'S U.S. MOTORSPORTS PROGRAM AT DAYTONA
Buford, GA--25 January 2010-- Kinetic Motorsports is excited to kick off the 2010 GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner (ST) Class championship this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with the Fresh From Florida 200. Friday's 2.5-hour race marks the debut for the No. 10 and No. 12 Kia Forte Koups, which Kinetic is campaigning on behalf of Kia Motors America (KMA) and Infinity Audio Systems, a unit of Harman International (NYSE:HAR).
Kinetic, which has been competing in GRAND-AM since the team's inception in 2006, is looking forward to building a strong foundation for the future after the Atlanta-based organization was selected by KMA to campaign the exciting new Forte Koup.
Styled at Kia Motors' U.S. design studio in Irvine, California, the Forte Koup began arriving at dealerships in late 2009 and continues the brand's aggressive design-led transformation, which has delivered four all-new vehicles – Soul, Forte, Forte Koup and the all-new 2011 Sorento -- in less than 12 months. The Kia Forte Koup race car is a two door, front wheel drive machine, utilizing the production car's 2.4-liter four cylinder engine.
After teaming with KMA, two all-new Kia Forte Koups arrived at Kinetic's Buford, Georgia facilities in October of 2009 and have undergone a comprehensive tear-down and build up process to prepare for GRAND-AM competition. The Kinetic team has added several specialists to the program to prepare for the season.
Christian Rushforth, Kinetic Kia project engineer, has worked closely with GRAND-AM staff in Daytona to build the cars in a short timeframe and within the strict series guidelines.
"With a limited amount of time prior to the start of the season, the entire crew has done a fantastic job working together and with Grand American to build the Forte Koup race cars," said Rushforth. "Daytona will be the beginning of a long season of both testing and competing – but I am excited to have the crew we have and very confident in their abilities."
The two-car ST campaign will not only feature strong machinery with the Kia Forte Koup, but both Kinetic entries will be piloted by a lineup of championship-caliber drivers.
The No. 10 Kia Motors / Infinity Audio Continental Challenge Series car (the number represents KMA's industry-leading 10 year, 100,000 warranty), will be co-driven by Andy Lally and Nic Jonsson, who have both participated in a number of tests and confirmed that the new Forte Koup offers a stable and predictable platform from which to develop a competitive race car.
"The Kia Forte Koup shows great promise and has proven to be an exciting car to drive," said Jonsson, who has an extensive history as a test driver in addition to his long list of racing achievements. "The Kinetic team has done a great job in building and presenting the car in such a short space of time, and Andy and I look forward to developing it to its full potential throughout the season."
"It was exciting to see Kia Motors, a Korean car company, take such a bold and confident step with the Forte Koup to introduce both the car and the brand to the North American sports car world for the first time," said Lally. "The Forte Koup has been a fun car to drive so far, and Nic and I have had a blast learning the car's characteristics and we are confident it will be a very capable and well designed car."
Teaming with Nic and Andy in the sister No. 12 car will be 2007 GRAND-AM ST champions Trevor Hopwood and Adam Burrows. Kinetic Motorsports is excited to bring this driver pairing, which has extensive experience in ST class competition, into the Kia Motors racing program after seeing first-hand what the two drivers were capable of when the duo made a Grand Sports (GS) start with the team in 2008. The two have developed a reputation for being fast but smooth, getting the maximum potential performance out of the car.
"When we started discussing potential drivers for the No. 12 Kia Forte Koup for the 2010 season, both Adam and Trevor were our first choices," states Team Manager Ed Hall. "It is rare you have the opportunity work with two guys like them, and we are excited to have them on the team."
The Kia Motors ST Class campaign will run in parallel with the two-car GS Class program that Kinetic will coordinate in 2010. Russell Smith, Kinetic Motorsports co-owner is excited about the entire team's opportunities in 2010.
"In these economic times we are very fortunate to have two equally exciting opportunities with both our Grand Sport and Sport Touring programs," said Smith, who also has extensive racing experience behind the wheel to his credit in addition to his management background.
The simultaneous deployment of a completely new vehicle into both the U.S. market and the race track is a comprehensive effort, but one that has been executed according to plan with the partnership between Kia Motors and Kinetic.
"Our relationship with Kia Motors can be defined in one word – Hectic ! Since we were first contacted by KMA last summer we have built a Forte Koup racing display vehicle that has appeared at the opening of Kia Motors' first U.S. plant in West Point, Georgia, as well as the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas and the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. We've also prepped two race cars to be ready for the season opener at Daytona, and throughout the relationship we have found the entire Kia Motors team to be supportive, responsive and very enthusiastic about the project. As we move forward developing the car, we look to further strengthening our bonds with the entire Kia Motors organization."
The Fresh From Florida 200 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on a tape-delayed basis Saturday February 13th at 7pm Eastern Time.
About Kinetic Motorsports:
Kinetic is an automotive group that includes Kinetic Motorsports, Kinetic-Sunbelt Engines, and Kinetic Speed Shop. Kinetic Motorsports taps into every aspect of professional and amateur racing, from car builds to prep and trackside support. Every resource needed to develop, manage and run a professional race team in any series is located onsite. Kinetic-Sunbelt Engines have powered amateur and professional racers to numerous championships in North America. Kinetic Speed Shop caters to aftermarket street performance. Kinetic's 42,000 square foot, state-of-the-art showroom and race complex is located in Buford, Georgia, just 15 minutes from Road Atlanta. More information can be found online at www.kssmotorsports.com
About Kia Motors America:
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 670 dealers throughout the United States. For 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share and recently achieved its best quarter of sales ever. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."
Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com
About Harman International:
Infinity is a unit of Harman International Industries, Incorporated (www.harman.com). Harman International designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment products for the automotive, consumer and professional markets, and maintains a strong presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia, employing more than 11,000 people worldwide. The Harman International family of brands includes AKG®, Audioaccess®, Becker®, BSS®, Crown®, dbx®, DigiTech®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®, Revel®, QNX®, Soundcraft® and Studer®. Harman International's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NYSE: HAR."
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