Rocketsports to Race Jaguar XKR

LANSING, Mich. - Two-time Trans-Am champion Paul Gentilozzi will campaign a Jaguar XKR in the 2000 BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series. A Jaguar product last raced in Trans-Am competition in 1981 and previously captured the Trans-Am Manufacturers' Championship in 1978.

In 1999, Gentilozzi won the Drivers' Championship driving a Ford Mustang. Gentilozzi's 1998 title came behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette. Should Gentilozzi win his third championship this season, he'll become the first driver to win three titles in three different marques. Bob Tullius won the 1977 Drivers' Championship in a Jaguar XJS.

"The 2000 season will be a special year for Trans-Am and the series will have some new special marques to guarantee an exciting season," said Gentilozzi, who scored six wins in 1999. "Rocketsports is always looking for ways to be innovative and leaders in this series and the Jaguar is a logical choice, given its history and heritage of performance."

"The Jaguar, in production form, fits perfectly into the Trans-Am series," Gentilozzi continued, who ranks second in all-time Trans-Am top-five (72) and top-ten (97) finishes. "It's very aerodynamic, and its smooth lines and body contours should make it one of the fastest straight-line speed cars in the series. With the change in the rules to run a wing, we won't have to distort the body to accommodate a flat blade spoiler."

Rocketsports is building three completely new chassis for the 2000 Trans-Am season as well. Jeff Altenburg will compete in a Jaguar XKR and the third chassis will be a back-up car.

"Our chassis is an on-going development process," said Gentilozzi. "We've done a lot of analysis and we're making both structural and geometry changes. We'll use the latest technologies available to us as we prepare for another championship season."

"Right now, our biggest challenge is time. We likely won't have time to test prior to the first race week. But when we introduced both the Corvette and the Mustang with no testing prior to race week, we won both of our inaugural races. I expect nothing less this year."

The 2000 Trans-Am season begins at Sebring International Raceway on March 17th as part of the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring race weekend.