McDowell Wins Prototype Qualifying Race - Cosmo Will Start From The Pole

1100458-673169-thumbnail.jpgIn Saturday’s inaugural Daytona Prototype qualifying race for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve VIR 400 (SPEED, Live, 1 p.m. ET) No. 19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Ford Crawford driver Michael McDowell took the lead from Mike Rockenfeller in the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team Porsche Crawford on the final lap to earn the victory

As a result of McDowell’s victory, new co-driver Guy Cosmo will start from the pole position for tomorrow’s VIR 400, with Grand American rules requiring that the qualifying race driver cannot start the feature race. Cosmo is standing-in for Memo Gidley, who was injured during practice for the Crown Royal Grand American Challenge of Long Beach two weeks ago, and will be participating in his first Daytona Prototype race since 2003.

“This was the easiest race I’ve ever won,” said Guy Cosmo following McDowell's win. “Michael put us in a great position for the start of tomorrow's race. It’s unfortunate that Memo will not be sitting on the pole with all the hard work and effort he’s put into the Playboy/Uniden/Palms Ford Crawford. However, I’m looking forward to doing my part during the race."

“There were a lot of firsts for the team today,” McDowell said. “This was the first win for the No. 19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms car and the first win of the season for Ford. I’m just glad we were able to run a clean race and take the win for our sponsors. I was pushing hard during the last few laps of the race, and when I saw the 23 car lift a bit coming down the front straightaway, I saw an opportunity and took it. I really enjoyed the qualifying race format. I think it adds a level of excitement for the entire series.”

"I plan on handing the car back to Michael[McDowell] in a position for him to take the team’s second win of the season," added Cosmo. "I'm confident by the end of Sunday's VIR 400 we’ll be back on the podium."

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 was established in 1999 to return stability to major league sports car road racing in North America. As the organization begins its sixth season of competition in 2005, Grand American is universally regarded as one of the world’s fastest-growing motorsports organizations.

SPEED Channel will provide live coverage of Sunday's VIR 400 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET, while the Grand-Am Cup Series VIR 200 will air on SPEED at 1:00 p.m. ET on April 29. Live Timing & Scoring data and audio webcasts in English and Spanish will be provided on the official web site of the Grand American Road Racing Association, www.grandamerican.com.

Guy Cosmo to Team with Michael McDowell at Virginia International Raceway

1100458-673163-thumbnail.jpgMOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 17, 2006) – With Memo Gidley on the sidelines for the next few races due to an injury sustained during the morning warm up for the Crown Royal Grand American Challenge of Long Beach, the team announced earlier today that Guy Cosmo will slide behind the wheel for this weekend’s race at Virginia International Raceway.

Guy Cosmo, one of the most successful and versatile young racing talents, will join Michael McDowell behind the wheel of the popular No.19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Ford-powered Crawford Daytona Prototype.

“I’ve known Guy for about three years,” stated Rob Finlay, Owner/Driver of Finlay Motorsports. “When I first became involved in racing Guy was driving for BGB Motorsports and he really helped me develop my driving skills. He spent several hours walking various tracks with me when Michael (McDowell) wasn’t available so when Memo was hurt in Long Beach I thought why not give him this opportunity.”

Cosmo’s racing titles, including the 2005 American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year, along with the fact that he tested with the Finlay Motorsports team in 2004 played a key role in the team’s decision.

“I’m thrilled to be given this opportunity to compete with a team of this caliber,” said Guy Cosmo. “It’s unfortunate to see Memo injured and we all wish him a quick and safe recovery. I’m honored to have been selected to fill in for Memo, and hope to make him and the team proud in the process. Finlay Motorsports is a great family of people and I’m happy to help at a time like this. Michael and I raced against each other in the past, we’re great friends and we’re looking for a great finish this weekend.”

The Mooresville, North Carolina based team, currently sits in third position in Grand American Rolex Series Team Points and looks to make up some ground this weekend on the 3.27-mile road circuit.

“It’s going to be a tough weekend without Memo,” said McDowell. “He’s such a great asset to this team, not only as a driver but a leader too. VIR (Virginia International Raceway) is a great track, we’ve run well there in the past and the Crawford’s always seem to have a great balance particularly at this track. Hopefully Guy and I will be able to rack up some points so that when Memo gets back we can go after this Championship.”

Practice for the 250-mile/77-lap/2 ¾ -hour time limit race begins on Friday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m. with qualifying to take place on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. The race

SellyourCell.com announces sponsorship of Guy Cosmo, ALMS Rookie of the Year

ORLANDO– February 21, 2006– SellyourCell.com, America’s Original Wireless Recycler, announced that it has become a 2006 personal sponsor of the American Le Mans Series 2005 Rookie of the Year, Guy Cosmo.

“For our initial foray into motorsports sponsorship we are particularly please to be associated with Guy Cosmo whom we have known and admired as a driver for a decade. He is a unique and accomplished individual who is tenacious enough to make it as a pro driver and sophisticated enough to be an excellent representative for our company,” said Keith Ori, CEO of SellyourCell.com.

“Guy is just a tremendous individual and his venue is an excellent fit for us. Professional sports car racing is a cutting edge technology business, and we feel that the American Le Mans Series in general will be a fantastic showcase for our company. The ALMS is one of the most technologically sophisticated racing series on the planet and demographically it is a good fit for our tech-savvy customer base,” said Ori.

SellyourCell.com will be behind Cosmo in his efforts to capture the 2006 American Le Mans Prototype 2 class Championship aboard the factory backed Mazda-Courage racecar, as well as assisting in his other racing efforts during the season.

“We have set up a co-branded promotional site with Cosmo at www.sellyourcell.com/cosmo where fans and consumers can get paid to recycle their cell phones and Apple iPods, with SellyourCell donating a portion of it’s profit on each unit to Cosmo’s racing efforts. The consumer receives full value for the phones they recycle. It is a win-win situation for everyone,” said Ori.

“Having known Keith for a number of years, I have followed SellyourCell.com’s growth and success within their industry. It is a distinct pleasure to be associated with his company for our 2006 campaign and I am confident that we will find success,” Guy Cosmo added.

SellyourCell.com is a six-year-old subsidiary of Sundog Inc., based in Orlando, Florida. Sellyourcell.com offers to pay consumers to recycle their used cell phones through their website www.sellyourcell.com. This process eliminates a number of hazardous and harmful substances from coming into contact with the environment and provides a financial incentive for doing so.

SellyourCell.com is one of the oldest companies offering this service and continues to be a leader in the wireless recycling industry.

Guy Cosmo is one of the most successful and versatile young racing drivers of his day. In 2005 Guy won the American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year award driving for B-K Motorsports and Mazda in the LMP2 category, taking one win and eight podiums en-route to third place in the championship. Guy’s career began in go-karts at age 11 where he ignited a winning streak with championships and major success in karting, Formula Ford, Formula 2000, Star Mazda, Toyota Atlantic, Grand American and American Le Mans. Guy’s extensive background between open-wheel formula cars and sports prototypes make him one of the most diverse and accomplished young drivers in the world. Visit Guy at www.guycosmo.com.

Turn your old cell phone into cash at www.sellyourcell.com/cosmo.