Grand-Am
Laguna Seca: Citgo Racing preview
CITGO RACING BY SAMAX ANNOUNCES NEW EQUIPMENT, ADDITION OF FACTORY DRIVERS & TOP FORMER CHAMP CAR ENGINEER Duno and team head to Laguna Seca May 2, 2006, Los Angeles, CA...The Grand American Rolex Sports Car ...
Edited: May 4, 2006, 12:04 AM
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CITGO RACING BY SAMAX ANNOUNCES NEW EQUIPMENT, ADDITION OF FACTORY DRIVERS & TOP FORMER CHAMP CAR ENGINEER
Duno and team head to Laguna Seca
May 2, 2006, Los Angeles, CA...The Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series has become ultra competitive in 2006. Top equipment is a necessity to compete at the front and CITGO Racing by SAMAX is proud to announce that the #11 CITGO Pontiac Riley has undergone a complete transformation. The car is now the newest race car on the Rolex Series grid. The #11 boasts a brand new Riley chassis, new Bosch electronics, a Pontiac engine from Hasselgren Engineering and an all new paint scheme.
In addition, the team welcomes Corvette Racing driver Olivier Beretta to race with CITGO Racing regular Milka Duno in up to 6 of the remaining 9 races and Riley Technologies Factory driver Marc Goossens to compete in 3 races - beginning with the race at Laguna Seca. CITGO Racing is also pleased to announce that Champ Car veteran engineer Steve Challis will join the program starting with the upcoming race at Laguna Seca.
Olivier Beretta, a Corvette Racing driver, is one of the most successful drivers in international endurance racing. He is a three time American Le Mans Series (ALMS) champion and a four time class winner of the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Since 2000, Beretta has also worked as a Formula One test driver with Michelin developing tires and since 2002 with the Williams F1 Team. "I'm very happy to have this new challenge in front of me and to drive for CITGO Racing and SAMAX. I've been watching the Daytona Prototypes because of the Pontiac involvement and to see my friends in action. The competition is extremely fierce and I am extremely anxious to help my new team beginning at Phoenix!"
Marc Goossens, a Riley Technologies factory driver, has raced top level prototype sports cars for over 10 years. Highlights include 3rd place finishes in the 2004 Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring. "It's encouraging to see the team moving forward on an aggressive path", said Bill Riley, President of Riley Motorsport. "Having Marc in the car we should be able to work more closely with them on engineering and set up issues and help advance the development of the car. With the upcoming testing and our support we expect to see the car at the front." Steve Challis has been a Champ Car engineer for the past 10 years and has helped some of the top names in open wheel racing reach the podium and victory lane, including Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Dario Franchitti and Greg Moore.
Duno said "We have been working really hard to make our team and car as strong as possible and I would like to thank Marino Franchitti for his valuable contribution this season. The addition of factory drivers and a top engineer proves that we are on the right track. The series has become so competitive that it is critical to get as much help as possible to get to the front, which we will be making every effort to do."
Milka Duno, Marc Goossens and the CITGO Racing by SAMAX team will now head west for the 6th round of the 2006 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Championship -- the U.S. Sportscar Invitational at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA May 5-7, 2006. The Sunday race will be televised live on the SPEED Channel beginning at 3:00pm EDT.
CITGO, based in Houston, Texas, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, refined waxes, asphalt and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information on CITGO visit www.citgo.com.
Milka is currently featured in Pontiac's largest ever Spanish language advertising campaign. Pontiac is a division of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) and markets the Bonneville, GTO, Grand Prix, Grand Am, G6, Vibe and Sunfire. In 2003, Pontiac sold more than 475,000 vehicles, ranking third among GM divisions in total sales. 2004/2005 will see Pontiac launch an exciting new range of vehicles including the Montana SV6, G6 coupe, G6 convertible and the Solstice roadster. More information on Pontiac and its products can be found at www.pontiac.com. Information in Spanish can be found at www.pontiac.com/sp.
Milka is also the Latin American spokesperson for Sony's Xplod car audio brand. Sony Corporation of America is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications, and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its music, motion picture, television, computer entertainment, and online businesses make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $67 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005. You may visit the Sony Corporation website at http://www.sony.net/. Sony Latin America has a regional office in Miami, Florida, and subsidiaries in numerous countries, including Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. You may visit the Sony Latin America website at http://www.sony-latin.com/index_.crp
For additional information on Milka please visit www.milkaduno.com. For more information on the Rolex Sports Car Series log on to www.grandamerican.com.
-citgo-
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