Cosmo and Spirit of Daytona Continue Development

Porsche-based V8 Fabcar Hits Track at Grand-Am Rolex Series November Test

1100458-1162827-thumbnail.jpgDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 16, 2007) -- A new era in Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve competition officially began Wednesday in the first of the two-day November Test Days at Daytona International Speedway as all Rolex Series machines bolted on Pirelli Tires for the first time. Pirelli will be the series standard beginning in 2008 as the Official Tire of the Grand-Am Rolex Series.  With two days of testing now complete, the new Pirelli P-Zero Tire is firmly entrenched in Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 competition and the teams and drivers put in the miles to prove it. In total, the 45 participating teams ran a total of 24,614 miles (6,914 laps) on the new Pirelli P-Zero tires, which is just 288 miles short of a trip around the earth.

 

Spirit of Daytona Continues Engine Development

Spirit of Daytona is testing with a "Porsche-based" 5.0-liter V-8 engine based on a block from a Cayenne. The team used Guy Cosmo, Marc-Antoine Camirand and Shane Lewis to get the car up to speed this week. The driver lineup for the Rolex 24 and the 2008 season has yet to be determined.

"We have a little different motor program, and I think it's working, and we've learned a lot about aero," team owner Troy Flis said. "This is only the second time that we've got to work on the car. We're trying to learn a lot, because we've got a lot of data on Crawfords, but we don't have a lot of data on the Fabcar. We're trying to gather as much data as possible so we can make better and quicker decisions."

Flis is working with the current Fabcar bodywork, but if the Cheever team shows major improvement with their new bodywork, the team may also go in that direction.

"We want the best package we can get with our budget; whatever makes the most sense for us," Flis said. "We'd like to run all year, but we want to run a limited schedule for sure. And we want to run up front if we run a limited schedule."

Cosmo, Camirand and Lewis all have experience in a variety of sports cars, making the team's job easier.

"We're learning a lot about this car," Cosmo said. "Every time we touch it, we've made it faster."

Guy Cosmo Heads To The Grand-Am SunChaser 1000k Rolex Series Finale

1100458-1027465-thumbnail.jpgKONI Challenge Championship Out of Reach, Fountain Motorsports Racing To Win

In addition to his scheduled driving duties in the KONI Challenge Series Fountain Motorsports #127 BMW 330i, Guy Cosmo will join Doug Goad and Marc-Antoine Camirand in the brand new Fabcar/Porsche Daytona Prototype for Spirit of Daytona. Cosmo is in Salt Lake City this week for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve season finale at Miller Motorsports Park.

Spirit of Daytona team will contest the September 15th endurance race at Miller Motorsports Park with a Fabcar chassis fitted with a new Lozano Brothers-prepared, Porsche-based 5.0-liter V-8 engine.

The Fabcar chassis (No. 002) was among the first Daytona Prototypes to hit the track when the category debuted in 2003 and was driven to three wins - including the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen - as the No. 58 Red Bull/Brumos Porsche entry. Now updated to the latest Fabcar bodywork designs, the Spirit of Daytona Porsche-based V-8 Fabcar represents both the past success and the state-of-the-art future of the competitive Daytona Prototype category.

"I'm very excited about the debut of this 5.0-liter Daytona Prototype combination with Spirit of Daytona," Cosmo said. "This new motor has all the potential to run at the front of the pack. The revised Fabcar chassis has been a pleasure to drive as well, and is a great improvement from the original Fabcar chassis I drove in 2003. Dave Klym was the first to build a Daytona Prototype and I'm looking forward to getting his chassis back on the podium like we did together a number of times in '03."

"For me personally, this program is very exciting. I really enjoy development programs and this chassis/engine combination adds to the list of Daytona Prototype experience I've got, because I've driven just about everything out there, and now I'm one up on the rest of the field," Cosmo continued. "Working with Troy and Michelle Flis and the Spirit of Daytona crew was a pleasure last season for the limited schedule we ran with Bobby Labonte, and I'm glad to be back with such a nice group of people. Troy has assembled a strong and talented group of people to work on this Porsche-based V-8 Fabcar combination and I'm looking to show what it's capable of doing."”

Over 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.

The SunChaser 1000k will air live on SPEED in two segments on Saturday, September 15. The first part begins at 1 p.m. ET while the second segment starts at 5:30 p.m. ET and will go to the race's finish.

