JAGUAR WINS 2005 TRANS-AM MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (August 21, 2005) With one race remaining in the 2005 Trans-Am season, Jaguar secured their fifth manufacturer’s Championship this afternoon when Klaus Graf won the Rumble at the Road Trans-Am event. This is Jaguars fifth overall title and third consecutive in North America’s longest running road racing series. Jaguar’s first championship came in 1978 before the manufacture pulled out of the series and later returned to take the honor in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. 

In 2005, the manufacturer flexed its muscle in nearly every event with five victories, six Fast Qualifier awards and seven Fastest Race Laps. The victories include three from Graf and from Paul Gentilozzi in the No. 7 and No. 1 Rocketsports Jaguar R Performance XKR’s and one from Greg Pickett in the No. 6 Cytomax Sport Drink Jaguar. The fast cats have led over 70% of competition laps and finished on the podium 17 times including four sweeps. 

“Winning on the race track is an important part of Jaguar’s heritage", said Tom Scarpello, VP Marketing.  "We are delighted to continue that tradition this year with our third consecutive Trans-Am Manufacturers’ Championship, our fourth in five years and our fifth overall. Our thanks go out to Paul Gentilozzi, Klaus Graf and Tomy Drissi, as well as the entire Rocketsports Racing crew for their contributions this season.”

Dedicated to the manufacturer, four-time Trans-Am champion Gentilozzi and the Rocketsports organization set out this year to win Jaguar their fifth title. “We have had a long relationship with Jaguar since bringing them back to Trans-Am in 2000 and are pleased to be able to hand them their fifth championship,” said  Rocketsports owner, Gentilozzi. “We set out this year with this as one of our goals. With the help of Klaus’ ability to adapt to a new car and new tracks, Tomy’s (Drissi) determination, and my competitive spirit, Jaguar has another championship to promote their brand and sell more cars including the 2006 Victory Edition XK commemorating their Trans-Am championships.”

Making their world debut at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2006 model year Jaguar XK 'Victory' editions celebrate Jaguar's multiple championship wins in the North American Trans-Am road racing series. 

Late in 2003 Rocketsports introduced the production based AJ-V8 Jaguar race engine, since then the 630 horse-power, four-valve power plant has visited victory circle four times and set the fastest qualifying time ten times. 

Two major Trans-Am milestones have been set this season in Jaguars. The first in Toronto as Gentilozzi drove the No. 1 Jaguar R Performance XKR to his 30th career victory, making him the series all-time wins leader. The other came at the inaugural event in Edmonton, Canada where Pickett’s victory gave him a win in four different decades. Pickett was the 1978 driver’s champion, the first year Jaguar won the manufacture title.