Jaguar to Develop Production Based V8 Engine for Trans-Am Series With Rocketsports Racing

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 24 -- It was the perfect race
weekend, for Scott Pruett of Rocketsports Racing, taking the Jaguar R
Performance Pole Award, the fastest lap of the race, and winning the inaugural
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the season opener of the 2003 Trans-Am Series
for the BF Goodrich Tires Cup.
    Pruett's on-track success came on the heels of an announcement that Jaguar
power will return to Trans-Am racing this summer with a thundering
650-horsepower Jaguar AJ-V8 engine, developed by the Michigan-based
Rocketsports Racing.
    Jaguar announced during the race weekend that a 4.5-liter version of it's
lightweight dual overhead-cam V8 will power one of Rocketsports Jaguar
XKR-bodied race cars in the Trans-Am Series, and will be driven by two-time
Trans-Am champion Scott Pruett.
    "This is the perfect way to start the season, said Pruett.  For me, it's
been 16 years since I drove and won in St. Petersburg, and so, back-to-back
wins, coupled with the fact that my cat clawed the competition -- what could
be better?  There was us, and then there was everyone else. "
    Pruett's victory proved the team's strength as Rocketsports cars came home
first, third and fourth.
    "The last time a Jaguar engine competed in Trans-Am was back in 1981. Its
return is long overdue," said Rocketsports Racing team owner, Paul Gentilozzi.
"It's only right that we work to develop a Jaguar engine for our racing XKR."
    Gentilozzi re-introduced Jaguar to Trans-Am competition during the 2000
season. The following year he drove the Rocketsports Racing XKR to his third
Trans-Am title and delivered the coveted Manufacturers' Championship title to
Jaguar.
    Earlier this year, Gentilozzi approached Jaguar Cars North America with a
proposal to switch from Ford pushrod power to the Jaguar AJ-V8. He was given
an enthusiastic reception -- together with a new engine.
    "Trans-Am is a perfect fit for Jaguar in the North American market," said
George Ayres, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar North America. "It is the
longest-running North American road racing series -- a series that continues
to see a growing number of Jaguar XKR-bodied cars competing -- and the marque
is delighted to be returning to road racing where it has enjoyed great success
in the past."
    Work has already started on developing the racing Jaguar V8 at
Rocketsports' workshops in Lansing, Michigan. The engine itself is based on
the same all-aluminum 4.2-liter
    AJ-V8 that powers the XK8 and supercharged XKR sports cars. Rocketsports'
engineers plan to increase the V8's capacity from 4.2 to 4.5 liters and more
than double the horsepower from the standard 294 bhp (SAE) to over 650 bhp.
    While the production AJ-V8's alloy cylinder block and heads will be
retained, a new heavy-duty crankshaft will be fitted along with lightweight
racing pistons and connecting rods. Modifications will also include
custom-made headers and a race fuel injection system.
    With its race-tuned AJ-V8 revving to over 9000 rpm, the carbon fiber and
Kevlar-bodied racing XKR is guaranteed to be quick. The team expects
standstill to 60mph sprinting in a staggering 3.2 seconds, with quarter-mile
acceleration in 10.8 seconds at 135mph, and a top speed of 180mph.
    Rocketsports Racing is also building a new XKR race car to wrap around the
Jaguar engine. It will feature modified bodywork, including a new DTM-inspired
nose, and a dedicated Jaguar livery.
    Driver Scott Pruett is no newcomer to Jaguar. He co-drove with Gentilozzi,
Brian Simo and Michael Lauer to win the GTS class in the 2002 Rolex 24 Hours
at Daytona in a Rocketsports Racing XKR. A decade earlier, he won the same
race in a Jaguar XJR12 for the British TWR team.
    "I've really looked forward to getting behind the wheel of the Jaguar XKR
again," said Pruett. "It's a privilege to renew my relationship with Jaguar.
We've enjoyed a lot of success together, first with the XJR12 and more
recently with the XKR. Jaguar's heritage and success in road racing is
legendary."
    During his already distinguished motorsports career, Pruett, 42, has
notched-up two IMSA GTO championships (1986 and 1988), and took the Trans-Am
championship (1987 and 1994). In the CART Champ Car World Series, the
Wenatchee, WA native scored two wins and had 10 podium appearances, and was
named 'Most Improved Driver' twice (1989 and 1991). In 2001, he won the Le
Mans 24 Hours in the LMGTS class.
    The last Trans-Am involvement for Jaguar was with Bob Tullius' legendary
Group 44 team in 1981 with its V12-engined XJS race cars. The Trans-Am high
point for Jaguar was when Tullius took the Manufacturers' title in 1978.
    "Formula One will continue to be the cornerstone of all racing for
Jaguar," explained Ayres.  "But the series only comes to the U.S. once each
year. Trans-Am, on the other hand, features 11 races around the country and
enjoys a huge, enthusiastic following. With at least six XKR-bodied cars
racing this season, Jaguar has a strong, highly-visible presence."
    And since 2001, Jaguar North America has increased its ties to Trans-Am by
providing a contingency sponsorship to the series -- comprising a pole award
that offers a two-year lease on a Jaguar XK sports car, and prize money to
drivers finishing in the top three positions.
    For the 2003 season, Jaguar North America will also supply an
all-wheel-drive X-TYPE compact sports sedan for the series' safety car.

    From its beginning as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, Jaguar Cars
has grown to become one of the world's premier manufacturers of prestigious
automobiles.  The Jaguar marque continues to stand for an unparalleled
heritage and a tradition of elegant style, luxurious comfort, and refined
performance.
    Today, Jaguar delivers the "art of performance" to customers by offering a
four-model range of luxury sedans and sports cars.  The 2002 Jaguar X-TYPE now
makes the marque accessible to a new segment of customers and is the company's
first all-wheel drive model.  The X-TYPE sport sedan combines a fresh
performance spirit with the luxury, craftsmanship and refinement for which
Jaguar is renowned.
    The Jaguar S-TYPE debuted in 1999, and brought a midsize sedan to Jaguar's
model line for the first time in three decades.  The XJ series embodies a
captivating blend of graceful elegance, timeless style and rich natural
materials that has become the hallmark of the Jaguar marque.  Finally, the XK
series, including the XK8 and XKR coupes and convertibles, provides sports car
enthusiasts with luxurious sports cars that deliver exhilarating performance.