Jaguar AJ-V8 Exceeds Expectations in Miami Morning Warm up; Paul Gentilozzi Ninth Quickest on the Charts

TRANS-AM CONTACT: Justin Anderson
(704) 348-9400
Cell: (517) 927-3614
Fax: (704) 348-9444

MOTOROCK CONTACT: Chris Fleming
212-691-2800
Cell: 917-647-4790 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 28, 2003

JAGUAR AJ-V8 EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS IN MIAMI MORNING WARM UP
PAUL GENTILOZZI NINTH QUICKEST ON THE CHARTS

MIAMI ‹ Paul Gentilozzi shook down Jaguar¹s new overhead-cam, 32-valve, fuel
injected AJ-V8 in the No. 3 Motorock Jaguar XKR during this morning¹s
warm-up session for this afternoon¹s Motorock Miami 100, Round 10 of the
Motorock Trans-Am Tour for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup at the Grand Prix
Americas Circuit in downtown Miami. Gentilozzi was ninth quickest during the
session, turning a 55.166-second lap around the 1.15-mile track on his
eighth and final lap.

³It was exciting. The engine was phenomenal, but the car hasn¹t been run in
a couple of years; it¹s been a show car,² said Gentilozzi. ³I didn¹t want to
get over exuberant in traffic, so I never really got a clean lap. Entering
the corner, it¹s more nimble and it¹s better under braking. It¹s great off
the corner, too. The acceleration is so smooth and the throttle response is
incredible.

³Miami was probably the place where we would expect it to perform the least
because it¹s such a tight circuit,² added Gentilozzi. ³Our mission was to
use this session as a test in a true street course environment. It met and
exceeded our initial expectations.²

Today¹s test came on the heels of the engine¹s official unveiling Friday at
Putnam Park Road Course in Brownsburg, Ind. The car took several laps around
the permanent circuit there as part of an event held by Jaguar in
conjunction with the U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.

Although the engine tested successfully, it will not race in this
afternoon¹s Motorock Miami 100. However, the engine is scheduled to compete
in the season finale, Oct. 26 at the Puerto Rico Grand Prix, under the hood
of Scott Pruett¹s No. 7 Jaguar XKR.

The Jaguar AJ-V8 engine uses the stock aluminum block and alloy heads from
the Jaguar XKR road car. In fact, other than the connecting rods,
crankshaft, pistons, injector hat, and ignition system, the engine is
completely stock. The engine¹s stroke has been shortened, and its bore was
widened, raising the stock displacement from 4.2 liters to 4.5 liters for
the race engine. The engine weighs approximately 100 pounds less than the
current corporate pushrod V8 used in the Jaguar XKR and uses an all-new
ignition system developed by Rocketsports and Bosch. It will rev to 9,000
rpms, up from 8,200 in the current engine. It also uses a dry-sump oil
system.

Today¹s Motorock Miami 100 is scheduled to start at approximately 4 p.m.,
following the Champ Car World Series race. The event will air on
tape-delayed basis Friday, Oct. 10 at 9 p.m. on SPEED Channel.

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