Busy weekend and full grids in store for Pirelli North America Motorsport team

Pirelli unveils new P Zero Racing Slick for Ferrari 458 Challenge Pirelli World Challenge fills the grid at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah with 50+ cars Pirelli Drivers Cup comes off of record racing in California to run at Miller this weekend While Pirelli’s Formula 1 team takes a breather this week, preparing for next week’s grand prix in Istanbul, Turkey, Pirelli Tire North America’s (PTNA) Motorsport team is gearing up to support three series of its own this weekend in the US with full grids and exciting racing. Sonoma, California’s Infineon Raceway will host the inaugural race weekend for the 2011 Ferrari Challenge, and the Grand Prix of Utah gets under way at Tooele, Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park this weekend, hosting both the Pirelli World Challenge Championship and Pirelli Drivers Cup racing action. Ferrari Challenge: Pirelli is the Official Tire Supplier of the Ferrari Challenge, the longest-running single-marque series of its type in North America. This highly-anticipated race also marks the North American debut of the new Ferrari 458 Challenge, the fifth and latest generation of Challenge cars as well as the introduction of the new Pirelli P Zero Racing Slick for the series (P Zero 305/690-19 rear and P Zero 255/650-19 front tire) which will be fitted to the new 458 Challenge. The 458 Challenge is based on the spectacular Ferrari 458 Italia, and introduces a number of important modifications to adapt it for competition use. Additionally, the Ferrari F430 Challenge will compete alongside its successor, the new Ferrari 458 Challenge on the world’s greatest racing tracks. Ferrari owners get opportunity to enjoy most of the continent's finest tracks while sharing both competition and the social aspects of the series with fellow Ferrari owners. The Challenge has also given Ferrari enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy watching Ferraris in their natural environment — the race track. Following this first race at Infineon Raceway, the 2011 Ferrari Challenge will continue to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, CA, May 20-22; Montreal, Canada, (during the Canadian F1 Gran Prix), June 10-12; Toronto, Canada, July 8-10; Lime Rock Park, CT, July 29-30; concluding at Homestead Miami Speedway, FL, September 23-25. Spectators are welcome to attend the race, and enjoy paddock areas and overall Ferrari-festival atmosphere. Tickets are now available through Ticketmaster ( www.ticketmaster.com) or by calling 800-870-RACE (7223). Pirelli World Challenge: Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) begins round 4 of the 2011 Pirelli World Challenge Championship (PWCC) racing season this weekend at the Utah Grand Prix – held at Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah. Exciting competition is expected this weekend, as was the case at round 3 of the Pirelli World Challenge series at the Long Beach Grand Prix. The third round of the season saw a capacity-plus grid of competitors battle it out on the 11 turn street course in a record–breaking, caution-free fast race; and an even faster race is expected this weekend at Miller. Check out televised broadcast of round 3 of the Pirelli World Challenge from Long Beach this Saturday at VERSUS, at 2:30PM (EST). A full grid of 56 cars is on the entry list for this weekend’s Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Utah. The field will finally be able to flex some muscle on the wide open spaces of Miller Motorsports Park after three races on street courses to open the season. The shift in the type of venue could shake things up a bit for a number of drivers and teams, following an early season that seemed to favor nimble cars. All World Challenge races are a maximum of 50 minutes in length and feature standing starts with popular cars from the world’s leading manufacturers racing head-to-head. The 12-race 2011 Pirelli World Challenge GT, GTS and Touring Car Championships campaign returns to Miller Motorsports Park for the Grand Prix of Utah, April 29 – May 1. Live timing and scoring are available at www.world-challenge.com and all races are broadcast on VERSUS. Please check your local listings for times. Pirelli Drivers Cup: Races #3-4 of the Pirelli Drivers Cup season will also be hosted by Miller Motorsports Park at the Utah Grand Prix (April 29th-May 1st). The series is rapidly gaining momentum and increasing participation with 25 cars in the field and features both seasoned and rookie drivers who will be competing on Saturday and Sunday for the opportunity to take home top honors at Miller. PTNA enters its third year as official tire supplier and title sponsor of the Pirelli Drivers Cup (PDC) USA race series. PDC is the premier focal point of Porsche Club racing in the United States, featuring Porsche 997 and 996 GT3 Cup Cars with drivers from the Porsche Owner’s Club (POC), Porsche Club of America (PCA), Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), Historic Sportscar Racing, Ltd. (HSR) and the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). PTNA Motorsport will continue to supply drivers in the series with P Zero Racing Slicks as well as racing rain tires. Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com. Media Contacts: Rafael Navarro, Director, Marketing and Motorsport 951-533-0305 rafael.navarro@pirelli.com