(July 23, 2013) Jessup, MD – For rounds seven and eight of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Series by Yokohama, the TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team was at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The team went into rounds seven and eight leading the team and drivers’ championship in the Gold Class as well, first and second in the Masters Class standings.

The weekend started off well for the TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team. Out of the trailer, both the 35 car of Ben Keating and 36 car of Michael Levitas were quick. The team made chassis adjustments during practice and the cars proved to handle better, making for what would be good cars in qualifying and in the race.

Just before qualifying, there was a heavy storm that came in. The TPC Racing cars were setup well and would have been good in the rain, but also good in the dry. On the out lap, cars started going off track which caused the session to be stopped so that there could be track cleanup. When the cars were released to go back out again, there was lightning as the cars were making another out lap which caused the session to be canceled. When the session was canceled, IMSA had the cars gridded based off of practice times. This would have Ben Keating start in fifteenth position in the Platinum Class and Michael Levitas start in second in the Gold Class.

When it came time to race, the track was dry and the TPC Racing team had great cars to fight to the front with. At the drop of the green flag, Levitas took off in the Gold Class and got the lead. It was a hard fight with the second and third place cars in class, but Levitas drove his 36 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup back to victory lane at CTMP.

“What a race,” stated Michael Levitas. “The second and third place cars gave me a real battle out there. I knew that I had to get a good start right away so that I could try to run away with it but they put up a good fight and we had a blast. Our TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson team gave me a great car. I have to thank Porsche of Towson and everyone involved as this was a great weekend. I missed having my teammate David out there with me, but we will have fun out at Road America together.”

In Platinum, Ben Keating was driving a fantastic race in the 35 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup. Ben drove a stellar race, faster each lap and very consistent. During the race, Keating picked off six cars, finishing ninth and also setting a fast lap of what was being set at the front of the field. For making so many positions and driving a great race, Ben Keating received the Yokohama Hard Charger Award.

“TPC Racing gave me an amazing car,” stated Ben Keating. “That was a great race and I had a blast in my Porsche of Towson / Viper Exchange car out there. The competition was great and a huge thank you to the guys at TPC Racing giving me such an awesome car that I could fight with and put down great laps. I look forward to hopefully coming back out and doing it again.”

The TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team leaves CTMP still in the Gold Class points lead in the driver and team championship going into Road America in three weeks.

About TPC Racing

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About ViperExhange.com

ViperExchange began as the dream of two car dealers who fell in love with everything the Dodge Viper had to offer. Because of their dream, Viper fans everywhere are able to benefit from one centralized location for all of their Viper needs and wants.

ViperExchange began as a boutique shop located inside Tomball Dodge in Tomball, Texas. ViperExchange is the dealership for both new and used Vipers. This location is an emporium for speed and modification equipment as well as a gleaming service center. When visiting this location be sure to check out the second floor “Viper Vault”.

Visit ViperExchange on the web at www.ViperExchange.com

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com