(May 7, 2014) Jessup, MD – The TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour race team went into rounds three and four of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama wanting to repeat the results of 2013, winning. Michael Levitas, driver of the 35 TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour GT3 Cup and David Williams, driver of the 37 Merkle / TPC Racing / Under Armour GT3 Cup went into the weekend feeling confident and knew that the TPC Racing team would deliver strong cars to drive.

Rounds three and four of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama would make for Michael Levitas’ return to the Gold Class, piloting the teams number 35 997 model GT3 Cup. In 2013, Levitas won the Gold Class drivers and Masters drivers’ championships and looks to do the same in 2014.

“I have gotten some testing in with the TPC Racing number 35 car and felt very comfortable in it,” stated Michael Levitas. “Our TPC Racing team knows the chassis so well and I have always felt great in the 997. The 991 is fantastic, but the 997 is very satisfying for me to drive. I know that with the skill of our engineering staff, our coaches Damien Faulkner and Randy Pobst, the TPC Racing team will give me a car that I can be competitive with to fight for more wins. I came into the fight late, so in order to win the championship this year, I need to be on the podium each race weekend.”

Levitas worked hard and had a great race weekend. The team got the car sorted in practice and Michael took the 35 TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour GT3 Cup and put it on the top of the timing charts in qualifying. On the last lap, Levitas was knocked off of pole position, and only a few hundredths separated the top three qualifiers in Gold.

Michael Levitas took the green flag starting second in race one. Going into turn two, Levitas made the pass for the lead and held onto his position until the end. Toward the end of the race, there was a caution which bunched up the field. The finished ended up being a green-white-checker shootout to the finish. Michael did a fantastic job and held his position while everyone battled behind the 35 TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour machine. Levitas was able to take the checkered flag and win both the Gold and Gold Masters.

“Great race, absolutely fantastic,” stated Levitas. “The TPC Racing Porsche was outstanding. The guys did an amazing job on the setup. It was great through 3 and 4 and just killer through 9 and 10. The competition was off the charts! I had to run every lap with no mistakes. We were within a second the entire race. It was just absolute mayhem. I would work so hard to make up that one-second and boom, we’d have to restart and I would have to do it over again. I really have to thank our coach Damien Faulkner for the racing advice and calming myself down to drive such a great race. Also, a huge thanks to IMSA and all of the competitors for such an amazing race.”

David Williams was doing a fantastic job in the 37 Merkle / TPC Racing / Under Armour entry. David worked hard on his driving and was working hard for a solid finish in the Platinum class running his 2014 991 GT3 Cup. The TPC Racing team worked hard as well and delivered a great chassis that Williams was confident in to run a strong race.

“The TPC Racing team gave me a fantastic car,” stated David Williams. “The car was great and working with Damien Faulkner helped me tremendously. I was able to drive extremely well and felt great in the car.

David Williams started the race in the mix of the Gold competitors and got through the group right away. Qualifying did not go how Williams expected, so it was important to get a clean start. David did a fantastic job and had a great race, picking through the field one car after the next. It was clean racing with no mistakes. David Williams drove a fantastic race, winning the Yokohama Hard Charger award after starting 22^nd and finishing 16^th.

“I had a great start,” stated David Williams. “Right on the outside was wide open, and I probably made up five spots there on the start. I was running consistent after that and it was a great race. My TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour car was just fantastic. A huge thank you to the entire TPC Racing team.”

The TPC Racing team looks forward to the next rounds on Memorial Day weekend at LimeRockPark.

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

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 Under Armour:

Founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, Under Armour is the originator of performance apparel – gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. The technology behind Under Armour’s diverse product assortment for men, women and youth is complex, but the program for reaping the benefits is simple: wear HeatGear® when it’s hot, ColdGear® when it’s cold, and AllSeasonGear® between the extremes.

Under Armour’s mission is make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.

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