# APR Motorsport Ready to Compete for 2009 Koni Sports Car Challenge Championship



## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2008)

*Opelika, Alabama, January 16, 2009* - After completing a highly successful first year development program, APR Motorsport is ready to compete for the 2009 Koni Sports Car Challenge Series Championship with a strong two-car effort. APR Motorsport completed the 2008 season with several fastest race laps, a pole position, 9 top ten finishes, and a second place at Miller Motorsports Park, and at every race, an APR VW lapped in the top ten.
The driver line-up has evolved for the 2009 schedule with the addition of some new faces and some that are already familiar to the team and fans alike. APR is pleased with the talent and level of professionalism in the new pairings. With the drivers in fast GTI's, the team looks to be a double threat for the 2009 title.








In #171, Ian Baas, of Indianapolis, will return to the team. Ian is a Grand-Am veteran since he has competed in Rolex and Koni events since 2006. Ian especially knows his way around Daytona, scoring a victory at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (GT Class). Ian brings a strong background of experience to the 171 car. In a major coup for the team, the reigning SCCA VW Jetta TDI Cup Champion Josh Hurley, of Cooper City FL, has been signed to co drive. In 2008, Hurley drove his VW Jetta TDI to a championship in the inaugural season of the series. Josh's tremendous driving and tactical ability led to a win at Portland and a second place finish in the final race to seal the championship by a slim 5 points.
Hurley and Baas tested with APR Motorsport at Daytona in December. Both are confident they will be serious contenders for the Daytona race and the 2009 championship. Baas remarked, "Josh and I hit it off very well at our test in December. Josh was able to get up to speed very quickly. His feedback and input were terrific. I think we are in for a good year!" Hurley said, "I was amazed how well the APR prepared GTI's performed on the track. I can't wait to finally race at Daytona." APR Motorsport Crew Chief Jeff Mishtawy was thrilled with the success of the December test and impressed by the chemistry between Josh, Ian, and the team. "This is a dream. To have capable drivers and a team working selflessly together is going to bring great results. We also tested a number of development items for 2009 with flawless results."








Joining the APR Motorsport VW GTI #171 for 2009 will be Gunther VW, the largest VW dealer in the United States. Gunther VW, of Coconut Creek Florida, is proud to reflect the level of professionalism and communication displayed by drivers Baas and Hurley. The Gunther organization has long been a backer of Josh and is pleased to have been a part of Josh's early success with VW racing and continuing that partnership into the future. Visit http://www.gunthervw.net for more information.
Driving the APR Motorsport GTI #181 will be the pairing of Mike Sweeney and Patrick Barrett, both of San Luis Obispo, California. Sweeney, a driving instructor for Cory Kruseman Sprint Car School in Ventura, CA, competed in 4 races and several tests with APR Motorsport during the 2008 season. Mike is excited to be a part of the APR Motorsport for the full 2009 season. Sweeney said, "I am excited to get to drive a car as good as this with an outstanding driver like Pat, it really is a privilege on both counts."" Co-driver Patrick Barrett brings a wealth of knowledge that most racers would be proud to have attained by the end of their career, but at only 19 years old looks to be a perfect fit for the team. Patrick competed in the Rolex GT class during 2008 with season best finish at Miller Motorsports Park of fourth. Additionally, Patrick has been a successful racer for several years in F2000, Formula Palmer Audi in England, Skip Barber and Formula Russell. Along the way, Patrick impressively managed to collect two series championships in consecutive seasons.
Barrett, Sweeney, and Baas piloted an independently prepared VW GTI in the 2008 25 Hour at Thunderhill finishing 8th in class. From this experience of driving together, the drivers were able to see that there was potential for a strong future.









*ABOUT APR LLC*, - parent company of APR Motorsport, of Opelika, Alabama recently opened its new 38,000 square foot, 12 acre world headquarters. APR was founded in 1997 to bring aerospace engineering and technology to the automotive performance aftermarket. From the onset, APR established a company philosophy of Integrity, Excellence, and Innovation. APR engineers, designs, and manufactures high quality Engine Management Recalibrations, Performance Exhaust Systems, Intake Systems, Intercoolers, Turbocharger Systems, and Performance Accessories for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen Vehicles. For more information on APR Tuning or APR Motorsports, visit http://www.goapr.com. APR's engineering has led to technical partnerships with some elite automotive performance engineering companies and provides the development and testing opportunities many companies cannot access. APR is recognized as Official Technology Partners with Michelin Tires, BBS Wheels, Koni, and Brembo.


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## [email protected] (Jan 18, 2009)

Posted this down in the Southeast Regional forum;
Anyone at the race is more than welcome to come by and hang-out with the cars, crew, or drivers. We've got an intense on-track schedule, but looking at our crew schedules Thursaday morning (before 11:30) or Thursday evening (after 4:30) would be the best times to come around since this will the calm before the chaos that is the race at Daytona!


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## V-KLAN (Sep 8, 2003)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Looking forward to seeing it in action this weekend during the Daytona race. I will be tuned in and watching it as long as I can.
Best of Luck to you guys and hope you guys have a great finish. It is one brutal race on a vehicle. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## scotaku (Sep 3, 1999)

*FV-QR*

No tv coverage (yet?) but I have checked the results from Daytona. Nice to see the 171 and 181 cars finish so nicely in class but I am wondering where the 191 has gone.
Did the team run the option suspension last year that is now mandatory this year? If so, I hope the development time then pays off nicely now!


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## [email protected] (Jan 18, 2009)

*Re: FV-QR (scotaku)*

191 has been retired







It left track doing over 100 mph and make hard contact with a wall. The right door and mirror cover are the only good pieces of body work. 
And yes last year we did run the Koni's, and to give you an idea of how much it paid off we didn't make a single set-up change this week-end. Not even a shock adjustment! We unloaded the cars and sent them out on track and knew we had what we needed.


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## scotaku (Sep 3, 1999)

*FV-QR*

That's good news about the suspension, but no excuse to rest!








I admit I'm a little behind, but who are the drivers this year? I see Ian Baas is back and Josh Hurley drove in Daytona, but who is this Barrett guy? Patrick Barrett? Any chance Dion, Randy, James, or Mark will be back? Or maybe Sabine???


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2008)

*FV-QR*

I'm currently redoing the whole APR website and the motorsport page will be getting some needed information uploaded to it


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## [email protected] (Jan 18, 2009)

Patrick is an ex-Grand Am GT driver that made the switch to Koni. He's got alot of talent behind the wheel and is going to make a great addition to the team. 
The other drives seem to have found rides with other teams but they are still in the APR family, and we would be glad to have them back. As for Sabine, really have no idea, she could turn-up at a race but no plans are in the works.


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## scotaku (Sep 3, 1999)

*FV-QR*

Aye, I agree Patrick's resume is pretty impressive. I wihs I had those kinds of chops!
Again, sorry to hear about the 191 car, but I'm still rooting for you guys no matter who's driving.


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