GRAND AM (DAYTONA) - 2007 Season-Ending Party Scheduled During SEMA Show at Bally's

Following the success of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve Champions Banquets in Las Vegas, the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series is now heading to the famous Vegas Strip for its 2007 season-ending celebration.

For the first time, the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series will have its year-end awards celebration amid the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas and in conjunction with the annual SEMA Show, the blockbuster automotive specialty products extravaganza that is a must attend for all involved in the automotive and motorsports industries. The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Champions Celebration will be held at Bally’s Las Vegas on Tuesday, October 30th, the night of the opening day of the SEMA Show, which will once again be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“A couple of years ago we held our first Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Champions Banquet in Las Vegas in conjunction with the SEMA Show and it proved to be quite popular with our competitors and friends in the industry,” said Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson. “Many Grand-Am members regularly attend the SEMA Show in addition to our other industry colleagues that may not always have a chance to attend a year-end Grand-Am celebration. We are very pleased that we can conclude the first season of the new Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series with what will no doubt be another strong gathering of competitors and industry players.”

The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Champions Celebration will honor the top drivers, teams and manufacturers from the 2007 season that concludes with twin six-hour races at Virginia International Raceway, October 6th.

The evening begins with a reception at 7 p.m., followed by dinner and awards beginning at 8 p.m. Throughout the evening the top-three drivers and teams and the winning manufacturers in the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) classes will be presented with their various awards and bonuses earned during the season.

The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Champions Celebration is open to all series competitors, sponsors, manufacturers and fans as well as all attendees of the SEMA Show. Business Attire is the required dress for the evening. Tickets are $95 and available online at https://secure.grand-am.com/banquet/KONIorder.asp. Hotel arrangements can be made by calling general reservations at Bally’s Las Vegas at (800) 634-3434. Please call Delena Johnson at Grand-Am at (386) 947-6759 for additional information.

In addition to the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Champions Celebration, the Grand-Am Rolex Series Champions Banquet is also returning to Las Vegas this year. The event will be held at The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino on Monday, March 17 and more information is available online at www.Grand-Am.com.

The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2007 Rolex Series schedule and the 12-race KONI Challenge Series calendar delivered professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA and presenting sponsorship from Crown Royal Special Reserve, the Rolex Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.