KINETIC MOTORSPORTS KONI CHALLENGE FRESH FROM FLORIDA 200 REVIEW

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Kinetic Motorsports has completed its official KONI Challenge debut at Daytona International Speedway with its three car BMW effort finishing respectfully after impossible odds.

After an incredible performance by Kinetic No. 80 and No. 79 drivers taking the 3rd and 11th spots in qualifying, the No. 80 driven by Bryan Ortiz during qualifying was disqualified due to a tech infraction. The mistake was easily corrected by Kinetic crew however the result was a last place starting position for the young Puerto Rican driver and Boris Said. Nic Jonsson who piloted the qualifying run for the No. 79 co-driven by Shawn Price, remained in the 11th position. Tracy Krohn qualified the No. 78 Kinetic Motorsports BMW in the 86th spot after encountering a blown engine.

The inaugural KONI Challenge race began with Ortiz behind the wheel of the No. 80 BMW making his way through the extensive field to jump into the top-20 within ten minutes of the start. Ortiz flawlessly maneuvered the car maintaining a strong position for his stint until pitting for the required driver change. Said who is also partnering with Kinetic Motorsports in the startup of a new line of specialty parts coined Said Head Performance, entered the car for his run at Daytona gaining several positions. Things were going well for the motorsports ace until he encountered an electrical issue ending the day for the No. 80 Kinetic Motorsports/Said Head Performance BMW after 35 laps.

"We had a little electrical problem out there but all in all it was a really fun weekend," commented Said. "The guys at Kinetic did a really great job with all of these cars in a very short amount of time. My co-driver Bryan Ortiz is only 17 and I hadn't even met him before this weekend. The kid is rocket fast and qualified the car extremely well. Unfortunately he had to start at the back after an issue with tech but he made it up to around 20th in like 10 minutes. He is really fun to drive with and after his performance I think he should just qualify the car from now on. We are still learning out here and will continue to do better. It is so much fun out here with all of these cars, it should be illegal. This is an incredible series and I am pleased to be here with Kinetic Motorsports."

The "Rocket Fast" Ortiz Behind the Wheel

Having qualified extremely well, Jonsson, also the co-owner of Kinetic Motorsports found himself starting at the back after some issues with the car. He managed to take the No. 79 BMW to the top-20 in the beginning minutes of the race and eventually as high as 8th running a best lap of 2:03.430 at Lap 33. Jonsson continued to maintain a strong position in the field until he came into pit lane to switch with co-driver Shawn Price. Price took to the track in the top-30 after the pit stop and piloted the No. 79 to the 15th spot. Several cautions late in the race greatly affected the ability to reach top speeds and gain positions resulting in a 14th place finish for the duo in Kinetic Motorsports' first ever race in Grand-Am.

"We survived the first race," said Jonsson. "The guys really did a good job with the cars over the last month back at the shop. "I think we all did very well for our first time out. Shawn did a great job behind the wheel in his first Grand-Am event. Daytona is a difficult track for the BMWs and I think we could have finished a little higher but the amount of cautions certainly took their toll. We will head back to Kinetic Speed Shop in Buford, Georgia, regroup and get ready for the next race in April. To take 14th is a positive thing and to finish with two out of three cars is a good here at Daytona. I want to thank Shawn, Boris, Bryan, Tracy, Joey and the whole team for their hard work out here and we certainly look forward to the next race."
Tracy Krohn and co-driver Joey Hand managed to take their car from a seemingly impossible qualifying position at the start to finishing in the top-30. Krohn was able to make it into the top-20 during his stint and pitted to give Hand a chance at the wheel. Entering the race back in the top-30, Hand also was also a victim of late cautions but was able to gain three spots and cross the line under the Checkered Flag in the 27th spot.

Kinetic Motorsports next KONI Challenge event will be at Homestead-Miami Speedway April 13-15. For more information about Kinetic Motorsports please visit www.kssmotorsports.com