Great News!! From link: MINI Becomes Official Promotional Partner of GRAND-AM Mar. 22, 2010 GRAND-AM Communications DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - MINI is the latest manufacturer to partner with GRAND-AM Road Racing for the Manufacturers Official Promotional Partner Program for 2010. MINI recently celebrated a podium finish in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Homestead 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway when Craig Conway and BJ Zacharias co-drove the No. 198 Cruise America/Four Winds RV MINI Cooper S to a third-place result in the Street Tuner (ST) class for RSR Motorsports. It was MINI's first podium in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge action since June 12, 2005 at Watkins Glen International. In addition to the podium performance for the No. 198 team at Homestead, Sarah Cattaneo took the ST class pole position in the RSR Motorsports No. 197 Cruise America/Four Winds RV MINI Cooper S. Cattaneo was the first woman in series history to take an ST-class pole position and was the first woman to take a Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge pole since Valerie Limoges took the overall pole, also at Homestead, in 2007. "We are very excited for the RSR Motorsports team and congratulate them on their accomplishments during the Homestead race," said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. "It's great to see MINI vehicles performing so well in a racing environment, which is a big part of the brand's heritage." Under the Official Promotional Partner Program, all teams carrying approved MINI decals will earn prize money bonuses from MINI. The manufacturer also earns the right to use GRAND-AM marks, logos, images and video and MINI will be eligible for additional joint marketing efforts with GRAND-AM throughout the 2010 season. "The MINI Cooper S race cars in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge have long been among the most popular cars in the paddock with our fans, and we are proud to welcome MINI as an Official Promotional Partner," said Kevin Hindson, GRAND-AM Vice President, Marketing and Communications. "MINI is a well respected and cutting-edge brand and is exactly the type of company we want to associate ourselves with at GRAND-AM. On behalf of GRAND-AM, congratulations to MINI on its recent podium at Homestead-Miami Speedway and welcome aboard." The next event for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series will be the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park on April 10 (SPEED live, 1:30 p.m. ET). Tickets are available now at www.barbermotorsports.com. Live Race Broadcast also available on MRN select affiliates beginning 1:15pm ET and on Sirius NASCAR Radio - XM 128.
I'm shocked, pleasantly shocked but still. Very cool. We all know this only happened due to RSR's efforts and growing success. Well done Randy and RSR!
MINI loves to play up its racing heritage, but until recently hasn't really done much to support those who are racing MINIs. Glad to see this is changing.