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Brazilian Grand Prix Formula BMW Practice will be held at 8:50 a.m. Friday, Oct. 31, followed by qualifying for Rounds 16 and 17 at 5:25 p.m. The driver’s fastest time will set the grid for Round 16 and their second fastest time will lineup Round 17. The Round 16

race begins at 4:40 p.m. on Saturday and the Round 17 race is scheduled to start at 10:00

FBMW  Americas

ROSSI HEADS TO BRAZIL A CHAMPION 

Alexander Rossi heads to Sao Paulo, Brazil for Rounds 16 and 17 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Championship as a champion. Rossi clinched the title with a clean sweep of  Rounds 13 & 14 at Thunderbolt Raceway, in Millville, NJ, on September 27 – 28. But Rossi is not letting up, in fact, the 17-year old Californian is planning on nothing less than adding two more wins to his impressive career.  Although the Formula BMW Americas series has served as a support series to Formula One, this will be the first time the series has participated in the season finale, Brazilian Grand Prix being held Oct. 31 – Nov 2.

Rossi, the first American to win the title in the five year history of the series and the first to clinch the title before the final race, is ready to perform in front of Formula One teams for a second time this year.  In June, Rossi stood on the podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, Montreal, Canada finishing third in Round 3 and winning Round 4.

In this season’s 13 races contested to-date (Rounds 7 and 15 were cancelled) Rossi has eight wins and eight poles. Added to his three wins last season, he tops the record book with 11 career Formula BMW Americas victories. 

Rossi’s season-long excellent performance was also instrumental in helping his team, Eurointernational, win its third consecutive Formula BMW Americas Team Championship. 

“It is nice to have the championship in hand, but I still have a job to do in Brazil,” Rossi commented. “With Brazil being the season finale for Formula One it becomes a very important venue for me to perform well as I look forward to advance my career.  I am excited to share this experience with this core group of sponsors and truly appreciate their support. The whole Eurointernational team expects a lot from me and they should. We have all made a huge investment together this season and it has paid off. Everyone on the team works extremely hard and we are always looking for improvement. I am sure we all will take a moment to celebrate the championship after the season end awards in Sao Paulo Sunday, but first I am striving for a couple more tallies in the win column.”

The primary sponsor of Rossi’s No. 16 FBO2 in Brazil will be Sierra Foothills Construction, of Grass Valley, Calif. Two secondary sponsors, C S and A Design and Development, of New York, New York and Alaska Coffee, of Fairbanks, Alaska will also support Rossi’s effort. Rossi will carry the National Breast Cancer Foundation as an associate sponsor. 

“CS&A design/development is proud to support Alexander Rossi’s FBMW of the Americas effort at the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Interlagos. We are certain that Rossi’s already impressive accomplishments are just the beginning of a racing career that will reach the pinnacle of motorsport” 

“We look forward to the season finale Grand Prix and Formula BMW in Brazil, the gastronomic capital of the world. It is our pleasure to continue supporting the 2008 Formula BMW Americas' champion Alexander Rossi. His passion for perfection makes all our support worthwhile.” Joseph and Nancy Zammuto (Nation Breast Cancer Foundation)