Guy Cosmo Mid-Ohio Wrap Up

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: johnt@c2group.com

Guy Cosmo and John Baker Take 2nd in Class at the Acura Sports Car  
Challenge of Mid-Ohio

Guy Cosmo's return to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course would have to be  
qualified as a success. Driving the No. 47 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the  
ALMS Challenge class as part of the featured American Le Mans Series  
Acura Sports Car Challenge of Mid-Ohio, along with teammate John  
Baker, Cosmo finished second in Saturday's race, setting the fastest  
ALMS Challenge lap along the way. Cosmo also set the fastest time in  
qualifying.

"It was great being back at Mid-Ohio with ALMS," noted Cosmo  
enthusiastically. "This is just a great race track, and we had an  
incredible turnout with the fans.  The Orbit racing prepared No. 47  
Porsche was working well all weekend. We certainly had a car capable  
of winning, but we didn't get everything right today."

Trying to apply a little 'outside-the-box' pit strategy, the team took  
a shot at only changing two tires. Turns out, the officials deemed the  
maneuver to be not in keeping with the rules and called the team back  
in for a 'full' pit stop.

"John was doing a great job during the first half of the race, but  
Melanie Snow was really on a tear, and she had a huge lead on all of  
us. The two-tire pit stop was going to save us a lot of time in the  
pits and help close the gap for me," said Cosmo. "However, we were  
unaware this was against the rules. We knew we'd fall a lap down to  
the No. 57 car during the stop, so having to come back in and make the  
required four-tire change sealed the deal and ended our hopes for the  
win."

Cosmo's participation in the ALMS Challenge class came about through a  
pairing with his client, John Baker. Baker is a regular in the Patrón  
GT3 Challenge by Yokohama Series and decided to take advantage of the  
ALMS invitation to join in the new ALMS Challenge Class.

"John's been doing a great job," said Guy. "He's making huge strides  
with all aspects of his driving. The opportunity to run with the  
American Le Mans Series in the ALMS Challenge has been a great  
experience. If the Series continues with the class in 2010, I think  
you'll see John Baker challenging for the Championship."

Mid-Ohio was the third race that the Challenge class has participated  
with the American Le Mans Series regulars. Earlier this year, IMSA and  
the American Le Mans Series announced the formation of the Challenge  
class as an effort to promote the brightest and best of a new  
generation of sports car drivers. The Challenge class will compete  
with the American Le Mans Series for five races in 2009.

To be eligible for selection by the sanctioning body (IMSA), drivers  
and teams must have had notable success for at least a year within GT3  
level of racing. Teams may only field Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars from  
the Platinum class of the Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama, which is  
supplying the spec tire for both its championship and the Challenge  
class.

Certain technical regulations for the American Le Mans Series’ GT2  
class will apply for Challenge entries, most notably rules governing  
refueling. Sporting regulations for the Challenge class also differ  
slightly from GT2. The number of crew members allowed over the wall  
during a pit stop is reduced, and only two members with only one wheel  
gun are allowed to change tires per stop. Teams also will have to make  
at least one stop to change all four tires at one point during the race.

The distribution of points will follow the American Le Mans Series  
championship. In a two-hour, 45-minute “sprint” format, class winners  
receive 20 points, runners-up 16, third-place 13 and down the line to  
1 point for 10th place. A Challenge entry is limited to three drivers  
per car; however all competitors who drive an entry during the season  
will share the points awarded to that entry throughout the season. To  
score points, an entry must complete 70 percent of the overall race  
winner’s distance.

Drive time requirements from other Series classes apply - a two-hour  
maximum per competitor with each driver required to complete at least  
10 laps.

Guy Cosmo is one of the most successful and versatile young racing  
drivers of his day. Guy is recognized as a first-class professional  
racer in the sports car road racing industry, having won the 2005  
American Le Mans Series Rookie of the Year award and positioning  
himself as a proven front-runner in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car  
Series Daytona Prototype category. Guy's success stems from supportive  
family, friends and fans that have helped him through race wins and  
championships from Kart Racing, Formula Ford, Formula 2000, Star Mazda  
and Toyota Atlantic, to his professional endeavors in the Grand-Am and  
American Le Mans Series.

The Time Warner Cable Road Race Showcase set for 2 p.m. CT on Sunday,  
August 16 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The race will air live  
on SPEED. American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Live Timing  
& Scoring will be available at Racehub on americanlemans.com.

You can find out more about Guy at http://www.guycosmo.com and follow  
Guy on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/guycosmo

PHOTO CREDIT: John Thawley ~ Creative Communications Group