Amanda B.'s Mom
03-19-05, 02:29 PM
Today I received the following Press Realease (schedule edited for space):
B-K MOTORSPORTS PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE
#8 SPORTSBOOK.COM, MAZDA ROTARY POWERED, P2 COURAGE
2002 FORMULA MAZDA CHAMPIONS JAMIE BACH and GUY COSMO WILL TEAM UP AS MAZDA RETURNS TO ENDURANCE RACING
(Sebring, Florida) Friday, March 18, 2005 – Today, at Sebring International Raceway, Wisconsin based B-K Motorsports, announced that they would carry the Mazda banner and ROTARY power back into endurance racing in the P2 class of the American Le Mans Series. The Mazda powered Courage will be piloted by 2002 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Formula Mazda National Champion – Jamie Bach – and 2002 STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP winner– Guy Cosmo. The Formula Mazda graduate duo has worked together previously, as Cosmo served as driver coach for Bach during the 2003 campaign.
The program is made possible largely because of a partnership with Sportsbook.com, a division of Sportingbet…a UK based company. Sportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world’s largest internet gaming company and one of the internet’s most profitable companies.
In 1991, Mazda became the first (and is still to this day, the only) Japanese car maker to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mazda did so with the legendary rotary powerplant, a key icon that has contributed to the unique heritage of the company that instills the “Soul of a Sports Car” in all of its products. With the rotary engine back in the marketplace as of 2003 (in Mazda’s four door, four seat sports car…the RX-8), it is only fitting that a group of young, dedicated racers bring Mazda back to endurance racing.
The team also brings Goodyear Racing Tires back to the American Le Mans Series, a fitting tie-in with the STAR (Formula) MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Goodyear.
DRIVER LINE-UP SHOWS FORMULA MAZDA GROWTH LADDER
Jamie Bach
The Twenty-one year-old, Bach, a junior Engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will be entering his fifth season of racing cars in 2005, spending most of his time behind the wheel of Formula Mazdas. Bach, the 2002 SCCA Formula Mazda NATIONAL CHAMPION, has amassed nearly fifty victories and over thirty pole positions in four seasons and currently holds 6 track records. Bach spent 2004 behind the wheel of the SIRIUS Satellite Radio PRO Formula Mazda, finishing 8th in the STAR MAZDA SERIES North American Championship presented by Goodyear. In 2004, he also scored his third SCCA Central Division Championship in four years, his third Central Division STAR MAZDA SERIES crown, and scored a runaway victory in the prestigious Chicago Region June Sprints at his home circuit…Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America. Bach got his start in karting at the tender age of 9, scoring victories and championships at all levels.
Guy Cosmo
Cosmo has basically driven anything with wheels on it. Also a product of karting, Guy has driven Formula Continentals, Formula Fords and Formula Mazdas to divisional championships in the SCCA. In 2002, he won the crown in the STAR MAZDA SERIES North American Championship with dominant victories at Mid-Ohio and Road America. With that championship, Cosmo was given the opportunity to drive the Panoz LMP1 car and ultimately had the opportunity to start his first 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP1 Riley and Scott of American Spirit Racing. Cosmo is also a veteran of endurance racing through the 24 Hours of Daytona where he has driven in both the 24 Hour race and the support series for production based vehicles.
The 10 race AMERICAN LEMANS SERIES will have three network television broadcasts on CBS and seven races televised on SPEED CHANNEL and world-wide on the Sky Sports World Motorsports program. THE FULL SEASON SCHEDULE, QUOTES, PHOTOS OF THE CAR, and COMPLETE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOLLOWS:
QUOTES:
Pat Kestner, Co-Owner, #8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
“We want to thank Sportsbook for their commitment to our program and their partnership. Bob (Bach) and I are honored to be associated with Mazda’s return to the American Le Mans Series and the folks at Mazda North American Operations. We have made a strong commitment to put our best foot forward in everything we do at B-K and the organizations we are aligned with are no different. We are honored to represent Sportsbook, Mazda, Goodyear, and the other companies we will bring on board both on and off the track…scoring victories at race tracks and in board rooms.”
John Doonan, Director of Marketing & Public Relations, #8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
“For decades, thousands of race drivers have chosen to race Mazda products because of Mazda’s relentless commitment to achieving motorsports success at a grassroots level. The spirit of these drivers is the same energy and “never give up” attitude Mazda engineers possess and instill in new Mazda products. It is this “will to never give up” that will be the foundation of our team as we put Mazda back on the American Le Mans Series grid. This is a dream come true for everyone on this team. We are thrilled that Sportsbook saw the link with Mazda’s return and the reach and exposure through the American Le Mans Series. It is a true victory for everyone involved.”