Csomo will also be driving the No. 127 Fountain Motorsports BMW with VJ Mirzayan this week.

“I’m looking forward to working with VJ,” noted Guy. “we’ve developed a good rapport with each other  and he really knows the BMWs well.”

After a couple of tough races, the Fountain Motorsports team finds themselves mathematically out of the chase for the KONI Challenge championship.

“We’ve had a darn good season, all-in-all,” said Cosmo. “We surprised a lot of people and the team has learned a lot. Not only about the car and the KONI Challenge competitors, but also about themselves. I think you’ll see this team back with a vengeance in 2008. For us drivers, though, the pressures off... so our focus will be on getting this car to the front. Between here and VIR, we’d like to pick up a win. The team definitely deserves it.”

The KONI Challenge Series Race is 200 miles or 2.5 hours and will run Friday, September 14th from 3                  - 5:30pm.

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.

Trois-Rivières Again Unkind To Cosmo And Plumb

No. 127 Fountain Motorsports BMW Takes A Hit - Championship Hopes Dashed

1100458-988994-thumbnail.jpgAfter qualifying second for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Guy Cosmo and co-driver Matt Plumb couldn’t buy a break during the 10th round of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series race. Guy Cosmo went into the event sitting sixth in the Series’ championship points, just 32 points out of the lead. But luck was not on his side.

Cosmo saw his streak of eight straight top-10 finishes, come to a screeching halt on the fourth lap of the race. Matt Plumb had qualified the car 2nd, and though he was off to a great start, on lap four another car making an ill-advised pass made contact and cut down the left rear tire on the No. 127 Fountain Motorsports BMW. By time Matt got in and out of the pits, he was nearly a lap down, just in front of the leaders.

Eventually getting passed by the leader and dropping a lap down, Plumb did a great job of staying with the second place car and managed to stay in 13th place. As Matt was about to complete his stint and turn the car over to Cosmo, something in the motor let go.  Cosmo proceeded to climb in the car and buckle up, but it was all for naught. The No. 127 Fountain Motorsports BMW was done for the day.

"This place just hasn't been nice to me lately,” expressed a frustrated Cosmo.  “This makes it two years in a row that I never even got in the car during the race.  It's extra disappointing since the Fountain Motorsports team prepared such a strong car for the weekend. Matt Plumb did an excellent job qualifying on the front row and had a terrific start in the race. “
“Trois-Rivieres is such a great city to host this event,” added Cosmo. “I really enjoy street circuits.  It's a shame we couldn't bring home the result we've been working towards.. I'm sure we would have been in the fight at the end."

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 success 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.

Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Heads To Trois-Rivières - Cosmo Aiming For A Win

1100458-977430-thumbnail.jpgNo. 127 Fountain Motorsports BMW Driver Guy Cosmo Teams With Matt Plumb

Heading into the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in Quebec,  for the 10th of 12 rounds of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, Iowa Speedway winner Guy Cosmo resides sixth in the championship points, and only 32 points out of the lead.
With eight straight top-10 finishes, Cosmo has every reason to be optimistic about his chances going into the weekend. Guy will be joined in the No. 127 Fountain Motorsports Ironclad/Hawk Brakes BMW 330i  by Matt Plumb. Matt co-drove to a second place finish at Trois-Rivières last season.

“I’m really pleased that Matt Plumb will join me in the No. 127 BMW this weekend,” expressed Guy.  “Matt's a great driver, he's very fast and smart behind the wheel. I'm sure he'll qualify the car up front and hand it over in a position for me to charge for the win.  I'm really looking forward to the pairing.”

Official practice on the legendary Candian circuit begins Friday for both divisions, with ST qualifying at 9:15 a.m. local time Saturday and GS qualifying scheduled for 9:45 a.m. The two-hour ST race will start at 1:30 p.m. local time Saturday, while the GS race will start at 3 p.m. local time Sunday.

"The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres is always such an exciting event,” Guy added. “I absolutely love racing here. My first experience at the track was in 2001, when I raced in the Toyota Atlantic Championship for Duesenberg Brothers Racing. The fans are incredibly enthusiastic and the track is extremely challenging.”

Last year,  the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres was the site of Guy’s debut with Fountain Motorsports. Unfortunately, it was a short afternoon.

