Daytona Beach, Florida - The annual rounds of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin at Calabogie Motorsports Park are unlike any other event in the championship.

Calabogie creates a great challenge for teams and drivers, as it's the longest and one of the most technical tracks in Canada, with its 20 turns covering 3.137 miles (5.05 km). The beautiful circuit is located in the scenic Greater Madawaska region of the Ottawa Valley, about a one-hour drive west of downtown Ottawa.

It's "cottage country," an area dotted with small towns, lakes, mountains and forests, a place of relaxation for many Eastern Ontario residents. The laid-back feel also extends to the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin paddock during the event weekend, popular with teams and competitors.

That said, Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2015 calendar, scheduled for July 4-5 at Calabogie Motorsports Park, comprise the most important event in the series for one of its flagship teams, Mark Motors Racing of Ottawa. The circuit is the home track for the team and its dealership, Mark Motors Porsche.

Mark Motors Porsche embraces the relaxed atmosphere of the weekend just as much as its guests. But make no mistake: This weekend is serious business for the dealership, providing a superb platform to promote its business, the Porsche brand and the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin.

"We're really, really lucky to have a racetrack so close to our dealership," said Liza Mrak, Mark Motors business development manager and daughter of Mark Motors founder Louis Mrak. "The Porsche brand itself and having a track so close, it's a beautiful marriage."

Mark Motors courts potential and existing customers at Calabogie throughout the track's season, but that activation kicks into high gear this weekend.

The dealership, in conjunction with Porsche Cars Canada, offers hospitality to upward of 150 guests each day at two VIP lounges in choice viewing areas adjacent to the circuit. Gourmet food and beverages are provided, and the team's drivers visit hospitality to talk with guests and expose them to their exciting racing world.

Race weekend hospitality is just part of Mark Motors' regular involvement with Calabogie Motorsports Park. The dealership hosts formal and impromptu track day and customer education sessions at the circuit. These range from the annual driver development event, taking place this year July 8, to sessions for existing or potential customers who want to try a certain model of Porsche in a controlled, safe, challenging environment.

Porsche Cars Canada also has a fleet of vehicles that it brings to Calabogie for test drives, and interested Mark Motors Porsche customers can visit the track to take specific Porsche models of interest for a spin.

"The track does a really nice job of allocating time for people who wish to take their own car out for a few laps," Mrak said. "So what we'll do is if we have a customer who really wants to get behind the wheel but can't attend one of our organized events, we'll pick up the phone and call the track manager, and she accommodates us all the time. It's one of the luxuries of being so close to a track and having such a strong partnership."

An important part of this experience includes the drive to the circuit. The final stretch of the 70-mile (115 km) drive from Mark Motors Porsche to Calabogie Motorsports includes winding, flowing country roads. The track may be close to downtown Ottawa, but it's a world away in terms of stress levels.

"The track is in a perfect location," Mrak said. "It's the perfect drive to get warmed up and let your mind relax. Once you arrive, there's no stress, no hustle and bustle. You're completely unloaded from your day to focus in on driving.

"But the other thing that's very appealing about the track is that it's a very technical track with a lot of turns, which truly showcases a Porsche's strengths. Because there are so many turns on the track, it allows drivers to get the experience so much faster. Many tracks have more straightaways than they do turns. A great race really is best when you have a lot of turns because it really emphasizes the strength of the driver."

Driving and racing have been part of the fabric of Mark Motors Porsche since Louis Mrak opened the Porsche franchise of the dealership in 1974. Louis Mrak worked on small race teams when he arrived Canada in 1956.

Louis and Margaret Mrak and their four children - all of whom work for Mark Motors - attended a number of races in the Canadian circuits as a family affair. Some of these circuits include Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, to name a few.

"We've always been intrigued by the racing industry, and that's been because of the Porsche brand and its history in racing," Liza Mrak said.

Mark Motors extended that DNA strand into team sponsorship in the newly launched Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin in 2011. Then the dealership took the next step in 2013 by forming a team for Platinum Masters drivers Marco Cirone and Perry Bortolotti, who also raced for the team last season. This season Cirone and 17-year-old rookie Harry Steenbakkers are driving for Mark Motors Racing in all 10 rounds.

It didn't take long for the team to establish a championship pedigree. Cirone won the Platinum Masters title for Mark Motors Racing in 2013 and 2014.

"Whether you're a car person or not, there's a lot of enthusiasm in the race industry," Mrak said. "It brings a wide range of people that are interested in the racing side of things together. From that energy we see the passion for the Porsche brand grow. More people inquire about the brand, which translates into new people walking through the doors of our dealership."

Mark Motors Porsche promotes its dealership and race team through a very active social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Mrak also sends email newsletters to customers, encouraging them to follow the race team, and some Mark Motors dealership employees wear race team shirts during event weeks to promote upcoming races and Mark Motors Racing.

"We're just trying to take that whole excitement we go through and share it," Mrak said. "At the end of the day, if we get more people interested in the series, that's a win for us, as well."

For more information about Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, visit www.imsa.com, follow hashtag #GT3CAN @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.

Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin

The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin enters its fifth season in 2015 ready to produce more intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world's most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned championship is one of 20 global Porsche single-make Cup Racing series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Racing is divided into two classes - Platinum Cup, featuring the 2014 and 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the seventh, and current, generation of the street car; and Gold Cup, which is comprised of the previous iteration (model years 2010-2013) of the race car. A Masters Championship also is conducted in the Platinum class. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.

ABOUT IMSA

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA - a company within the NASCAR Holdings group - is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.