Temple of VTEC Rumors and News - Acura TSX Debuts in World Challenge!

GTR MOTORSPORTS TO COMPETE IN SCCA SPEED TOURING CAR

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (March 8, 2004) � GTR Motorsports announced today it will compete in the 2004 SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Series with Neal Sapp, of Ellicott City, Md., behind the wheel.

�We are proud to announce that Neal Sapp will be driving the No. 33 Acura Integra R,� said Ben Schaeffer, Owner of GTR Motorsports. �Neal won the Valvoline Runoffs twice for us in 1997 and 1999, and went undefeated in 1996 driving a Honda CRXsi in Pro Solo. Neal brings a lot of SPEED World Challenge experience to the team, including numerous wins, finished second in the championship twice and was Rookie of the Year in 2000.�

�I�m really excited about driving for Ben and Acura this year,� Sapp added. �I�ve been racing American Honda products off and on for 15 years and I�m eager to be behind the wheel of one again. With four of my six SCCA National Championships coming in Honda�s, I�m looking forward to a great year.�

In 32 career SPEED Touring Car starts, Sapp has five wins, 12 top-fives, 19 top 10 finishes and started from the pole three times.

The team will start the season in an Acura Certified Pre-owned Integra Type R and plans to switch to a new 2004 TSX/RSX by mid season. The team�s sponsors for 2004 include Electromotive (Patented Direct Ignition and Total Engine Control), Carbotech (Innovations In Braking Technology) and Acura Certified Pre-owned Cars.

While GTR Motorsports is new to the SCCA SPEED World Challenge, the team is no stranger to SCCA racing. GTR captured numerous national road racing titles in addition to winning several Solo II championships. Schaeffer has been racing Honda/Acura products for over 16 years.

RealTime Racing Opens Assault on 2004 SPEED World Challenge

-New Acura TSX Makes Racing Debut at Sebring-
March 5, 2004 � Saukville, Wis.

RealTime Racing will begin its quest for a ninth Manufacturer�s Championship, with a four-car lineup of A-SPEC equipped Acuras in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED Touring Car Championship.

The season opens Friday, March 19 at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.

RealTime Racing, the most successful team in the history of the World Challenge series has entered two of its Acura RSX sports cars and today announced the world racing debut of Acura�s newest performance four-door sedan, the Acura TSX.

The team�s driver lineup is led by three-time Touring Car Driver�s Champion Pierre Kleinubing, 2003 Rookie-of-the-year titlist Matt Plumb, and 2004 top-rookie candidate Victor Gonzalez Jr. The team�s fourth driver will be announced.

Kleinubing has finished first or second in Touring Car championship points every year since his 1997 debut with RealTime Racing. He won the championship in his rookie year, and repeated in 2000 and 2001.
In 2003, the first full season for the Acura RSX, Kleinubing won races at Mosport, Lime Rock and Road Atlanta, was on the podium five times, and had one pole position.

Plumb�s first year in Touring Cars was highlighted by a second place at Lime Rock, following four seasons in Formula Dodge and Barber Pro Series open-wheelers.

�I needed to be with a team like RealTime,� Plumb said, �one that was truly run as a business, with a proven championship-winning record, and could put me in a competitive car race after race.�

Gonzalez, of Puerto Rico, has an extensive racing background in the Caribbean area, and has been a consistent front-runner in Barber-Dodge and regional touring car racing.

�The World Challenge series is getting better every year,� he said. �I love racing touring cars, and wanted to compete with a really good team in the World Challenge. I tested the RealTime cars and was amazed at how well-built they were, how strong the engines were, and how professional the entire team was. This is a great opportunity for me.�
�Both the RSX and the TSX benefit from Acura�s i-VTEC technology,� said Andy Kanehl, who builds the race-winning engines for RealTime Racing. �The only physical difference is the RSX engine is two liters, and the TSX has a 2.4.

�What has impressed us over the winter is the higher torque curve with the TSX engine,� he added, �but the two should be pretty equal on the race tracks because the RSX starts the season at 2,500 pounds and the TSX carries another 50 pounds.�

The 2004 SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series takes the green flag at Sebring on March 19 at 1:15 p.m. for a 50-minute race.
The race will be televised on the SPEED Channel Sunday, March 28 at Noon (EST).

The RealTime Racing Touring Cars are sponsored by the Acura Division of American Honda, A-SPEC Performance Parts, Red Line Oil, Eibach Springs, BOSCH, Sparco, Hella, Brembo, Gemini Technologies, Goodridge, Hawk Performance, and Acura Genuine Parts.