Two Kia Forte Koups entered in the Grand Am Fresh From Florida 200 on January 29th.
The view from the Summit
At Summit Place Kia in metro Detroit, we’re excited to pass on the news that Kia Motors America and Kinetic Group have prepped two Kia Forte Koup race cars for the 2010 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season in the Street Tuner (ST) Class. For Kia’s inaugural 2010 racing season, the driver roster includes Andy Lally, Nic Jonsson, Trevor Hopwood and Adam Burrows.
Kia Motors issued this news release earlier this week:
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 26 – Following six months of round-the-clock vehicle build-up and testing in preparation for the 2010 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season, Kia Motors’ first-ever U.S. motorsports program reaches the track later this week with two Forte Koups competing in the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona Speedway on January 29. KMA and racing partner Kinetic Group have built the No. 10 and No. 12 Kia Forte Koups, which are sponsored by Infinity® Audio Systems, to campaign in the Street Tuner (ST) class.
The No. 10 car – representing Kia’s industry-leading 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty – will be co-driven by Andy Lally and Nic Jonsson, while the No. 12 car will be piloted by the 2007 GRAND-AM ST champions Trevor Hopwood and Adam Burrows.
“From the moment we announced Kia Motors was getting into racing we believed the Forte Koup would be a strong competitor in GRAND-AM, and the feedback we’ve received from Kinetic and Andy Lally and Nic Jonsson after their initial testing reinforces that belief,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA. “Consumers have come to recognize the Kia brand for attractively designed and priced vehicles that are fuel efficient and have a long list of standard features, and we are looking forward to introducing Forte Koup and the Kia brand to a new audience of auto racing fans throughout the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season.”
The Forte Koup’s performance-inspired styling and outstanding driving dynamics are a perfect fit for road racing, making Kia Motors’ first two-door coupe the logical choice for KMA’s initial motorsports efforts. KMA selected the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge Sports Car Challenge series, which utilizes production-based race cars from the U.S., Europe and Asia, for its competitive nature and use of weight and intake restrictions to maintain a level playing field for all entrants.
As part of the motorsports program development, KMA partnered with the Kinetic Group to develop, build and campaign the two Forte Koup Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race cars. Headquartered outside of Atlanta, Kinetic has competed in GRAND-AM racing since 2006 and added several specialists to its team of engineers, mechanics and crew for the Kia Motors racing program while also working closely with GRAND-AM to build the cars within strict series guidelines. The two-door, front-wheel-drive race cars utilize the Forte Koup production car’s 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine.
The Forte Koup
Available in two trims, EX and SX, Forte Koup offers consumers an aggressively styled performance-inspired two-door coupe with an abundance of amenities as well as impressive power. All Forte Koup models feature Bluetooth® connectivity with steering wheel-mounted controls that enable voice-activated hands-free operation for compatible cell phones and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system outfitted with SIRIUS Satellite Radio and three months of complimentary service(1). For added listening convenience, steering wheel-mounted audio controls also come standard on all models, as well as USB and auxiliary input jacks in the center console with full iPod® and MP3 controllability via the audio head unit or steering wheel-mounted controls.
Race on down to Summit Place Kia!
To see for yourself why we’re so excited about the new 2010 Kia Forte Koup, you need to take one for a test drive. To schedule an appointment, or for more information on the entire line-up of high quality, affordable Kias, you can contact us at our Waterford store by calling 248-682-6002 or by dialing 734-397-9900 for our Canton store. You can also check us out on the web at www.summitplacekia.com. You can also visit us at either of our two locations: 2200 Elizabeth Lake Road in Waterford, just behind the Summit Place mall or in Canton at 41840 Michigan Avenue, just west of I-275. Once you’re there, you’ll see why everyone at metro Detroit’s sales leader and Proud Automotive Sponsor of Michigan Athletics would “Love to see ‘ya” in a Summit Place Kia!
(1) Customers must renew SIRIUS subscription after trial period if they wish to retain service
Source: Kia Motors America
