Kia Racing scored a pair of podium finishes – including its first victory of the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) season – on the temporary street circuit in Long Beach, Calif., nearby the brand's U.S. headquarters in Irvine, Calif. The team takes that momentum into what could be considered its second "homecoming" race of the year, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. Just a short distance from Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), where their cars first rolled off the production line, teammates Nic Jönsson and Mark Wilkins will give the turbocharged Optimas their racing debut on the 2.38-mile natural-terrain road course. Jönsson and Wilkins sit first and fifth in the Driver Championship points while Kia is second in the Manufacturer standing, ahead Chevrolet, Porsche and Aston Martin.

"We're proud of the Kia Racing team and its accomplishments. The results in Long Beach not only showcased the performance and durability of our cars, but also gave us a chance to show our support of the racing program in person, with more than 200 Kia Motors America (KMA) team members joining us at the track to cheer on the team," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of sales and marketing, KMA. "I am confident that the Mark, Nic and the Kinetic Motorsports crew can keep the momentum going heading to Barber Motorsports Park and put on a show for another hometown crowd, namely our KMMG guests in attendance, many of whom may have had a hand in building these two Optima turbos."