ALMS: The Jaguar XKR GT2 Unveiled

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The GT2 Jaguar XKR of RSR that will be raced at Petit Le Mans

In preparation for a full championship effort in 2010, RSR unveiled its Jaguar XKR GT2 at the American Le Mans Series’ famed event - the 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 - with the intention to introduce the car and utilize the track time for testing and development. The Jaguar brand is launched into what everyone considers the deepest GT2 class in the history of the Series and will have to face off against the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Panoz, Dodge, 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 race car. Also, the basic aerodynamic design of the XKR has a low drag coefficient and more than sufficient downforce.”

The GT2 class features production-based cars modified as allowed by Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) rules. “There are very specific limitations. We use what we call in the industry, the Body-In-White,” Gentilozzi added. “That is the basic skeletal structure, the sub-frames and frames from the original production car. We started our GT2 car with a real Jaguar XKR, this is not a panel built or fabricated car. We are using all of the aluminum skeletal structure of the car, the production doors, roof and deck lid.”

The bodywork features a design that is based on the Jaguar XKR and was completed in the Jaguar Advance Design Studio headed by chief designer Ian Callum. The body has undergone intensive computational fluid dynamics work - known as CFD - by the Jaguar aerodynamics department. Information from the CFD was then incorporated into the finished body work which was made in clay at the RSR facility. More than 1,100 man hours were spent during the clay process. The carbon fiber composite body work was molded and produced by a local company in Michigan and conforms to the ACO guidelines.

“The end result is a GT2 car that contains the DNA and the spirit of the Jaguar Design Department and the production car,” comments Gentilozzi.

Yokohama has been announced as the official tire supplier. “Partnering with RSR on the Jaguar XKR GT2 in the American Le Mans Series is a perfect fit for Yokohama,” said Mark Chung, Yokohama Tire Corporation director, corporate strategy and planning. “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.”


Paul Gentilozzi: Team owner is one of three drivers for the Jaguar. Scott Pruett and Marc Goossens are the others.

RSR is working very closely with Bosch Motorsport to integrate its technologies for engine control and chassis data acquisition. The car will be equipped with a Bosch Motorsport ECU and data logger with color display, as well as Bosch spark plugs.

Gentilozzi has had a long relationship with brake supplier Brembo, winning races in Trans-Am and Champ Car. Brembo six-piston front calipers on 380 mm discs with four-piston rear calipers on 350 mm discs have been installed and actuated by a Tilton floating master cylinder pedal assembly. A 5.5-inch Tilton metallic clutch will allow power to flow from the modified Jaguar AJ133 engine to a Hewland CST Transaxle.

A five time Trans-Am Series champion, Gentilozzi will wear multiple hats for the team, as not only the owner but also one of the three drivers designated to race the car. He will be joined with sports car veterans American Scott Pruett and Belgian Marc Goossens. During the testing and development process these seasoned drivers will play a key role in getting the Jaguar XKR up to speed for a strong fight in 2010.

ABOUT RSR
RSR was formed in 2009 by Paul Gentilozzi and his sons, Tony and John, to build and race the Jaguar XKR in the American Le Mans Series GT2’ class. GT2 is the premier sports car racing classification in the world. With top-flight competition and close racing it has become the predominant venue for leading manufacturers and teams.

Gentilozzi's relationship with Jaguar dates back to 2000 when he built and raced Jaguar XKRs in the North American Trans-Am Series. In their tenure together 66 starts were made, 31 of those resulted in team wins with an additional four victories by chassis/customer cars. This led to five Manufacturers' and five Drivers' Championships from 2000 - 2006 with Paul Gentilozzi, Scott Pruett and Klaus Graf. The Jaguar XKR was also entered in the famed 24 Hours of Daytona, where it earned the pole and win in the GTS class (2002).

The 12th annual Petit Le Mans powered by MAZDA6 on Saturday, September 26 is the American Le Mans Series’ cornerstone event at Road Atlanta in Braselton Ga. The green flag for the 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. ET with SPEED airing live television coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET ... rain or shine! American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche and Living Timing & Scoring will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com. Live coverage also can be heard on Sirius 126 and XM 242. You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes) and on our Facebook page.

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