Yokohama Tire Corporation and
RocketSports Racing (RSR) are teaming up to field a Jaguar XKR GT2 entry
in the 2010 ALMS season. Yokohama was named the official tire supplier
of RSR at a press conference at Road Atlanta on September 24. According
to Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate strategy and planning, the
new entry, which is debuting in the Petit Le Mans race on September 26,
is running on Yokohama ADVAN A005 tires. The car is also campaigning
at Laguna Seca on October 10, using the races to introduce the car and
utilize the track time for testing and development.
"Partnering with RSR on the Jaguar XKR GT2 in ALMS is a perfect fit for
Yokohama," said Chung. "Motorsports is a core element in what we do.
It's in our DNA - we like to compete and we like to win, and so does
RSR. Our collective efforts will certainly put us among the leaders in
GT2 next year. We are definitely eager to get going."
The Jaguar brand is launched into what everyone considers the deepest
GT2 class in the history of the ALMS and will have to face off against
the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Viper and Ford.
From a production car, the Jaguar XKR makes an excellent racecar. "The
Jaguar XKR is exceptionally strong and rigid, and the construction
method is in advance of the conventional steel stamping that we see in
cars today," explained Paul Gentilozzi, RSR team owner. "That allows RSR
to build a lighter, stronger, stiffer racecar. Also, the basic
aerodynamic design of the XKR has a low drag coefficient and more than
sufficient downforce."
On the relationship with RSR, Chung added: "Our experience with Paul
Gentilozzi and RSR goes back to the early '90s when we won the Daytona
24 Hours together. We've maintained a close relationship throughout the
years and now we're teaming up again and assembling a world-class crew
to achieve great milestones in ALMS."
