Jaguar returns to iconic Le Mans
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=0011-u4wRWTE7TnAWFwJRfIzSZ5CEsJgow0nr7SoAo5-wPWrQDeNVxZy1_8ZTR34c1Zd1HksdY-sichLlZ5dW0N8xD8E98vkJBz0SO87UpCOXjOQn3dmpvYqegeW7bc_tVuuFVvhMmPKOo%3D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jaguar returns to iconic Le Mans JaguarRSR XKR GT2 confirmed for 24 hours of Le Mans in 2010 - the 75th year of Jaguar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EAST LANSING, Michigan (February 4, 2010) - The year 2010 marks 75 years of the Jaguar name on both road and race cars. As a continuation of this great heritage, Jaguar can confirm it will return to the famed Le Mans 24 hours. With a total of seven wins at Le Mans 24 hours between 1951 and 1990, Jaguar is the single most successful British make in the race's history. Jaguar will return to its favourite hunting ground and will line up on the starting grid on 12th June 2010 with an XKR GT2 run by JaguarRSR. Paul Gentilozzi, Principal Partner, JaguarRSR commented: "We are delighted the ACO has granted us entry in the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans. It is a race that is held dearly in the hearts of motorsport fans across the world and for Jaguar to be racing again is something special. "We are fortunate to bring an international line up of the world's finest driving talent including Scott Pruett and Marc Goossens as our pilots for this race." Gentilozzi, who is also set to drive the JaguarRSR XKR GT2 in the 2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) added, "Spirits will be high around Jaguar's return to Le Mans but we must remember the incredibly high level of competition - a podium place will not fall into our hands. That said, I can guarantee 100 per cent commitment from JaguarRSR and urge fans of Jaguar and Britain's racing heritage to support the team whole heartedly." C.J. O'Donnell, Global Marketing Director of Jaguar Cars said: "Motorsport has always been important to the Jaguar brand. Our domination of Le Mans in the 1950s was a foundation on which the company was developed. It was twenty years ago that Jaguar last won Le Mans with a TWR Jaguar Sport entry driven by John Nielsen, Price Cobb, Martin Brundle. Returning to Le Mans will reignite excitement for the marque across the globe, all the more poignant in our 75th year." "With the introduction of the new XK, XF and XJ, the Jaguar brand has advanced cutting-edge technology, stunning design and our 'R' performance driving experience. We now return to motorsport to demonstrate this achievement and the prowess of the Jaguar XKR." In 1951, the C-type won Le Mans at its first attempt, with a further victory in 1953. The D-type took Le Mans wins in 1955, 1956 and 1957 while this racing success was followed in 1988 with the Jaguar XJR-9LM, a V12-powered Group C car. Another outright victory would follow in 1990 with the Jaguar XJR-12. ENDS Details of Jaguar's wins at Le Mans 24-hours: Year Model Race no Drivers Result Notes (distance and average speeds rounded off to nearest whole figure) 1951 C-type 20 Peter Walker, Peter Whitehead 1st First Jaguar win; 2244 miles, 93 mph 1953 C-type 18 Tony Rolt, Duncan Hamilton 1st Second Jaguar win; 2540 miles, 106 mph 1955 D-type 6 Mike Hawthorn, Ivor Bueb 1st Third Jaguar win; 2570 miles, 107 mph 1956 D-type 4 Ron Flockhart, Ninian Sanderson 1st Ecurie Ecosse entry; fourth Jaguar win; 2507 miles, 104 mph 1957 D-type 3 Ron Flockhart, Ivor Bueb 1st Ecurie Ecosse entry; fifth Jaguar win; 2732 miles, 114 mph 1988 XJR-9LM 2 Jan Lammers, Johnny Dumfries, Andy Wallace 1st TWR Jaguar Sport entry; sixth Jaguar win; 394 laps, 3313 miles, 138 mph 1990 XJR-12 3 John Nielsen, Price Cobb, Martin Brundle 1st TWR Jaguar Sport entry; seventh Jaguar win; 359 laps, 3034 miles, 127 mph ENDS For more information please contact: Faye Goldstraw, Jaguar Press Officer (based in UK) T: 01926 6 48765 M: 07860 872224 Email: fgoldst1@jaguar.com Heather Haupt, RSR Director of Public Relations (based in US) T: (001) 517 337 3000 M: (001) 517 927 8472 Email: heatherh@RSRJaguar.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1102813168430&ea=press@theautochannel.com&a=1102999497703 This email was sent to press@theautochannel.com by heatherh@rsrjaguar.com. 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