The American Le Mans
Series (ALMS) hit the jackpot with a full house of ALMS sponsorship
announcements made at Sebring International Raceway prior to the historic
Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring March 19.
Sportsbook.com has decided to become a player on the track. The online
giant will join the return of Mazda to North American Road Racing as the
primary sponsor of the No. 8 Mazda factory powered Courage C65 for B-K
Motorsports. Pat Kestner and Bob Bach of B-K will display a scale model of
the race car at Chateau Elan at Sebring International Raceway.
Sportsbook.com will also be the "official online gaming partner" of the
ALMS for one year, which will include sponsorship of the "Sportsbook.com
Winners Circle" at all ALMS events. Sportbook.com will also support a
"Lucky Move of the Race" contingency award of $1,000 presented to the one
driver who got lucky on the track at the previous race during prerace
ceremonies. The last "Lucky Move of the Race" award at Mazda Raceway
Laguna Seca will be given to the recipient driver at the ALMS year-end
banquet. In addition, lucky fans will have the chance to win Mazda RX-8s
and other prizes over the course of the season via online entries.
The final aspect of the sponsorship trifecta involves Sportsbook.com
becoming the title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Atlanta April 17.
B-K MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES THE SPORTSBOOK.COM, MAZDA ROTARY POWERED, P2
COURAGE 2002 FORMULA MAZDA
Wisconsin based B-K Motorsports announced at Sebring International Raceway
that it would carry the Mazda banner and rotary power back into endurance
racing in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series for a full season
in 2005. 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 graduates duo
has worked together previously as Cosmo served as driver-coach for Bach
during the 2003 campaign.
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 having spent most of his time behind the wheel of
Formula Mazdas. Bach, the 2002 SCCA Formula Mazda national champion, has
amassed nearly 50 victories and over 30 pole positions in four seasons and
currently holds six track records. Bach spent 2004 behind the wheel of the
SIRIUS Satellite Radio Pro Formula Mazda, finishing eighth 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 nine, scoring victories and championships at all
levels.
Brian Skuza of Road Atlanta, Scott Atherton of the ALMS, John Doonen of
B-K Motorsport, Alex Czajkowski of Sportsbook.com, Robert Davis of Mazda
Click here for Hi-Res
Cosmo has basically driven anything with wheels on it. Also a product of
karting, he has driven Formula Continentals, Formula Fords and Formula
Mazdas to divisional championships in the SCCA. In 2002, Cosmo 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 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the LMP1
Riley and Scott of American Spirit Racing in 2004.
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 the only Japanese car
manufacturer to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mazda did so with
the legendary rotary power plant, 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 RX-8 four door, four-seat sports car, 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 Mazda Championship presented by
Goodyear.
The 10-race American Le Mans Series will have three network television
broadcasts on CBS and seven races televised on SPEED Channel and worldwide
on the Sky Sports World Motorsports program.
QUOTES:
Pat Kestner, Co-Owner, No. 8 Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
"We want to thank Sportsbook.com for its commitment to our program and its
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.com, 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, No. 8
Sportsbook.com Mazda Courage
"For decades, thousands of race drivers have chosen to race Mazda products
because of Mazda's relentless commitment to achieve 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.com 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 three-rotor development program for
almost a full year now, and we are excited that we have a great
partnership with B-K and its new Courage Chassis. The Mazda rotary engine
has a great racing heritage. We are focused on developing the power plant
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 Competition
"We feel honoured to have been chosen both by B-K 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 the 24 Hours Le Mans. Mazda has been victorious six
times in its category between 1983 and 1996, and has won the 24 Hours Le
Mans in 1991. In 1991, three Mazdas finished among the top eights. 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.com 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. 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.com had enough confidence in us, the American Le Mans Series,
and our program to join forces with us for 2005."
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