Eddie Cheever III, son of Indy 500 Champion and former Formula One driver Eddie Cheever Jr., has scored his second podium visit in as many races, placing 2nd at Pista Salentia - Ugento racing in the KF3 class of the 2008 International Open Masters.

In qualifications, Cheever III placed 1st, and the proceeded through several stages under various track conditions.  The first round was under wet conditions, Cheever finished first in the 1/16 final.  The second round, the 1/8 final, again under wet conditions found Cheeveer finishing second after starting in first position. Moving on to the 1/4 final with dry track conditions Eddie III finished second.  The semi-final round featured Cheever startting second but finishing 18th when his machine was forced off the track.  This set the stage for the finals, with Cheever starting 18th and fighting his way back to second, and in the process posting the fastest lap of the race.

Sharing the podium with Cheever were drivers Ignazio D'Agosto and Daniele Basiliotti.  The International Open Series is the first step for young drivers with aspirations for a career in Formula One.   Eddie Cheever III races for Maranello Karts and wears the familiar red white and blue helmet scheme of his father.

Virginia International Raceway (April 27, 2008)

The fourth round of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16 started well for the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team. British driver Tom Kimber-Smith , subbing for Antonio Garcia, qualified the car in 8th position and then patiently picked of his competition during his turn at the wheel, moving as high as second position, and was running top 5 when he turned the car over to team mate Matteo Bobbi.

Unfortunately, the second half of the race proved disappointing for the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team. Bobbi made a miscalculation during his first lap on the 3.27 mile southern Virginia road course that caused some damage to the car and put the team down a lap. Although Bobbi made a determined attempt to regain the lost ground, ultimately The Crown Royal Cask No. 16 team finished 15th in the VIR Bosch Engineering 250.

Driver Quote / Tom Kimber-Smith: "It was a thrill to come to Virginia, meet the fans and show off how far the Coyote Car and The Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Team have come since the beginning of the season in Daytona. The car was handling well and it felt good to move it up and run with the leaders.

Driver Quote / Matteo Bobbi: "It is all my fault… My mistake took me off course and put us down a lap… I was unable to recover and for that I say, I’m sorry to the fans and my team…I believe we could have finished much better"

The next stop for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is Laguna Seca May 16th and 17th for the Monterey Festival of Speed. Re-joining the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team will be Spanish driver Antonio Garcia.

For more information regarding the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Racing Team, visit www.CheeverRacing.com or contact Carl Frye at cfrye@cheevergroup.com.

British driver Tom Kimber-Smith piloted the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Pontiac-powered Coyote Cars Daytona Prototype during it's quailifying session at Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR and placed it in the field with a qualifying time of 1:45.431 on the southern Virginia 3.27 mile road course, good for a starting position of 8th for Sundays race.  With a top speed of 111.656, Kimber-Smith appears to to have taken quickly to the car and the course dispite limited seat time in the machine.  As always, race strategy will be a key component on race day.  With a history of inclement weather and the threat of pop up thunderstorms in the forcast, the Crown Royal Cask No.16 Racing Team is preparing and weighing a myriad of factors as they complete their race setup.

Driver Matteo Bobbi:  " For the second week in a row we have qualified top ten, now we just need to complete the race.  I feel that the car can realistically finish top 5.  Tom has done an excellent job filling in for Antonio (Garcia) and I look forward to sharing the cockpit with him tomorrow."

Driver Tom Kimber-Smith  "I want to thank the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team for giving me this opportunity, the entire crew has made me feel very welcome and I feel we have made great strides in a very short amount of time.. The car is handling well and I have been able to improve my times with each opportunity to practice. Now I'm ready to hit the track full throttle and help move their race program forward with a strong showing here at VIR and put on a good show for the fans."

For more information on the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, visit www.CheeverRacing.com \par