TOPEKA, Kan. (July 2, 2008) SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. and WCVision LLC announced today an agreement in which WCVision has secured the long term marketing and licensing rights for the SPEED World Challenge® racing series.The SCCA SPEED World Challenge series has been one of the best-kept secrets in professional road racing. With a nearly 20-year history including some of the biggest names in racing, the series is one of the most exciting and competitive sports car championships worldwide. In 2006, the World Challenge Participants Committee was formed, and what followed was the development of a group of competitors to partner with SCCA on a strategic level to place the series at the forefront of North American motorsports. Believing that SCCA Pro Racing has done an outstanding job of administering and running races over the years, the group identified that the sanctioning body needed resources for elevated marketing, promotions and sponsor acquisition efforts.WCVision is a coming together of a number of people within the World Challenge community. Collectively, they offer business, marketing and promotional expertise as well as capital investment to the series.This is a great day for the SCCA SPEED World Challenge series, its partners, participants and fans, SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Robert Wildberger said. This already successful series will now enjoy the benefits of having two companies energetically supplying their core competencies to take World Challenge to the next level. SCCA Pro has a history of providing quality race operations and sanctioning services and WCVision will provide the desired marketing and business resources.There are three fundamental goals of this exciting partnership.1. Elevate the profile of the series through improved televised race coverage, production values and viewing times. In addition, it will form partnerships with both print and Internet media, among others, to showcase the series. Big media, big exposure, all the time.2. Grow the size of the racecar fields through a targeted effort to attract new teams, drivers and manufacturers. Improve the cost of admission in terms of the cars themselves. The series currently boasts outstanding drivers and teams but there are others that will want to step up to World Challenge. Beginning today, that proposition becomes more attractive and viable.3. Secure sponsorship partners with a value proposition that will benefit all involved. Understand their needs and deliver on them. Mike Davis, WCVision investor and CEO of Applied Computer Solutions, stated, For 10 years, we had been watching and waiting for a racing entity to come in and show everyone else what we have. We finally picked up the ball and put our talents, business expertise, financial resources and enthusiasm together and took action. Im more excited now than at anytime in my career about the future of this series.Peter Cunningham, WCVision co-chairman and RealTime Racing team owner and driver, said, One of the goals from the onset was to eliminate the potential for an uncompetitive environment, so weve structured a relationship that keeps WCVisions efforts completely separate from the competition side of the series. The investor group had this as the basis of their agreements to ensure parity for our current and future competitors.Ken Tripkos, SCCA Pro Racing Competition and Technical Director expanded, It is important to state from the beginning that SCCA Pro Racing is solely tasked with controlling car specifications and officiating the series, while WCVision focuses on development. This is like the separation of church and state. Nick Esayian, WCVision co-founder and series veteran, said, We plan on putting on a show. My personal target for World Challenge is a combination of the Red Bull Air Races, an NFL Playoff game and a KISS concert rolled into one. People should go home elated.Bob Woodhouse, WCVision co-chairman and Woodhouse Performance team owner agreed, I want fans at the track and viewers at home to tell their friends this is the best show on earth. Our competitors have the technology, the talent, and the colorful personalities to make this close racing just the best. We want people to show up for work on Monday and tell their co-workers, You have just got to see this.Watch for additional announcements regarding WCVision. A press conference will be held at the July 18-20 SCCA SPEED World Challenge race weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.-30-SCCA Pro RacingA wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, Inc., SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. is a leading sanctioning body for motor sports events in the United States. A member of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), SCCA Pro Racing owns, operates and sanctions the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championships, the SCCA Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, as well as provides sanctioning and various operational services for other racing series. For more information, please visit www.sccapro.com. WCVision LLCA newly formed Limited Liability Company for the purpose of elevating the stature and marketability of the World Challenge series. The equal share investment group comes from within the World Challenge paddock. WCVision will provide the platform to assist the series through the second half of this season and immediately begin preparing for new heights in 2009 and beyond.SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge ChampionshipsConsisting of two separate categories that race independently (SCCA SPEED GT and SCCA SPEED Touring Car), the World Challenge Championships are Americas top production car-based series. Competing at 12 high-profile venues in 2008, the World Challenge is the most relevant showcase for the worlds leading auto brands and makers of performance parts. Series events are a maximum of 50 minutes in length, feature standing starts and showcase cars from the worlds leading manufacturers racing head-to-head. More information can be found here: www.world-challenge.com.
