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 Sept. 24. According to Mark Chung, Yokohama director, corporate strategy and planning, the new entry, which debuted in the Petit Le Mans race on Sept. 26, is running on Yokohama ADVAN® A005 tires. The car is also campaigning at Laguna Seca on Oct. 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,” says 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.”
For more information, visit www.yokohamatire.com.
