KIA RACING CLOSES GAP IN GRAND-AM CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE WITH TOP-FIVE FINISH IN PENULTIMATE ROUND OF CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE
Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson Maintain Second in Defense of Street Tuner Driver and Team Titles
SALINAS, Calif., September 8, 2012 – The season finale for the 2012 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) is going to be a nail-biter. Thanks to Kia Racing co-drivers Nic Jönsson and Andy Lally scoring a top-five finish today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the No. 10 DonorsChoose.org/Infinity Audio Forte Koup is just nine points out of first place in their quest for a second-consecutive championship.
Kia Racing closes in on Grand Am championship title with top-five finish for Forte Koup at Laguna Seca
“Our competition gambled a bit on pit stop strategy today, and because there were so many yellows, it paid off for them in terms of getting the win,” said Lally, describing the race, which was marred by eleven caution periods and more yellow-flag laps than green. “But our conservative approach got us valuable points, and we showed that we had the pace to run up front. We’re still very much in the hunt for the championship, but it’s going to be tense at Lime Rock.”
Jönsson was fastest in morning qualifying, earning Kia Racing’s fourth pole position of the season, and he and Lally ran comfortably in the top six for most of the two-and-a-half hour contest, avoiding trouble en route to the team’s fifth top-five of the season.
Teammates Michael Galati and Mat Pombo, meanwhile, started the No. 12 DonorsChoose.org/Infinity Audio Forte Koup sixth and ran among the top 10 until mid-race pit stops shuffled them back in the running order. Their anticipated march back to the front of the field, however, never materialized as first Pombo was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for jumping a restart and then a succession of full-course cautions eliminated any opportunity to race for position.
Kia Racing heads back across the country to the Northwestern corner of Connecticut for the 2012 CTSCC season finale at Lime Rock Park on September 28. In the interim, race fans can tune in to SPEED for the broadcast of today’s race, which will air September 16 at 1:30 p.m. ET. (Time and date subject to change. Check local listings).
About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America 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 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and LPGA. In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.
Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.
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