2004 LEXUS GRAND AMERICAN CHAMPIONS WEEK AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY GARY SHEEHAN BOLSTERS TEAM LEXUS FOR SEASON FINALE
Fontana, CA October 27, 2004; Driver Gary Sheehan of Martinez, CA will join Team Lexus for the exciting Grand-Am Cup season finale this week at Fontana's California Speedway. He will drive the #0 Team Lexus IS300 ST-class racecar, along with teammate Andy Brumbaugh. The #0 car will be in a team points-scoring role; currently Team Lexus is in the running for a top-three finish in the Manufacturer's Championship. The hopeful pair of drivers will join the two other Team Lexus IS300 entries on-track, all sharing the goal of securing a Team Lexus victory in this the final race of the 2004 Grand-Am Cup season. It should prove to be an exciting one to watch, as no less than five Grand-Am Cup Championship Titles have come down to the wire, and will be decided in this race. Sheehan comments, "I'm very excited to have this opportunity with Team Lexus. To join them for the season finale is very much an honor and a challenge, and I intend to give everything in helping them achieve a very strong end to a great season. They have run so well this year; it's going to be a pleasure to be part of such a fine team. Also, I enjoy racing at California Speedway, so I have high hopes for a solid result." Team owner and driver Chuck Goldsborough adds, "It's great to have him with us for this final race. I have always been impressed with Gary, by not only his driving ability, but also his positive attitude. We don't make room for a lot of drivers, but we make room for a guy like Gary Sheehan." Sheehan is a former USTCC driver (2001 -2003) and multiple race-winner. He made his Grand-Am Cup debut earlier this season, where he qualified on the front row, and set the current Grand-Am Cup GS-class lap record at the Mont-Tremblant circuit in Quebec, Canada, (set during the race). The #0 Lexus IS300 in race trim is a 3.0-liter inline six (with VVT-I), rear-wheel-drive, making approximately 235whp. Transmission is Getrag six-speed manual, top speed is over 150 mph, racing weight is 2750 lbs. More details on the car are available at www.teamlexus.com The Grand-Am Cup is the premier production car-based endurance racing series in North America. The field is made up of two classes: Sport Touring (ST) and Grand Sport (GS). The Grand-Am Lexus 250 Season Finale starts at 2:00 pm pacific time on Saturday October 29, 2004, and is a 250-mile, 89 lap, 3 hour race, on the 2.8 mile road course, (21 turns plus banked oval sections). Qualifying is earlier on Saturday 29th, at 11:15 am. The Grand-Am Cup action kicks off with two practice sessions on Friday and a third morning practice session Saturday morning prior to qualifying. Spectators will be treated to a full weekend of Grand-Am Cup and Rolex Series action, (Daytona Prototypes and GT-class cars) during the weekend. Come out and show your support for Team Lexus and Gary! For tickets and directions: California Speedway Fontana, CA. The Grand-Am Cup race will be broadcast by Speed Channel on November 7th at 5:00 pm (ET). The Rolex Series Lexus 400 Race will be broadcast live on pee Channel, Sunday October 31st at 4:00 pm (ET) To follow live event timing, (practice, qualifying, and race), or for more information regarding the race schedule and Grand-Am, visit the Grand American Road Racing website at www.grand-am.com Team Lexus sponsors include Red Line Oil, Baltimore Peterbilt, Sparco, BBS Wheels, Borla Performance Industries StopTech® Brakes is the official supplier of brake technologies to Team Lexus. www.stoptech.com For more information on Team Lexus, visit www.teamlexus.com Team Lexus contact: Melissa Lockhart melissa@teamlexus.com For more information on TeamSMR, visit www.teamsmr.com. To schedule an interview or photography, contact Gary Sheehan at 415-652-7903 gary@teamSMR.com, or Thom Wilder at 949-275-5585 thom@teamSMR.com