Kia Racing Makes Its Way to Lime Rock Park for Next Round of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

IRVINE, Calif., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With two podium appearances in the first three events of the year and the company's first-ever GRAND-AM victory last month at Barber Motorsports Park, the Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koups return to racing action this weekend for the Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.  Kia Motors America's second-year racing program enters the fifth race of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) season currently ranked second overall, and just three points off the lead, in the Street Tuner (ST) class engine manufacturer standings.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110526/LA09854)

As the CTSCC season nears the halfway point, Kia Racing – in partnership with Kinetic Motorsports – continues to show rapid growth with strong performances in the season's first five races and has high hopes for the remainder of the schedule.  The No. 10 Forte Koup enters the Memorial Day Classic in third place and within striking distance of the top spot in the ST team standings.

"Achieving our fourth-straight top ten finish at the Bosch Engineering 200 despite inclement weather and numerous setbacks underscores the strength of Kia's second-year motorsports program and we are looking for even better results at Lime Rock Park this weekend," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing and communications, KMA.  "With the No. 12 Forte Koup's top five finish at Lime Rock Park in 2010 and Kinetic's tremendous record so far this year, the entire team is focused on scoring enough points to move Kia Racing into the top spot in the engine manufacturer standings. With seven turns and 1.5 miles in length, the technical nature of Lime Rock Park should give the Forte Koups and their outstanding braking and handling characteristics a great shot at the podium."

Race fans can follow Kia's motorsports program and receive live updates at www.facebook.com/kiaracing.

Bosch Engineering 200 Race Recap

Following the excitement of Kia's first-ever GRAND-AM victory at Barber Motorsports Park in April, the Kia Racing team entered the Bosch Engineering 200 at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) with their eyes on a double top ten finish for the No. 10 and No. 12 Infinity Audio Forte Koups – and a possible move into first place in the CTSCC engine manufacturer standings in the ST class (Kia entered the May 14th race ranked second).  Although the team was full of optimism following the win in Birmingham, Ala., it also knew VIR's long straight-aways would give the more powerful turbocharged cars in the field a major advantage and the drivers would have to rely on the Koup's handling and braking strengths to make up the difference in the more technical portions of the track.

After securing the No. 12 car's best-ever qualifying position of fifth, Adam Burrows started behind-the-wheel and was able to move up one spot to fourth during his 22 laps in the car.  With more than 60 cars in the field, the race was marred by several crashes that caused 27 of 56 laps to be run under yellow flag caution.  Following a flawless pit stop, Trevor Hopwood jumped behind-the-wheel and immediately started charging up the leader board, eventually reaching the second position with just under 30 minutes remaining in the race. With four laps to go, the predicted rain appeared, causing the No. 12 to lose a bit of traction and ultimately finished in eighth place.

The result is the best finish this year for Burrows and Hopwood, and their second consecutive top-ten finish moved the pair up to 13th in the overall team standings as they continue to recover from the run of bad luck they encountered in the first two events.

After experiencing several setbacks including contact during the opening lap and a spinout a few laps later, the No. 10 Infinity Audio Forte Koup piloted by Michael Galati and Nic Jonsson finished 26th overall, after running in the top ten in the early stages of the race.  

Despite the incidents and less-than-optimal finish the No. 10 car remains just seven points off the lead in ST team standings.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 730 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." In 2010, KMA recorded its best-ever U.S. sales and 16th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site – www.kia.com.  For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

SOURCE Kia Motors America