Will Join Doran Racing Daytona Prototype Effort
Coming off the inaugural race at Iowa Speedway, where Guy and David Tuaty co-drove the #127 Fountain Motorsports BMW 330i to victory in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series event, Cosmo will head to Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway with a full workload on his plate.
“I am really looking forward to the KONI Challenge ST race at Laguna,” said Guy. “The Fountain Motorsports team has really come a long way since our first race together last year and after the win last week, they know what they are capable of. The win at Iowa was extremely pleasing, but by no means an ego-trip. We know how strong our competition is and everyone on the team realizes Fountain Motorsports is a young team with lots to learn. While two-in-a-row would be nice, our main focus is on strong finishes and scoring points toward the championship.”
“I’ll have a new teammate in VJ Mirzayan this week, and look forward to working with him,” noted Guy. “He’s got great knowledge of Laguna Seca and knows BMWs really well. Although he’s never been with the team or in our car before, I’m confident we’ll work well together and our #127 BMW will be a contender again this weekend.”
Cosmo Climbs Back Into A Prototype
During the past few seasons, Cosmo has brought his talent and services to several of the top-tier prototype teams in the Grand American paddock. In 2006 Cosmo joined up with Finlay Motorsports filling in for an injured Memo Gidley in the #19 Playboy Uniden car. He was also instrumental in giving the Spirit of Daytona car it’s best run ever at Watkins Glen. And, of course there was the popular 2nd place finish garnered by Guy, Memo and Michael McDowell at Utah to close out the season.
This week Guy will return to the prototype ranks driving with Memo Gidley in the #77 Doran Racing “Feeds The Need” car.
“I’m excited about joining Kevin and Memo,” said Guy. “Kevin and I have been interested in working together for years now, and this will finally be our opportunity to do so. He’s acquired such a successful history in sports car racing and it’s an honor for any driver to drive for him.”
Cosmo and Gidley are not strangers when it comes to sharing a Daytona Prototype seat. They enjoyed a fantastic race to close out the season in 2006 at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City.
“Sharing the car with Memo Gidley makes the scenario that much better. Memo is a fantastic driver as well as a truly good friend, and after our time together in the prototypes last year I know we will make a strong combination standing on the podium as we did last season.”
“2006 turned out to be a great season," said Cosmo, looking back. "Being chosen to drive the #19 Playboy/Uniden car both with Michael and Memo for six events and co-driving with Bobby Labonte at Spirit of Daytona Racing for three events in between was a terrific opportunity. I got to work with some really great people and managed to run nearly the entire season. In a field with so many of today’s best racing drivers, it was a blast running up front and mixing it up with them.”
“Coming on for this run with Doran will give me the opportunity to continue to demonstrate my talents to Grand Am teams and audiences,” continued Guy. “The Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype is the only prototype marque in competition that I have not yet driven, so this opportunity is truly meaningful in gaining experience in all of the Daytona Prototypes out there. This car won an impressive number of races, the Daytona Prototype Championship and the Rolex 24 since the inception of the prototype category. I’m eager to help Kevin, Memo and the guys on the Doran team to get the JE4 back to the front.”
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve U.S. Sports Car Invitational delivered by Luggage Express and the KONI Challenge Series events will run May 18-20. The Daytona Prototype race will air live on May 20th at 4:00 PM ET on SPEED.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2007 with a world-class racing schedule including the U.S. Sports Car Invitational featuring the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series May 18-20, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 20-22, the 34th Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races presented by Toyota August 17-19, the AMA Superbike Championship September 15-16 and the Monterey Sports Car Championships featuring the American Le Mans Series October 19-21.
Guy Cosmo's extensive background with open-wheel formula cars and sports prototypes has earned him a reputation as one of the most successful and versatile young racing drivers in North America. The 2005 American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year ranks among the top-level road racers in the world. He has earned overall racing titles and major successes in many disciplines including karting, Formula Ford, Formula 2000, Star Mazda, Toyota Atlantic, Grand American and American Le Mans. You can learn more about Guy Cosmo at www.guycosmo.com.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2007 Rolex Series schedule and the 12-race KONI Challenge Series calendar will deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America. All 2007 Rolex Series events will be televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA and presenting sponsorship from Crown Royal Special Reserve, the Rolex Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.
The American Le Mans Series is the premium brand of motorsport in North America, featuring high-tech sports cars from the most prestigious automobile manufacturers in the world. Its unique four classes of competition showcase exotic, open-top prototypes and sophisticated production-based GT cars, all competing on the track at the same time. The American Le Mans Series competes at the premier road racing tracks across North America and at selected temporary street circuits in major urban markets. With a 2007 television package that includes five network broadcasts on CBS and NBC and seven telecasts on SPEED, plus live broadcasts across Europe, the Series delivers a global marketing platform that is unmatched in motorsports. The Series, founded in 1999 by Georgia entrepreneur Don Panoz, represents a mirror image to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous and authentic automobile race. The American Le Mans Series features elite marques such as Audi, Porsche, Corvette, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Panoz, and premium brands such as Michelin, Yokohama, Kumho, Lowe’s, Shell and many others.