“My only other visit at the track was last year,” Guy recalled. “It was my first event with Fountain Motorsports. My teammate Paul Stoddart qualified and started the car. As luck would have it, Paul got trapped in a huge pile-up on lap three,  and so I never saw any green-flag action.  Considering the great promise we showed in practice, though, I feel we've got some unfinished business at Trois-Rivieres.”

Guy hasn’t been resting during the KONI Challenge Series break. A full schedule has been keeping Cosmo very busy.

“I have been in so many different Daytona Prototypes with so many different teams and co-drivers this season,“ laughed Guy. “variety is never missing in my schedule! So, it’s nice to climb back in the KONI Challenge car this week and focus only on that program. My Fountain Motorsports BMW 330i slips on like an Ironclad Driving Glove - it's a perfect fit every time.”

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 success 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.

Cosmo Gets A Call From Southard Motorsports Preformed Line Products No. 3 Daytona Prototype

1100458-938045-thumbnail.jpgGuy Cosmo takes over for Randy Ruhlman At Barber Motorsports Park
Last-minute race schedule conflicts prevented regular driver Randy Ruhlman from joining the Southard Motorsports team this past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park for the Grand Am Rolex Series.  Ruhlman will return to the No. 3 Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley in two weeks, when the Grand-Am Series heads north for Rounds Eleven and Twelve of competition at Montreal and Watkins Glen.

The No. 3 Preformed Line Products Daytona Prototype is campaigned by Southard Motorsports of Powell, Ohio.  The Riley chassis is powered by Lexus engines with technical expertise by TRD Engineering and carries sponsorship from Preformed Line Products from Mayfield Village, Ohio.

“Well, another weekend with a new team,” laughed Guy Cosmo. “Steve and Martha Southard are two of the nicest people in the paddock, and we've had several conversations about my joining the program, but had never had the proper opportunity to do so.”

Cosmo will be sharing the driving duties with Ruhlman’s regular co-driver, Shane Lewis.

“Shane and I are great friends,” said an enthusiastic Cosmo. “We have often talked about driving together, so we were both looking forward to sharing the wheel.  And, we're almost the same height and weight, which is a huge benefit when you have to share a seat and do quick driver changes.”

“The Preformed Line Products Lexus Riley started the weekend a bit off the pace,” noted Guy. “But Shane and I worked with the team really well to target the areas that needed tweaking. We were able to make significant progress just before qualifying and Shane qualified the car 9th.”

“Unfortunately, our race pace just wasn't a match for the competition over the long haul,” said Guy. “Shane had a great start and worked his way up to 6th,  but we lost a few positions through the pit rotation. He handed the car over to me running in 10th. I jumped in and on the restart. And though my pace was exactly as fast as Shane's,  I fell victim to an increasingly faster pace by the competition. And, even though I set our fastest race lap and ran a very consistent pace,  everyone else seemed to get faster. That relegated me to 13th while reeling in Burt Frisselle in a great chase to the finish.”

“It was extremely hot and humid this weekend in Alabama,” continued Guy. “It was tough and physical. Thanks to Paul Booth and Performance Drink, though, I felt better than ever when I climbed out of the Daytona Prototype - I won't leave home without it!”

“It's been fun playing musical chairs in the series,” said Guy, “and I was glad to fill in for Randy and represent Preformed Line Products, TrueChoice and Southard Motorsports. Plus, I finally got to share a car with Shane instead of racing against him. In the end, it was another great weekend and driving for the Southards was a nice surprise. Who knows what team I'll drive for next!”

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. And, just last week Cosmo got his first chance to drive the Riley/Porsche combination filling in for JC France in the Brumos Porsche.

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 success 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.

Southard Motorsports reflects the goals and dedication of its owners, Steve and Martha Southard, both former drivers themselves in Historic and Professional racing.  One of only two teams to have competed in every Grand American Rolex Daytona Prototype Sports Car event since 2004, they have shown the continuity and commitment that are hallmark to all winning programs and the team was pivotal in winning the inaugural Jim Truman Driver's Award.  Southard Motorsports' experience and knowledge was highlighted by last year's successful Daytona Prototype season, as they captured two podium finishes, a third at the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix and another third at Phoenix. The team recently announced an alliance with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to increase visibility and awareness for the Foundation and its programs.

