Korean car manufacturer Kia Motors Corp. made its U.S. racing debut Jan. 29 at Daytona International Speedway, partnering with an Atlanta company, Kinetic Group, to enter two cars in the Fresh From Florida 200.

The two-and-a-half hour race is the season opener for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

Kia's first U.S. race follows the opening of its first American manufacturing plant in West Point, Ga., last November where it produces the Sorento SUV.

Kia’s race cars are based on the company's Forte Koup, which it introduced in the U.S. this year.

Kinetic Group builds racing engines and provides other services for racing teams. It spent six months researching, developing and building the two Kia race cars, according to the Kia news release.

“From the moment we announced Kia Motors was getting into racing we believed the Forte Koup would be a strong competitor in GRAND-AM, and the feedback we've received from Kinetic and [the drivers] after their initial testing reinforces that belief," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing at Kia Motors America, in a news release.

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