Continental Expands GRAND-AM Commitment, Will Become Official Tire of Rolex Series

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Jan 29, 2010, 11:40 ET

FORT MILL, S.C., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental is expanding its commitment to GRAND-AM Road Racing and will become the official tire of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, starting with the 2011 season. The new official series status complements the company's previously announced title sponsorship of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

"Continental Tire is committed to being a leading force in the motorsports community, and becoming the official tire of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series is part of that strategy," said Bill Caldwell, vice president of sales and marketing, Continental Tire. "The Rolex series is one of the most highly-regarded racing series in the U.S., and will be a perfect format to emphasize the capabilities of our Continental ExtremeContact ultra-high performance tires. We are honored and excited that GRAND-AM has selected Continental to partner with them as the official tire of this series."

"Continental Tire was selected through a stringent evaluation process to be official tire of the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2011, and we are excited that they are expanding their current partnership with GRAND-AM Road Racing," said Kevin Hindson, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, GRAND-AM Road Racing. "Continental Tire's display of its commitment to motorsports tire technology can only enhance the already-high level of competition of the world's premier road racing series."

The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series is one of the most competitive professional road racing series in North America. The two easily distinguishable classes make the racing easy to follow, with the series featuring purpose-built Daytona Prototypes and the production-based GT division in which cars such as Porsches, Ferraris, Mustangs and Mazdas compete. The GRAND-AM Road Racing model has revolutionized racing with its electric battles at the front of the field and close finishes in virtually every race. The season opening Rolex 24 at Daytona is North America's premier sports car event, and has become a "race of champions" featuring stars from NASCAR, IndyCar, F1 and international sports car series.

Continental Tire and GRAND-AM will conduct a series of testing throughout the 2010 season allowing the development of the tire technology to enhance the level of competition for their official Rolex Series racing debut at the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

About Continental Tire

Continental Tire offers a complete premium line of ultra-high performance, passenger and light truck tires that instill confidence and a passion for driving. Continental Tire is an original equipment tire supplier to some of the world's finest automobiles manufactures, and is a proud sponsor of GRAND-AM Race Series, Super Lap Battle and Time Attack racing. It also sponsors the record-breaking Chris Rado of WORLD Racing. Continental Tire has developed outstanding premium quality tires.

With sales of approximately euro 24 billion in 2008, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently employs approximately 134,000 at nearly 190 locations in 37 countries.

About GRAND-AM Road Racing

GRAND-AM Road Racing, which operates and sanctions the Rolex Sports Car Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, is the foremost sanctioning body of sports car racing in North America. The 12-race Rolex Series 2010 schedule and the 10-race Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge 2010 calendar deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the U.S. and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. GRAND-AM Road Racing 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 Road Racing at www.grand-am.com.

Online media database: www.mediacenter.continental-corporation.com;

North America online media database: www.CTNAMedia.com, www.CTNAMedia.mobi

SOURCE Continental Tire the Americas, LLC