American Le Mans & Champ Car World Series Make for Unique ?Doubleheader?
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin ? For the third year in a row, Generac Power Systems is sponsoring a major auto racing event on August 9-12 at the legendary Road America race track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin?.but this weekend is extra special. For the first time in its fifty year history, Road America is hosting two of North America?s premier racing events on consecutive days for a remarkable motorsports doubleheader ? the Generac Power Weekend. This event will feature two different but equally prominent forms of racing, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and Champ Car World Series. Generac Power Systems of Waukesha, Wisconsin ? a manufacturer of standby power products ? is primary sponsor of the event.
?We are very pleased to sponsor the biggest event ever held at Road America,? says William Treffert, Generac?s CEO. ?Seeing the finest drivers in the world on track with the latest racing technology is exciting. Because of our focus on power generation and engine design, this is a natural fit for us.? Generac is one of the premier manufacturers of standby generators for recreational vehicle (RV), residential, commercial and industrial applications. The company also designs and builds its own line of single and twin cylinder OHVI (Overhead Valve Industrial) engines.
Saturday?s schedule features a full day of qualifying and competition, including Formula BMW and Star Mazda races. The day?s premier event, the Generac 500 American Le Mans Series race, will begin at 4 PM. This 4-hour race will be run as afternoon turns into evening, with the setting sun as a dramatic backdrop to the 8 PM finish. As dusk turns to darkness, a colorful fireworks display will light up the night as a dramatic conclusion to the day?s activities.
On Sunday, Formula BMW and Champ Car Atlantic races will set the stage for the big event at 2 PM ? the Generac Champ Car Grand Prix, featuring open wheel Indy-style cars. This is the 10th race in the Champ Car World Series and all of the series? big name drivers will be there, including Sebastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani, Oriol Servia and Graham Rahal.
The American Le Mans Series (www.americanlemans.com) is among North America?s premier racing campaigns, featuring an assortment of cars that are built to the specifications of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world?s most famous endurance race. A number of ALMS teams travel to France each June to compete in that event. Each car is shared by two drivers who take turns handling the driving duties. The Road America race will be the 8th of 12 ALMS events this season.
The Champ Car World Series (www.champcarworldseries.com) features high horsepower open wheel cars that compete on many of the world?s most famous race tracks. This event will be the 10th of the year, with 6 races remaining.
Road America (www.roadamerica.com) enjoys a reputation as one of the most driver- and fan-friendly racetracks in the world. Its four mile length makes it one of the longest road courses in North America and its setting amidst rolling, wooded hills marks it as one of the most scenic tracks anywhere. For more information on the track or the entire weekend schedule, go online to roadamerica.com
Several of the weekend races will be televised ?
ALMS Saturday August 11 Delayed broadcast August 12 on NBC Sports at 1:30 pm CDT
Champ Car Sunday, August 12 Live on ABC at 2 PM CDT
Star Mazda Saturday August 11 Delayed broadcast August 18 on SPEED at 3 PM CDT
Champ Car Atlantic Sunday August 12 Delayed broadcast August 22 on ESPN2 at 4 PM CDT
Generac will be providing hospitality on both days of the weekend, hosting its dealers on Saturday and its employees and media guests on Sunday. Generac products will be on display along with the company?s 53? ?Power Trip? show truck and demonstration trailer.
For more information on the event, contact Julie Sebranek at Road America (920-893-4206) or Laura Derpinghaus at Generac Power Systems (262-544-4811, extension 2920).
Headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Generac Power Systems is a leading manufacturer of diesel and gaseous-fueled engine-driven power generation equipment, modular paralleling systems, automatic transfer switches, and small engines for recreational vehicle, commercial, telecommunications, and industrial applications. Generac?s standby power systems range in output from 3 to 7000 kilowatts. For more information on Generac or its products, visit www.generac.com.