Preformed Line Products (PLP) is an international manufacturer and supplier of hardware and support systems for the communications and energy industries. Products include COYOTE® Fiber Optics and VORTEX® Vibration Dampers used in the telecommunications, cable and energy industries.  Manufacturing facilities are located worldwide in the USA, Canada, China, Brazil, Mexico, England, Spain, South Africa, Australia and Thailand.

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.

Fuel Problems Hinder Cosmo’s Championship Hopes

1100458-936225-thumbnail.jpg#127 Fountain Motorsports BMW ST salvages a top-10 finish at Barber Motorsports Park.

Guy Cosmo saw his championship hopes move farther away Saturday at last week’s Grand American Road Racing Association’s KONI Challenge Series race at Barber Motorsports Park. Cosmo went into the event sitting sixth in the KONI Challenge Series championship standings. While he continues to hold on to that spot, the leaders are pulling away in points. Cosmo has finished in the top 10 each of his last seven starts, a streak that began with the #127 Fountain Motorsports Trackmasters/Hawk Brakes BMW 330i’s victory at Iowa Speedway.

Cosmo was second quickest in the first practice on Thursday. However, as other teams improved their setups and times, the #127 Fountain Motorsports Trackmasters/Hawk Brakes BMW 330i was not advancing at the same pace.

“We continue to learn our way through the BMW and find what it wants for the varying conditions at each track,” expressed Cosmo, “so it was a weekend of us facing handling issues throughout practice and qualifying. Regardless, the team worked hard and VJ (Mirzayan) qualified the car 13th.”

VJ started the race and put in a solid drive during his stint. When he pitted for fuel and a driver change, the trouble began.
“The fuel just wasn't filling at the rate it should,” said a frustrated Cosmo. “It was taking more than a full minute to fill the tank. Unfortunately, that sealed the deal for us.  I left pit lane a lap down. I hustled to make up ground on the few cars in front of me, but there just wasn't much to gain.”

Without any caution periods during the entire race, the Fountain team saw their chances of regaining positions fade.  

“That was it,” said Guy. “It was pretty much over. Fortunately, my race-pace was faster than the leaders, and I was actually closing the gap on the race leader. Seeing him in front of me provided me with some hope of getting my lap back.”

“I do have to give the team credit, though,” continued Guy. “Once again they proved that come race time, the Fountain Motorsports BMW is always there. It just didn't play out for us this weekend.”

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 success 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.

Guy Cosmo And Fountain Motorsports Head To Barber Motorsports Park With A Winning State-of-Mind

1100458-928105-thumbnail.jpg#127 BMW ST Team continues strong season with a can-do attitude.
The Grand American Road Racing Association’s KONI Challenge Series returns to Barber Motorsports Park this week.  Guy Cosmo currently holds steady at sixth in the KONI Challenge Series championship standings, entering Barber driving the No. 127 Fountain Motorsports Trackmasters/Hawk Brakes BMW 330i with VJ Mirzayan. Cosmo has finished in the top 10 in each of his last six starts, a streak that began with a victory at Iowa Speedway.

After the team’s late-race disappointment at the Glen, Cosmo is determined to take care of some unfinished business. With but two laps remaining at the Grand American Road Racing Association’s KONI Challenge Series race at Watkins Glen International, a faulty fuel pump sent Guy Cosmo shuffling backwards from 2nd place to 10th.

“That was really a disappointment,” exclaimed Cosmo. “We had a strong car and a very good chance of winning.  We were right in the mix and ready to  fight for the win.”

Guy and the team remain optimistic heading into the weekend and looking forward to the balance of the season.
“We’ve had a good solid results of late,” Guy noted. “Believe me we aren’t complaining.   We had a strong  4th place win at Mid-Ohio and a string of top-10 finishes before that. We’re still in pretty good shape in the points standings, though it's going to require a flawless run to the end of the season.”

“I really enjoy racing here,” said Guy. “It’s a fairly technical track and you need to keep yourself in the hunt. Pit strategy will be important as will staying clean. If you can keep your car under you and stay in the mix, you’ve got a good shot at a win. That’s pretty much a constant with this KONI Challenge Series.”

Official practice at Barber Motorsport Park begins Friday, with ST qualifying at 4:10 p.m. local time Friday. Qualifying for GS is scheduled for 10 a.m. local time Saturday. The ST race will start at noon local time Saturday, while the GS race will start at 8:30 a.m. local time Sunday.

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 success 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.