Mosport: JaguarRSR preview

JaguarRSR BACK ON TRACK FOR MOSPORT

EAST LANSING, Michigan (August 26, 2010) - Despite a very short turn-around, JaguarRSR has recovered from last weekend's disappointing early retirement at Road America and revived the JaguarRSR XKR GT for its first appearance north of the border this weekend in Round 8 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón at Mosport International Raceway.

Similar to Road America, this daunting 2.459-mile Mosport track requires good high speed balance and stability. With some of the positive changes made at Road America, the team is confident that those lessons will transfer to Mosport to their advantage and get the XKR back on track for another top-ten GT finish.

Heading into such a challenge it is fitting that Paul Gentilozzi returns to the cockpit with his vast experience in over two decades of competition at Mosport. With 14 starts under his belt in IMSA GTS and Trans-Am competition, Gentilozzi has seen the best and worst this track has to offer. The American has five starts behind the wheel of the Jaguar GT.

Sharing the driving duties with Gentilozzi will be Marc Goossens, a regular behind the wheel making his ninth start in the XKR, but his first start at Mosport. This will be the second track on the ALMS schedule that is new to the Belgian, but he showed that it didn't take him long to get acclimated to the track at Road America, Mosport should be no different.

Round 8 of 9 in the 2010 ALMS season gets underway on Friday, August 27, with a series test day. There will be two practice sessions ahead of GT qualifying at 4:20 p.m. ET on Saturday. A 20-minute warm up session on Sunday morning will prepare the cars for the green flag at 3:05 p.m. to kick off the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, a 2 hour and 45 minute race.

WHAT THE DRIVERS HAVE TO SAY

Paul Gentilozzi, co-Driver of the #75 JaguarRSR XKR GT
"Mosport is of course one of North America's most challenging race tracks. To use an adage, it separates the race drivers from those who think they are. The combination of high speed blind corners and an oval caliber sweeper at the end of the main straight challenges even the most highly skilled driver.

As I driver, I can remember great victories at Mosport, our GTS victories over the Audi's and Roush Mustangs in the early 90's and the 1996 Trans Am race. We led flag-to-flag holding off both local favorite Ron Fellows and the infamous Boris Said. It was a 100 mile sprint that had six cars in a three second spread for the entire race.

The fans at Mosport are true road racing fans; they know the cars and drivers while holding great appreciation for good competition. That is exactly what the ALMS GT class brings to this event. I am sure it will be another great Mosport race and I look forward to returning in the Jaguar XKR GT."

Marc Goossens, co-Driver of the #75 JaguarRSR XKR GT
"I am looking forward to experiencing Mosport for the first time, especially behind the wheel of the #75 JaguarRSR XKR GT. I have been watching some video of past races and in-car camera footage in preparation. From what I can tell, it looks like a pretty fast track, an interesting one at that.

It is going to be valuable for me to get some seat time in during the free practice sessions, and then we will go from there. It was a great experience to see what Road America was like, and I feel that Mosport will be a similar challenge. I don't really know what to expect, other than I hope that we can build on all the hard work that was done by the team with the set up of the car last weekend and have a good, solid race."

-source: jaguarrsr