Kia's First-Ever GRAND-AM Pole Position Captured by No. 10 Koup


Capturing Kia's first-ever GRAND-AM pole and second place qualifying positions, respectively, the No. 10 and No. 12 Infinity Audio Forte Koups set the pace for today's exciting Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway.


Andy Lally set a new Street Tuner class qualifying lap record in the No. 10 Koup to claim the pole position while Mark Pombo, in the No. 12 Koup, posted the second-fastest lap, making it an all-Kia front row for the starting grid.


With new driver pairings as well as a new red and white exterior paint scheme conceived by Kia's California Design Center, the Forte Koups are starting the 2012 season off in fine style.


2011 CTSCC Street Tuner Drivers Champion Nic Jönsson reunited with former co-driver and NASCAR 2011 Sunoco Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Lally in the No. 10 Koup during Thursday's qualifying session. Lally played a critical role in Kia's 2010 "development year" and helped Kia earn its first-ever GRAND-AM podium finish last season at Daytona. In addition, decorated brothers Mark and Mathew Pombo join the third-year program to pilot the No. 12 Koup and strengthen Kia's chase for its first-ever manufacturers championship. The Koups anchor Kia's expanded motorsports activities in 2012, which will include two turbocharged Optimas racing in the Pirelli World Challenge and the all-new Rio 5-door competing in B-Spec events.


The 2.5-hour CTSCC race kicks off at 10:30 a.m. PT/1:30 p.m. ET, and the Koups will race on the famed 3.6-mile, 12-turn Daytona road course. Visit the Kia Racing Facebook Page (facebook.com/kiaracing) for live updates from the track or visit http://grand-am.com for live lap charts. The race will air on Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET on SPEED so be sure to tune in to catch the action.






Kia's Infinity Audio Forte Koups make their California debut tomorrow (7/9/2011)

Returning to the track for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif., intent on capturing their third victory of the season.  In addition, Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood, co-pilots of Koup No. 12 will celebrate their 50th race start as a driving duo this weekend.  The No. 10 Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup enters the race in first place in the team standings while Nic Jönsson leads the driver standings.


Visit the Kia Racing Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/kiaracing) for live updates from the track or visit http://grand-am.com/ for live timing and scoring.  The 2.5-hour race begins at 10:45 a.m. PT/1:45 p.m. p.m. ET.  The race will air on July 17 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on SPEED Channel.  Be sure to tune in to catch the action.

 


Kia Motors Captures Second GRAND-AM Victory!!

Michael Galati and Nic Jönsson piloted the No. 10 Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup to Kia's second GRAND-AM victory at Friday's Road America 200 in Elkhart Lake, Wis.  Meanwhile, the No. 12 Infinity Audio Forte Koup driven by Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood placed sixth, the team's best outing of the season.

The No. 10 Infinity Audio Koup started in third position, and Galati fended off a series of relentless attacks from several more powerful cars to keep the No. 10 Koup in the top five during the race's first 90 minutes.  With just over an hour remaining, Jönsson took the wheel and moved up the grid and into a fierce three-car battle for first place before ultimately overtaking the leader with 30 minutes remaining in the race.  Jönsson successfully held off repeated challenges from the second- and third-place cars for nine laps before a severe accident and full course caution ended the race under yellow, sealing Kia Racing's second victory of the season.

Galati and Jönsson's victory move the team to the top of the Street Tuner (ST) team standings and Jönsson into first place in ST driver points. The race will air on July 3 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on SPEED Channel.  Be sure to tune in to watch the action.  Visit the Kia Racing Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/kiaracing) for updates as the team prepares for July 9 at Laguna Seca.

Photo Credit: Melissa K. Smith Photography



Kia Motors Captures Victory
 
Michael Galati and Nic Jonsson Drive the No. 10 Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup to Victory Lane at Barber Motorsports Park

  • Kia's second-year motorsports program took the checkered flag in Saturday's GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race in Birmingham, Ala.

  • Large crowd of local Kia dealers and team members from the company's U.S. assembly plant in nearby West Point, Georgia were on hand to see Kia's first-ever win
 
IRVINE, Calif., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - It was a historic weekend for Kia Motors' second-year motorsports program as Michael Galati and Nic Jonsson co-drove the No. 10 Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup to the company's first-ever racing victory in the Street Tuner (ST) class of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) race in Birmingham, Ala.  A large contingent of Kia dealers and team members from Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) filled the Barber Motorsports Park stands to watch Kia win the Barber 200 in just the third race following the team's "development year" in 2010.

"After starting the year with two top 10 results and our first podium finish, we arrived at Barber Motorsports Park with high expectations and our sights set on earning Kia's first-ever victory," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, Kia Motors America.  "With the proximity to KMMG, the Barber race was a bit of a homecoming for us, and the efforts of Michael, Nic and the entire Kinetic Motorsports crew led to this tremendous milestone.  Notching our first win with a large number of Kia team members and dealers cheering us on made the result even more memorable."

In addition to the victory, the driving pair of Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood recorded their first top 10 finish of the year in the No. 12 Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koup.

After qualifying in the sixteenth position, Michael Galati maneuvered the No. 10 Forte Koup through the field and into the top 10 early in the race before handing the car off to Jonsson as part of a flawless pit stop with 90 minutes remaining in the two and a half hour event.

With Jonsson behind the wheel, the No. 10 car quickly moved up the grid and into the top five before overtaking the leader with just over 30 minutes remaining in the race.  Jonsson led the final 23 laps as he held off several challengers on his way to securing Kia's first-ever checkered flag.

"It's nearly unheard of for a second year racing program to stand on top of the podium, and today was a special day for Kia Motors and Kinetic Motorsports," said Jonsson.  "It's even better that we were able to deliver our first win with so many Kia dealers and team members from the plant here, and this result would not have been possible without the tireless efforts and commitment from every member of our racing team."

Racing fans can watch Kia race to its first-ever victory when SPEED broadcasts the Barber 200 on Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 p.m. ET.  The Infinity Audio Kia Forte Koups will return for round four of the CTSCC on May 14 at Virginia International Raceway, and fans can follow their progress and receive live updates from the track at www.facebook.com/kiaracing .

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 .

To follow Kia's motorsports program visit  www.facebook.com/kiaracing.


SOURCE Kia Motors America