Kia has just announced at the LA Auto Show that they’ve teamed up with Kinetic Motorsports to campaign a pair of Optima SXs in World Challenge. The pair of race cars will join the Rio 5-Door B-Spec that debuted at the SEMA Show earlier this month as part of Kia’s racing efforts with Kinetic Motorsports.

The turbocharged Optima race cars are set to enter the Pirelli World Challenge Championship and will compete in the Grand Touring Sport (GTS) class. Interestingly enough, the Optimas will be the first Korean vehicles to compete in the series and it’ll be interesting to see if Hyundai follows suit sometime soon.

Drivers for the two vehicles were not announced, but Kia did reassure us that Kinetic Motorsports will continue the successful Forte Koup’s racing efforts in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

GALLERY: Kia Racing World Challenge GTS Optima SX

GALLERY: Kia Racing World Challenge GTS Optima SX LA Auto Show Debut

See AutoGuide’s complete 2011 LA Auto Show coverage here

Four of the eight venues for the 2012 Pirelli World Challenge Schedule has been announced, but the bigger news is the confirmation of the new Touring Car B-Spec Class, something we’ve been eagerly awaiting.

B-Spec races will only run at three of the eight event weekends scheduled, but we believe that this is merely a way to keep it affordable for the racers in that class. Over those three event weekends, nine B-Spec races will take place.

The four venues already announced were the Streets of Long Beach alongside IndyCar and ALMS, where only the GT and GTS classes will compete on April 13th-15th 2012. April 27th-29th 2012 will bring GT, GTS, Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec to Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. June 1st-3rd 2012 will share again with IndyCar at Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix with all classes competing that weekend. Last of the announced events is the June 22nd-24th event taking place at Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, Canada. All classes will be competing as this event is the Pirelli World Challenge Headliner.

Four more venues and events will be announced shortly by the SCCA.

Kia will be joining in on the B-Spec racing series fun by offering race-prepped versions of the new 2012 Rio 5-door, joining the likes of the Mazda2 and Honda Fit. The B-Spec racing series is designed for low-budget racing enthusiasts featuring compact hatchbacks with little to no engine modifications. Kia will be working with Kinetic Motorsports to get Rio 5-Doors ready to race and is planning to announce more details at the upcoming 2011 SEMA Show.

Based on other B-Spec racing vehicles, we can safely assume that the race-prepped Rio will feature a roll cage, racing seats, harnesses, suspension modifications and a new wheel and tire package. B-Spec series racers are designed to compete in SCCA, NASA, Grand-Am and World Challenge race series. With basically stock engines in all of the vehicles, the race-ready Rio will sport the factory 1.6L that pumps out 138-hp and 123 lb-ft of torque, significantly more than either the Honda or Mazda.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door review and see a preview of the 2011 SEMA Show here.

Looking to improve upon some of the success the team found during rounds five and six of the SCCA World Challenge series, Cadillac Racing is competing with its duo of CTS-V Coupe race cars at Mid-Ohio this weekend.

So far the podium has been elusive, with the No. 3 car piloted by Johnny O’Connell forced off track only to battle back to 8th place. The No. 8 car of Andy Pilgrim came close, finishing fourth in the seventh round of the series. The race was won by Alex Figge in the Volvo S60, with Patrick Long in the No. 45 Porsche GT3 second and James Sofronas in the Porsche GT3 coming 3rd.

O’Connell and Long will have a second chance during the 8th round later this afternoon. Currently O’Connell sits 4^th in the driver points while Pilgrim is 7th with Cadillac second in the manufacturer’s championship.

If you’re looking to get a feel of what it’s like to ride along with these pros. You’re in luck. Cadillac Racing has provided a narrated hot lap by O’Connell and Pilgrim, with an amazing display of speed and some excellent tips from two pros.

