GTO News - For Immediate Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John Thawley 248.227.0110 johnt@c2group.com Autosport Development Will Make GTO North American Racing Debut SPEED World Challenge GT targeted for car launch Detroit – Feb. 17, 2004 Following his early departure from Revolution Motorsports and the 2003 Trans-Am Series, driver Stu Hayner had “something different” in mind. For 2004, Hayner and the Autosport Development team have found “something different”… the 2004 Pontiac GTO. “David Moxlow (Trenton Forging) and I had talked casually about doing something that would bring more attention to the team,” said Hayner from their race shop in Trenton Michigan. “Don’t get me wrong…. we love Corvettes. I’ve had so much history and so much success in those cars… it was hard to think about doing anything else. But when David suggested the GTO, something about it just seemed right. It felt like the right car and the right time.” “When we started considering development and the associated costs,” continued Hayner, “it became clear that the SPEED World Challenge Series was the place to go. First, was the amazing amount of fan interest in the Series and second, the phenomenal level of competition. The costs were in line, the rules were in line and it all just started to feel right.” Trenton Forging owner, David Moxlow agreed. “Stu and I quickly found ourselves on the same page with the car and the Series. That’s not to say we don’t have our work cut out for us, but it does provide a manageable scenario. And the GTO is the right vehicle. It’s new. It’s exciting and most important to us it’s ours. With a few calls to SCCA Pro racing, we quickly put our plan into action. In a few weeks we’ll be testing our new GTO!” Crew Chief Rob Wanamaker talked about the car; “The GTO is a nice package. Sure, we’re breaking new ground, but a lot of it, owing to the Series rules, is very straightforward. Stu had some communication with the folks at Holden in Australia where they’ve been campaigning a similar car for several years. They were a big help.” “Once we got the cars,” Rob added, “we were off and running. We had to modify the fenders to accommodate the massive TOYO’s, and obviously the street suspension had to be changed. That has probably been the major development area. Having Trenton Forging’s engineering and design group as a resource has been a huge help … and it has helped accelerate our timeline.” The car is slated for testing early March and will make its North American debut at Sebring International Raceway on March 17, 2004 in the SPEED World Challenge GT season opener. In association with Trenton Forging, Autosport Development will compete as part of the SPEED World Challenge GT Series. All events are nationally televised on SPEED channel (formerly Speedvision). The SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT season will make its first standing start of 2004 at Sebring International Raceway for the fourth-consecutive year as part of the 52nd Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring week March 17-20. In 2004, the series will visit Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Infineon Raceway, Portland International Raceway, Mosport International Raceway, Road America, Road Atlanta Motorsports Center and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. For more information about SCCA SPEED World Challenge, visit www.world-challenge.com. IMPORTANT NOTICE: A High-resolution rendering of Stu Hayner’s 2004 #5 Pontiac GTO is available in two views at http://www.johnthawley.com/comp_rendering.jpg - This image is for MEDIA USE ONLY.