Sylvain Tremblay, Team Owner/Driver, SpeedSource Race Engineering
“SpeedSource has been working on a 3 rotor development program for almost a full year now and we are excited that we have a great partnership with B-K and their new Courage Chassis. The Mazda rotary engine has a great racing heritage and we are focused on developing the powerplant to be competitive with the best the class has to offer. We made a substantial investment in infrastructure with the addition of our new state-of-the-art DTS computerized engine dynamometer. David Haskell leads the engine department and has been busy all winter. Now the challenge of the track and the rebirth of the rotary on the ALMS circuit await us.”
Yves Courage, Courage Compétition
“We feel honoured to have been chosen both by BK Motorsport and by Mazda; Mazda is returning to endurance races on American ALMS tracks, but it has marked the History of endurance races for decades; such challenge makes our team extraordinarily enthusiastic! We all remember the unique sound of the Mazda engines, and the great results achieved by Mazda in endurance races, particularly in Le Mans 24 Hours. Mazda has been victorious 6 times in its category between 1983 and 1996, and has won Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991. In 1991, 3 Mazdas finished among the top 8.”
I am also most glad about the quality cooperation with the American B-K Motorsports team. We are proud to offer such quality chassis as the C65 to our B-K Motorsports partner, and we are actively working together on the new Mazda engine.”
Guy Cosmo, Co-Driver, #8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
“Jamie and I are thrilled to have this special opportunity to represent Sportsbook across the country and be a part of Mazda’s racing history. We are going to grow throughout the year and look for as many testing opportunities as we can. The new car is very exciting and takes our game to the next level. The Renesis rotary power from Mazda will be outstanding and we will be able to relate our experiences on the track with those of RX-8 owners on the streets. We are thrilled that the team at Sportsbook had enough confidence in us, the American Le Mans Series, and our program to join forces with us for 2005.”
Additional info is available at the ALMS web site. I think this is a great partnership and driver combination. Granted, it is a development team, so their results this year may not be spectacular, but I feel there are good things for the future.
B-K MOTORSPORTS PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE
#8 SPORTSBOOK.COM, MAZDA ROTARY POWERED, P2 COURAGE
2002 FORMULA MAZDA CHAMPIONS JAMIE BACH and GUY COSMO WILL TEAM UP AS MAZDA RETURNS TO ENDURANCE RACING
(Sebring, Florida) Friday, March 18, 2005 – Today, at Sebring International Raceway, Wisconsin based B-K Motorsports, announced that they would carry the Mazda banner and ROTARY power back into endurance racing in the P2 class of the American Le Mans Series. The Mazda powered Courage will be piloted by 2002 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Formula Mazda National Champion – Jamie Bach – and 2002 STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP winner– Guy Cosmo. The Formula Mazda graduate duo has worked together previously, as Cosmo served as driver coach for Bach during the 2003 campaign.
The program is made possible largely because of a partnership with Sportsbook.com, a division of Sportingbet…a UK based company. Sportsbook.com and Sportingbet easily form the world’s largest internet gaming company and one of the internet’s most profitable companies.
In 1991, Mazda became the first (and is still to this day, the only) Japanese car maker to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mazda did so with the legendary rotary powerplant, a key icon that has contributed to the unique heritage of the company that instills the “Soul of a Sports Car” in all of its products. With the rotary engine back in the marketplace as of 2003 (in Mazda’s four door, four seat sports car…the RX-8), it is only fitting that a group of young, dedicated racers bring Mazda back to endurance racing.
The team also brings Goodyear Racing Tires back to the American Le Mans Series, a fitting tie-in with the STAR (Formula) MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Goodyear.
DRIVER LINE-UP SHOWS FORMULA MAZDA GROWTH LADDER
Jamie Bach
The Twenty-one year-old, Bach, a junior Engineering student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will be entering his fifth season of racing cars in 2005, spending most of his time behind the wheel of Formula Mazdas. Bach, the 2002 SCCA Formula Mazda NATIONAL CHAMPION, has amassed nearly fifty victories and over thirty pole positions in four seasons and currently holds 6 track records. Bach spent 2004 behind the wheel of the SIRIUS Satellite Radio PRO Formula Mazda, finishing 8th in the STAR MAZDA SERIES North American Championship presented by Goodyear. In 2004, he also scored his third SCCA Central Division Championship in four years, his third Central Division STAR MAZDA SERIES crown, and scored a runaway victory in the prestigious Chicago Region June Sprints at his home circuit…Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America. Bach got his start in karting at the tender age of 9, scoring victories and championships at all levels.
