DANVILLE, VA. -Bosch Engineering North America, a division of the Bosch Group in the U.S. has signed with VIRginia International Raceway as title sponsor for the track's 2008 Grand-American Rolex Series and KONI Challenge events.  The Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR weekend, April 25-27, will provide a wide range of exciting action for the road racing fan, including a combined race of the Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Protoypes and GT cars, the SCCA World Challenge Touring Cars, the Suntrust MOTO-ST endurance motorcycle races, the VW Jetta TDI Cup, and the Formula SAE competition.  Buy tickets online and save!

VIR is pleased to welcome Bosch Engineering as the title sponsor.  With a heritage of automotive innovation going back to the introduction of magneto ignition and spark plugs in 1902, Bosch opened the company's first U.S. factory in 1910 to take advantage of the growing American automobile market. The now familiar 'armature in a circle' trademark became the company's logo in 1919 and can be seen on a wide variety of industrial and domestic products. These products range from the familiar spark plugs and oxygen sensors to home appliances, lighting equipment, industrial robots and packaging materials and methods that protect many of the items on store shelves.

"We are thrilled to have Bosch as title sponsor of our Grand-Am events," said VIR General Manager Josh Lief. "The Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR is the biggest sports car race of the year at VIR and we're pleased that Bosch is using this race to promote its products and services."

W. Keith Andrews, regional president for Bosch Engineering USA, said that Bosch Engineering is "very happy to be a part of Grand-Am and we are pleased to extend our relationship from technical partner for engine management systems to become the event sponsor. As a permanent road racing facility, VIR is the perfect venue to showcase this form of motorsports.

"The facility has received international acclaim as one of the world's most beautiful and challenging circuits, and continues to push the envelope of what a racetrack can be," said Andrews, whose father was the 1972 champion of the original NASCAR Grand American Series. Wolfgang Hustedt, racing programs manager for Bosch automotive aftermarket, said: "Bosch has been improving automobile performance from the inception of the company. VIR will give us an opportunity to showcase existing technology and put it to the test in some very challenging conditions. That experience will allow us to continue to improve reliability and durability of our products and build on the Bosch heritage of innovation."

Joining the exotic Daytona Prototypes and GT cars of the Rolex Sports Car Series will be the inaugural race of the SCCA VW Jetta TDI Series. This race will see the unveiling of up to 35 identically-prepared Diesel Jetta sedans, all racing over VIR's scenic 3.27-mile Full Course. In addition to the racing, the Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR weekend will see the introduction of the Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate Design Series to VIR. This event pits student teams representing more than 40 universities from around the world in a contest to design and build the best car possible. Teams from Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, UNC Charlotte, MIT, BA Ravensburg-Friedrichshafen, Old Dominion University, Auburn and University of Calgary will be compared in design, engineering and on-track competition to see which university can create the best designed, best handling and most efficient racer.

Making the weekend even more exciting, the motorcycle riders of SunTrust MOTO-ST bring their Super Twin racers to VIR's Full Course in the VIR 500k enduro race for two-wheeled competitors. With entries from Buell, BMW, Suzuki and more, the twin cylinder bikes race with limited modifications on some of the best road courses on the continent, providing excitement for riders and fans alike.

The October 3-5 KONI Challenge races, the finale for that series, will also have Bosch as a title sponsor. The twin races will be named the Bosch Engineering Twin Six Hour KONI Challenge Races. Pitting sports coupes and sedans against each other over VIR, that weekend pairs the cars with a crowd-pleasing variety of drifting, motorcycle races and stunt shows and on-track competition for the tuner crowd, attracting some of the best drivers and riders in the business.

Tickets for the Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR can be purchased at the VIR Web site at www.virclub.com or by calling 434-822-7700, x 116.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. Reopened in 2000, VIR hosts a wide range professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as "America's Motorsport Resort." In addition to its historic 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America's first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park and Motorsports Technology Park, which includes the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research ("VIPER"); the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved natural terrain karting circuit; an expanding variety of on-site lodging (including 45 hotel rooms and the trackside Villas which are for sale); Camp Motorsport for enthusiasts of all ages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 272,000 associates generated sales of 46.1 billion euros in fiscal 2007. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 300 subsidiary and regional companies in over 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spends more than three billion euros each year for research and development and in 2006 applied for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering."

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs 24,750 associates in more than 80 primary and 20 associated facilities throughout the region with reported sales of $8.8 billion in 2006. For more information on the company, visit www.bosch.us.