Defending 2014 Class Champion, Jason Wolfe, Pilots the No. 36 Richard Wolfe Trucking Kinetic Motorsports Kia Forte Koup to 2015 Touring Car A (TCA) Driver Championship

• Wolfe claimed three podium finishes, including two wins, in the final three rounds at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS)
• Kia Motors partner Kinetic Motorsports earns the TCA Crew of the Year as voted by fellow competitors in the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC)

IRVINE, Calif., September 15, 2015 – Reigning 2014 Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) Touring Car A (TCA) Driver Champion, Jason Wolfe, piloting the No. 36 Richard Wolfe Trucking Kinetic Motorsports Kia Forte Koup, scored two race wins and a podium finish in the final three rounds of the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS) in Monterey, California, to successfully defend his title.  Wolfe’s outstanding performance and consistent execution throughout the season resulted in 11 podiums, including eight wins, during the 18-race PWC TCA schedule, earning Kia Racing its seventh professional motorsport championship since 2010.

“The Kia Racing team exceeded our expectations from the very beginning of the program in 2010, and capturing a seventh championship in our sixth season of racing is a remarkable accomplishment of which all of our team members, dealers and customers can be proud,” said Michael Sprague, Chief Operating Officer and EVP, Kia Motors America (KMA).  “The success of this season is a testament to the determination, dedication and teamwork of so many passionate people on and off the track and showcases the reliability, durability and performance of our Kia vehicles.”

In addition to Wolfe’s triumphant season, the Kinetic Motorsport team won the TCA Crew of the Year award as voted on by other TCA teams in the PWC paddock.  The integrity and professionalism of Kinetic Motorsports was highlighted midseason when the team overcame a major hurdle.  Wolfe’s No. 36 Forte Koup took a massive hit at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, totaling the car, but the Kinetic Motorsports crew had an all-new Forte Koup built and prepared for the young driver just two weeks later at Road America, where he scored valuable championship points.

“It was a heck of a year for us to say the least, but the Kinetic Motorsports team is truly a world-class organization.  It’s extremely hard to win a championship, let alone finding the motivation, drive, and focus to repeat,” said Wolfe, who earned Rookie of the Year honors last season, along with the Driver title.  “I had a great time driving for Kia last year; it’s an ideal atmosphere for learning, and the Forte Koup is a great platform for racing.  I wanted to come back this season and clinch this championship for Kia, Kinetic Motorsports and my family.”

Also rounding out their season at MRLS, the factory-backed Grand Touring Sport (GTS) Optima turbo program raced its final round on Sunday.  Ben Clucas, in the No. 36 DonorsChoose.org Optima turbo, scored a fourth-place finish while teammate Mark Wilkins, in the No. 38 B.R.A.K.E.S. Optima turbo, was involved in a collision with another GTS competitor at the start and did not finish.  The team ended the season with seven podiums, including one win.

Tape-delayed televised coverage of the GTS race at MRLS will air on the CBS Sports Network on Wednesday, September 23, at 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT.  TCA television coverage can be seen on the CBS Sports Network on Wednesday, September 23, at 10:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m. PT.  Live-streamed coverage of all PWC races is available online at www.world-challengetv.com, and race fans can keep up-to-date with the Kia Racing team via the Kia Motors America Facebook and Instagram pages, and on Twitter @Kia.