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Lowe's-Fernández Racing compite
en el Campeonato del Serial Rolex 2006
Lowe's Fernández Racing to compete for 2006 Rolex Series Championship
 "
Lowe's and Fernández Racing has announced the creation of Lowe's Fernández
Racing which will field the No.12 Lowe's Fernández Racing Pontiac Riley Daytona
Prototype for drivers Adrián Fernández and Mario Haberfeld in the 14-race Grand
American Rolex Sports Car Series in 2006.
The team has begun testing at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for
the 44th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Delphi Fernández Racing's Indy
Racing League driver Scott Sharp, a former Rolex 24 winner, will join Fernández
and Haberfeld in their quest to win North America's premier endurance race.
“This is pretty exciting for all of us,” Fernández said. “I am honored that I
can continue my relationship with Lowe's and build something new with them in
Grand American. Last year, we established the foundation of our relationship in
NASCAR and now we will build something new together in the Rolex Sports Car
Series.”
“Fernández, 42, a Mexico City native who now resides in Phoenix, made his
mark as an open-wheel star through a 12-year career at the top levels of the
sport. In 2005, he branched out to NASCAR running six races with Hendrick
Motorsports in the Busch Series.
“I will race in the Mexico City Busch race in March with Hendrick Motorsports,
and I think we will have a very good shot at running up front there again,”
Fernández said. “I'm looking forward to that opportunity, but my main focus will
be on the Rolex Series and getting the No. 12 Lowe's Pontiac to victory lane.”
Fernández noted he sees tremendous growth potential with the Grand American
Rolex Series.
“Grand American Rolex Series competition is growing in popularity, and I expect
it to keep growing in the coming years. I like the direction this series is
headed. Hopefully we will bring a lot of new fans to the sport.”
Haberfeld, 29, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and current resident of Key
Biscayne, FL, is a former British Formula 3 champion, who made his US racing
debut in the Champ Car World Series contesting the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
“This is an honor for me to join Adrián Fernández, who I have admired my
entire driving career, along with a company like Lowe's, whose racing
involvement is so extensive,” said Haberfeld. “It gives me great confidence that
this is going to be a successful team on and off the race track.”
The Lowe's Fernandez Racing team is a new addition to Lowe's involvement in auto
racing. Lowe's sponsors the No. 48 Nextel Cup car driven by Jimmie Johnson and
the No. 5 Busch Series car driven by Kyle Busch. In addition to the Hendrick
Motorsports entries, Lowe's owns the naming rights at Lowe's Motor Speedway near
Charlotte, NC.
“Lowe's is proud to have Adrián back behind the wheel and to welcome Mario to
Team Lowe's Racing,” said Bob Gfeller, Lowe's senior vice president of marketing
and advertising. “Adrián's fans, many of whom are also Lowe's customers, have
demonstrated their passion for Adrián and Lowe's is proud to support the sport
our customers care about. We look forward to supporting Adrián and this team
both on and off the track.”
Fernández Racing was formed in 2000 by Fernández and motorsports veteran Tom
Anderson. The team has grown to encompass the Super Aguri Fernández Racing and
Delphi Fernández Racing teams, which currently contest the IndyCar Series with
drivers Kosuke Matsuura and Scott Sharp respectively.
Lowe's Fernández Racing will be based at the Fernández Racing headquarters in
Indianapolis, IN. Anderson will oversee the program as managing director, with
Steve Miller as team manager, Mike Sales as chief mechanic and John Ward as race
engineer.
Miller has been involved in motorsports for over 20 years in a variety of roles
from mechanic to engineer and team director, and most recently served as general
manager for Fernández Racing. Sales has spent the past four years at Fernández
Racing in both chief mechanic and team manager roles and, as a veteran of over
33 years in the sport, brings extensive racing experience.
Ward's distinguished career as a race and design engineer dates back to the
mid-'70s, and he most recently served as race engineer with Fernández Racing in
the IndyCar Series. His impressive roster of accomplishments include the design
of a Daytona 24-Hour and Sebring 12-Hour race-winning chassis.
Lowe's Fernández Racing will field a Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype in the
Rolex Series. Pontiac earned ten victories and four second-place finishes in
2005 winning their second consecutive series championship. Likewise, Riley
Technologies enjoyed a dominant season securing their second consecutive Daytona
Prototype constructor's championship in 2005.
The Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series is the fastest growing auto racing
class in the world, leading a resurgence of major-league road racing in North
America. It is sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association, which
also oversees the Grand-Am Cup Series.
Television coverage of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series will be
carried on SPEED Channel in 2006. Rolex Series races will also be distributed
around the world via ESPN International, and Spanish-language broadcasts via FOX
Sports Espańol.
Additional information on Lowe's-Fernández Racing and the Rolex Series can
be found at
www.fernandezracing.net and
www.grandamerican.com
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