GALLERY: Cadillac Racing CTS-V Coupe Mid Ohio

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The Cadillac Racing Team used the grunt of its supercharged V8-powered CTS-V race cars to achieve some of the season’s best results over the weekend at Mosport International Raceway. And if you’re at all curious as to what its like to be behind the wheel of one of the big coupes, do we have a treat for you.

Ride shotgun for two laps of what Caddy hot shoe Johnny O’Connell calls one of North America’s “fastest and, probably, most dangerous race tracks.” O’Connell and team mate Andy Pilgrim even provide some commentary.

GALLERY: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Race Car

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After a trying season, things are finally starting to turn around for Team Cadillac. Competing with a two car effort in the fifth and sixth rounds of the SCCA World Challenge series at Mosport International Raceway, Johnny O’Connell managed two podium finishes in his No. 3 CTS-V Coupe in front of a crowd that included General Motors North America President Mark Reuss.

In race one O’Connell moved from third on the grid to second on the start, then surrendering the position to the Corvette of Patrick Lindsey. O’Connell then took back second place when Lindsay encountered mechanical problems and then held on to second; the team’s best finish of the season.

In race two, O’Connell looked poised for a repeat but managed just a third place finish after a late race caution stopped him from hunting down Patrick Long in the No. 45 Privacy Star Porsche 911 GT3. Both races were won by Mike Skeen in the No. 2 CRP Racing/Cragar Wheels Chevrolet Corvette.

The No. 8 CTS-V of Andy Pilgrim placed fifth in both races of the weekend, helping Cadillac secure second in the manufacturer’s points race behind Porsche.

Rounds seven and eight of the World Challenge series take place August 5-7 at Mid Ohio.

GALLERY: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Race Car

K-Pax Racing debuted its new bodystyle Volvo S60R GT race car at Mosport International Raceway this weekend, but the stunning new sheetmetal wasn’t accompanied by a similar performance.

Competing in the fifth and sixth rounds of the SCCA World Challenge series, the new bodystyle car was piloted by series rookie Alex Figge, who managed a 10th place finish in the GT Class in the first of two races on a doubleheader weekend. The No. 9 K-Pax racing Volvo then retired early from the second race of the weekend due to mechanical issues.

As for the P-Pax Volvo C30 entries in the TC Class, there were some ups and downs for the weekend with Aaron Povoledo taking 3rd in the first race, and landing his second straight podium. Povoledo seemed poised to improve on that finish on Sunday’s race, but was disqualified by race officials for jumping the start.

Rounds seven and eight of the World Challenge series take place August 5-7 at Mid Ohio.

GALLERY: K-Pax Racing Volvo S60R GT

It won’t officially debut for just over a week, but K-Pax Racing has released a few teaser images of the rebodied Volvo S60 race car it will campaign in the World Challenge series.

Series Champions in the GT Class last year, K-Pax is back competing for the title in 2011. Volvo enthusiasts may have noticed that so far this season the S60 race car is looking a little dated, using bodywork inspired by the previous generation S60 sedan, not the new 2011 model. That will change for rounds five and six at Mosport International Raceway when the new car is not only unveiled, but will hit the track for the first time.

We’ll be sure to deliver updates on the new car, and will be on hand for the races on May 20-22. Until then, check out these amazing pics of the exposed carbon fiber S60 before it gets decked out in official race livery.

GALLERY: K-Pax Racing Volvo S60

Read AutoGuide’s 2011 Volvo S60 Review Here

After a shaky start to the 2011 World Challenge series season, Cadillac‘s CTS-V Coupe race cars finally showed some promise over the weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Drivers Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim finished fourth and fifth in the GT Class, helping both drivers move up the standings in the Championship race, and landing Cadillac second in the manufacturers points category.

As impressed as we are with the team’s effort, we’re perhaps more enthused by the selection of photos the team managed to gather from the scenic track. Browse the gallery of car porn below and watch for the V coupes to make their next run at the podium on the May 20-24 weekend at Mosport International Raceway.

GALLERY: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Race Cars