Lites: Series announces endurance race

COOPER TIRES PROTOTYPE LITES CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES ENDURANCE RACE

BRASELTON, Ga. January 13 -- The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced today that there will be an exciting change to the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship series event schedule at The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. While there are still two races scheduled, the second race of the weekend, and fourth of the season, will be a 75 minute endurance race.

Previously, as with most of the series' events, teams were scheduled to race twice during the weekend, with each race lasting 30 minutes. But as the Series Manager, Mike Simons explains, this change creates exciting new possibilities. "The Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship is a true developmental series, training drivers and equipping teams with the experience and skills they need to eventually advance to the American Le Mans Series. IMSA is eager to provide an endurance race to the series as it allows participants to experience the racing of the American Le Mans Series first hand."

The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca track is a 2.238-mile permanent road course, winding its way through the hills of Monterey, California. Known for its dramatic elevation changes and rigorous turns, including the famous "Corkscrew", the track consistently proves challenging for drivers and cars alike. "We couldn't be happier to have the endurance race hosted by The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, " Simons said. "The additional track time will give each driver the ability to learn more about the car, to help them identify what changes can be made to achieve optimal results, and it gives them the opportunity to recognize their areas of strength as well as those areas where they need to improve. Driver and team development is essential to the series. These participants are the future of racing."

The 2010 season of the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship begins the weekend of March 18th 20th, at the 58th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. With eight events in the season, there will be plenty of opportunities for teams and drivers to train, learn, and grow. For more information on the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Championship series, please visit www.imsa-lites.com.

-source: imsa