Guy Cosmo
Cosmo has basically driven anything with wheels on it. Also a product of karting, Guy has driven Formula Continentals, Formula Fords and Formula Mazdas to divisional championships in the SCCA. In 2002, he won the crown in the STAR MAZDA SERIES North American Championship with dominant victories at Mid-Ohio and Road America. With that championship, Cosmo was given the opportunity to drive the Panoz LMP1 car and ultimately had the opportunity to start his first 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP1 Riley and Scott of American Spirit Racing. Cosmo is also a veteran of endurance racing through the 24 Hours of Daytona where he has driven in both the 24 Hour race and the support series for production based vehicles.
The 10 race AMERICAN LEMANS SERIES will have three network television broadcasts on CBS and seven races televised on SPEED CHANNEL and world-wide on the Sky Sports World Motorsports program. THE FULL SEASON SCHEDULE, QUOTES, PHOTOS OF THE CAR, and COMPLETE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOLLOWS:
QUOTES:
Pat Kestner, Co-Owner, #8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
“We want to thank Sportsbook for their commitment to our program and their partnership. Bob (Bach) and I are honored to be associated with Mazda’s return to the American Le Mans Series and the folks at Mazda North American Operations. We have made a strong commitment to put our best foot forward in everything we do at B-K and the organizations we are aligned with are no different. We are honored to represent Sportsbook, Mazda, Goodyear, and the other companies we will bring on board both on and off the track…scoring victories at race tracks and in board rooms.”
John Doonan, Director of Marketing & Public Relations, #8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
“For decades, thousands of race drivers have chosen to race Mazda products because of Mazda’s relentless commitment to achieving motorsports success at a grassroots level. The spirit of these drivers is the same energy and “never give up” attitude Mazda engineers possess and instill in new Mazda products. It is this “will to never give up” that will be the foundation of our team as we put Mazda back on the American Le Mans Series grid. This is a dream come true for everyone on this team. We are thrilled that Sportsbook saw the link with Mazda’s return and the reach and exposure through the American Le Mans Series. It is a true victory for everyone involved.”
Sylvain Tremblay, Team Owner/Driver, SpeedSource Race Engineering
“SpeedSource has been working on a 3 rotor development program for almost a full year now and we are excited that we have a great partnership with B-K and their new Courage Chassis. The Mazda rotary engine has a great racing heritage and we are focused on developing the powerplant to be competitive with the best the class has to offer. We made a substantial investment in infrastructure with the addition of our new state-of-the-art DTS computerized engine dynamometer. David Haskell leads the engine department and has been busy all winter. Now the challenge of the track and the rebirth of the rotary on the ALMS circuit await us.”
Yves Courage, Courage Compétition
“We feel honoured to have been chosen both by BK Motorsport and by Mazda; Mazda is returning to endurance races on American ALMS tracks, but it has marked the History of endurance races for decades; such challenge makes our team extraordinarily enthusiastic! We all remember the unique sound of the Mazda engines, and the great results achieved by Mazda in endurance races, particularly in Le Mans 24 Hours. Mazda has been victorious 6 times in its category between 1983 and 1996, and has won Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991. In 1991, 3 Mazdas finished among the top 8.”
I am also most glad about the quality cooperation with the American B-K Motorsports team. We are proud to offer such quality chassis as the C65 to our B-K Motorsports partner, and we are actively working together on the new Mazda engine.”
Guy Cosmo, Co-Driver, #8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
“Jamie and I are thrilled to have this special opportunity to represent Sportsbook across the country and be a part of Mazda’s racing history. We are going to grow throughout the year and look for as many testing opportunities as we can. The new car is very exciting and takes our game to the next level. The Renesis rotary power from Mazda will be outstanding and we will be able to relate our experiences on the track with those of RX-8 owners on the streets. We are thrilled that the team at Sportsbook had enough confidence in us, the American Le Mans Series, and our program to join forces with us for 2005.”
Additional info is available at the ALMS web site. I think this is a great partnership and driver combination. Granted, it is a development team, so their results this year may not be spectacular, but I feel there are good things for the future.