Mechanical failures ruined race for K-PAX team at Long Beach

Long Beach, CA – Coming into Round Three of the Pirelli World Challenge at Long Beach, Randy and his No. 6 K-PAX Racing Volvo S60 team knew that it would be a difficult race on this tight street course with their history of brake issues.

Randy was fastest in final practice and qualified third, just behind Alex in second, so they knew they were ready to fight. But just as the lights went out and Randy started to launch, the clutch in the Volvo broke and Randy's race was over.

Alex Figge & Randy Pobst, K-Pax Racing/Volvo S60

Photo by: Martin W. Spetz

Alex got a great start and was in the lead for much of the event until he suffered a brake rotor failure close to the end of the race, sending him into the wall. The Volvo did its job and Alex was not injured.

One of the parts from Alex's car flew into Johnny O'Connell's Cadillac, damaging the radiator and then the engine, ending O'Connell's race as well, soon after he had taken the white flag in the lead.

"What a tough weekend. Our K-PAX team has never broken a clutch or brake rotor before. It is such a disappointment for a team that has worked so hard. The silver lining is that nobody hit me and we were not injured.

I was expecting a challenge with the brakes. The extreme loads on the front brakes make them hotter than anyone else, anywhere. We will continue to work on the issue. I am looking forward to racing at the Circuit of the Americas. We will be on the shorter course but it will be really cool."

"It was nice to have CEO John Maloney and Chief Marketing Officer Jay Hamill from Volvo North America here to support us in Long Beach this weekend. I would also like to thank my personal sponsors Saferacer and TPC Racing. I have been working with MotorTrend on several exciting projects.

We just completed a comparison between the Audi R8 V10 Plus and the Nissan GTR Track Edition which will be online and in the magazine in a few months. My friend Jessi Lang from the MotorTrend Channel's series J-Turn will be joining my girlfriend and business manager Jennifer Drews for an all-women team, on the high banks of Daytona, for the Chumpcar race, May 26 in a Nissan 240 SX.

I am going to be racing an Acura Integra, with my friend Lou Mindar, and plan to bump draft her. Its going to be a fun weekend. I recently did an episode of J-Turn where I coached Jessi on how to run a road race course. Check out the MotorTrend Channel on You Tube for all the action."

The Pirelli World Challenge Long Beach Grand Prix Presented by KIA will be televised on NBC Sports Network on May 5th at 2:00 PM EST. You can also view live streaming on www.world-challengeTV.com during the races and continuously on demand after races. Rounds Four and Five of the Pirelli World Challenge will take place May 17-19 in Austin, Texas for the Cadillac Sports Car Challenge at the Circuit of the Americas.

K-PAX team