LONG BEACH, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2010) -- For the third straight year, Tequila Patrón will be the title sponsor of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Race at the 36th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 16-18.  

But this year, the company is going one better!

Tequila Patrón announced today it will become the Presenting Sponsor for the entire nine-race ALMS Championship for 2010.  Aside from Long Beach, America’s #1 street race, the ALMS runs at some of America’s great racing venues, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Lime Rock Conn., Mid–Ohio, Elkhart Lake, Wis. and Road Atlanta.  The series also includes an August race at Mosport Park in Canada.

With its sponsorship, The Patrón Spirits Company, known for the finest top-quality spirits, including its signature Patrón tequila line, will again enhance the Long Beach ambience, particularly with  the return of Club Patrón, an in-circuit, high-end stop for adult social entertainment on race weekend. For the second consecutive year, Club Patrón will be located atop the Arena parking structure on the west side, overlooking the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race compound.

“We welcome back Tequila Patrón as title sponsor of our Long Beach race and, at the same time, congratulate them for their sponsorship of the entire ALMS schedule,” said Jim Michaelian, President and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.  “It has been a very successful collaboration for the past two years and we look for even greater things at this year’s race.”

Last year at Long Beach, Patrón Highcroft Racing's David Brabham and Scott Sharp finished second overall in their LMP1 Acura ARX-02a, just 1.016 seconds behind Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud. The Patrón Highcroft Team went on to win three more class races, including an overall win at Lime Rock Park, and the LMP1 championship.

Now Pagenaud has joined Patrón Highcroft Racing and will team with Brabham for the 2010 ALMS season in the newly combined LMP class. In addition, Patrón will appear on the two Ferrari F430 GTC class entries fielded by Extreme Speed Motorsports, owned by champion driver Scott Sharp. One of the cars will be driven by Sharp and Johannes van Overbeek; the other by Ed Brown and Guy Cosmo.

“The American Le Mans Series race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is always one of the most-anticipated events of the season, and is an ideal venue to showcase our continued commitment to world-class racing,” said Matt Carroll, chief marketing officer at Patrón Spirits. “We’re thrilled to be back at Long Beach this year, and we’re looking forward to racing there with our new Extreme Speed Motorsports team.”

Tickets for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach can be purchased from the Grand Prix ticket office by calling toll-free at (888) 82-SPEED, Ticketmaster or by visiting www.gplb.com. A handy ticket brochure – which includes circuit map, grandstand and parking locations, ticket prices and order form – can be obtained by calling the ticket hotline.

Ticket prices, which remain unchanged for the second straight year, range from $25 for Friday general admission up to $125 for a three-day ticket that includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seats in upper levels of the grandstands.  Pre-paid parking packages are also available when ordering through the Grand Prix Ticket Office. Handicapped seating, IndyCar Paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a variety of hospitality club packages – including the all-new Vista Club located atop the Hyatt Long Beach – are also available.