MONTEREY CHALLENGE ANNOUNCED Local Racers Are the Opening Act for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix MONTEREY, Calif., June 22, 2010 Before Ben Spies or Jorge Lorenzo get on track for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca announced that the Monterey Challenge will take place on Friday morning, July 23, 2010. The race will feature local motorcycle racers with the fastest, rising stars on the grid. “We wanted to give the up-and-coming local talent the opportunity to show the world who they are,” explained Gill Campbell, CEO/general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Where else can a young rider get their break than with the U.S. brethren of Colin Edwards, Ben Spies and Nicky Hayden watching?” The Monterey Challenge will have 35 riders in a 10 lap race with a standing start. Trophies will be awarded for the top three finishers. The event starts at 8:00 a.m. with practice, and qualifying and the Monterey Challenge race will be at 11:50 a.m. Riders will be on a variety of motorcycles from 600cc and up from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Ducati and others. The race will not only entertain the MotoGP fans but will support injured service members with all proceeds from the Monterey Challenge going towards the Wounded Warriors Project. Fans will have a full day of on-track action with practice for MotoGP and the three AMA classes in the afternoon. More information on the Monterey Challenge can be found at ~http://montereychallenge.com/Home.php~ For Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix tickets and information, please visit ~http://www.MazdaRaceway.com~ or call 800-327-7322. About Wounded Warrior Project The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service members, to help severely injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit ~http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org~. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was established in 1957. The world-renowned raceway has been operated since its inception by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP), a not-for-profit 501C(4) corporation. Each race season, SCRAMP donates its net proceeds to the volunteer groups that help put on the races.