Grand-Am to Have Strong Presence on Inaugural SPEED Performance Awards Premiering Tonight
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 8, 2007) - The inaugural SPEED Performance Awards premiering tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET will have a distinctive Grand-Am feel, as several competitors in the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and the KONI Challenge Series and moments from the 2006 racing season will be featured in the one-hour special.
Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series driver Patrick Dempsey, star of the hit television series Grey’s Anatomy and the new movie Freedom Writers, will be one of the presenters, and the one-hour special will highlight nine special fan-voted SPEED Performance Awards, including the RACER Magazine Rookie of the Year. More than 56,000 fan votes were placed over a four-week period on SPEEDtv.com.
Among the nominees are Grand-Am Rolex Series youngster Colin Braun, who had a record-breaking rookie season in 2006, as well as the spectacular crash involving Joey Hand in the Rolex Series event at Mid-Ohio last year and the memorable “dust-up” between Rolex Series drivers JC France and Chris Bingham in last season’s Mexico City 250. Several segments for the special were taped during Rolex Series Daytona Test Days and the Rolex 24 At Daytona last month, including the presentation of the RACER Magazine Rookie of the Year and SPEED Performer of the Year awards, as many of the honorees also competed in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Hosted by Tommy Kendall, the show will feature appearances by racers Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Nicky Hayden, Tony Schumacher, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmy Vasser, Sebastien Bourdais, Max Papis, Brian Vickers, Elliott Sadler, Katherine Legge, David Gilliland, Helio Castroneves, Dan Wheldon, Paul Tracy, Carl Edwards, Alex Tagliani, Hand and Mike Simko.
In addition, SPEED has named six finalists for the inaugural SPEED Performer of the Year, including Fernando Alonso (Formula One), Johnson (NASCAR), Hayden (MotoGP), Bourdais (Champ Car), Hornish Jr. (IRL) and Schumacher (NHRA).
SPEED on-air personalities Bob Varsha, Dave Despain, Tommy Kendall, Ralph Sheheen and Dorsey Schroeder, along with SPEEDtv.com columnists Robin Miller and Tom Jensen led a panel of voters who submitted nominations, trimming the list of finalists to six with a preliminary round of voting. The winner will receive the Mario Andretti Trophy, created by bronze artist Elie Hazak.
SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 74 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services.
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 will deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America. All 2007 Rolex Series events will be 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.
