Chevrolet drivers and teams journey to Kansas Speedway for inaugural SFP Grand Prix

DETROIT - (August 14, 2013) – As the 2013 GRAND-AM Road Racing season heads into the final stretch with only three races remaining until champions are crowned, the Team Chevy teams and drivers face a new challenge this weekend on the 2.370-mile speedway road course at Kansas Speedway for the inaugural running of the SFP Grand Prix.

The newly-configured road course just east of downtown Kansas City, Kansas will present unique challenges for Chevy teams in both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge with two corners that are extremely technical as well as high-speed oval sections and long straightaways. Each Chevrolet team would like to be the first to hoist the hardware in Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway, but it will take focus, precision and exact execution to emerge victorious in the nighttime event.

"It is a short week for the Chevrolet GRAND-AM teams with back-to-back races,” said Jim Lutz, Chevrolet Program Manager, Rolex Sports Car Series. “In fact, many of the teams did their maintenance in the paddock area of Road America before heading for this week's race at a newly configured road course at Kansas Speedway. The track is unique in that it utilizes the majority of the 1.5-mile oval, but also has a highly-technical infield section. The combination of the banked oval turns, and the flat infield section are going to present a challenge to crew chiefs and engineers to get the balance of the car around the entire 2.370-mile course to maximize power and handling around the high-speed oval as well as the tight infield section. We are looking forward to putting more wins in the Chevrolet column as the season begins to wind down and the championship battles continue."

2013 has been a successful one for Chevrolet teams in both the Daytona Prototype (DP) and Grand Touring (GT) classes. Heading into this weekend’s race, the Chevrolet Corvette DP teams and drivers have won five of nine races in the DP class and Chevrolet leads the Manufacturer Standings. With only three races remaining to determine a champion, the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team sits third in the standings on the strength of one victory at Circuit of The Americas, and four podium finishes. Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney find themselves only nine markers away from the top spot.

They are closely followed by fellow Corvette DP teams and driving twosomes of Action Express Racing’s Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa and Wayne Taylor Racing’s Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor who also find themselves within striking distance as the championship battle heats up. This weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway’s new road course could be the final turning point in determining the 2013 team champions.

In the GT class the pairing of John Edward and Robin Liddell piloting the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R have four victories and five podium finishes this season. The co-drivers sit second in the team standings only seven points away from the top spot. Solid runs this weekend in the inaugural event at Kansas Speedway could propel Chevrolet teams to the top positions within their respective classes heading into the final two races of the season.

Also competing this weekend at Kansas Speedway will be the drivers and teams in the Continental Tire Series. After a disappointing weekend at Road America John Edwards and Matt Bell are ready to get back behind the wheel of the No. 9 Camaro GS.R in hopes of claiming their second victory of the season. They currently sit second in the team point standings, but are hungry for another trophy. The driving duo of Lawson Aschenbach and Eric Curran are also due for a win, coming ever so close several times this season, the pair are looking for their first podium finish in 2013 as are their teammates Ashley McCalmont and Bob Michaelian piloting the No. 00 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R.

The first race of the SFP Grand Prix weekend will be the Continental Sports Car Challenge 2 hour and 30 minute contest which is scheduled to take the green flag at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 17 followed by the start of the Rolex Sports Car Series 2 hour and 45 minute race at 8:00 p.m., ET.

Team Chevy Racing