DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – BMW has partnered with Daytona International Speedway to return as the title sponsor for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race scheduled on Friday, Jan. 25 at 1:45 p.m. The official race name will be the BMW Performance 200.
Brian Johnson, frontman for Australian rock band AC/DC, will serve as Grand Marshal of the BMW Performance 200 and give the starting command “Drivers, start your engines.”
Johnson made his first Rolex 24 start in 2012 and finished a respectable 12th in the Daytona Prototype class. While he is not driving in this year’s Rolex 24, Johnson announced he is supporting the No. 50 Highway to Help BMW-powered Riley entry, which will be raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Association.
In addition to the race entitlement, BMW will have display and hospitality rights during the 51st Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona Weekend, showcasing new models for fans in both the Sprint FANZONE and the midway area inside the historic racing venue.
“BMW has been a successful competitor in both the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “We’re excited to be able to continue our relationship with BMW during the upcoming Rolex 24 At Daytona Weekend.”
“BMW of North America, LLC is proud to give the North American road racing season an excellent start with the BMW Performance 200,” said Gordon McDonnell, BMWNA Motorsport Manager. “We are delighted to see Brian Johnson serving as Grand Marshal to increase awareness of the Highway To Help campaign. We look forward to another great year of GRAND-AM competition.”
This year, eight teams will field 13 BMWs in the BMW Performance 200. In 2012 BMW made more CTSCC starts than any other manufacturer and BMW drivers have always raced to success in the series that offers two classes of street-stock racing. In the Rolex 24 At Daytona, five BMW-powered Daytona Prototypes and two BMW-powered BMW M3s will take the green flag in the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
The BMW Performance 200 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series race is part of 51st Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona Weekend.
The Rolex 24 At Daytona, the prestigious season-opening event to the Rolex Sports Car Series, is scheduled to start on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 3:30 p.m. A star-studded driver lineup from around the world will battle the 3.56-mile road course in Daytona Prototypes, GT and GX class cars for a coveted victory in the twice-around-the-clock challenge.
A complete event schedule for the Rolex 24 Weekend is available at: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2013/GRAND-AM-200/Event-Info.aspx.
Tickets for the Rolex 24 At Daytona are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Tent camping, only for the Rolex 24, is still available outside Turns 1 & 2 in the GEICO Park West Lot for $20.
Tickets for the Budweiser Speedweeks At Daytona are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest for the latest news all season long.
Discussion about this post