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Championship Winning Team Lexus Looks to Defend Grand-Am Cup Titles

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#1 · (Edited)
In only its second year of Grand-Am Cup Series competition, Team Lexus and their Lexus IS 300 racecars captured both the team and driver 2002 Sport Touring Class championships. With renewed support from Lexus, the team is looking to repeat its championship season in 2003.<P>

Owned and operated by veteran road-racing driver/owner Chuck Goldsborough, the Baltimore-based Team Lexus will build on its 2002 success that not only included two championships and 10 podium finishes, but a stunning come-from-behind victory at the season ending endurance race in Daytona, Fla., as well. <P>

“It was great to end last year’s season with the win and the championships,” said Goldsborough. “Ending the year on such a high note really gives the team extra momentum, encouragement and energy going into the new year. We can’t wait to get the 2003 season underway.”<P>

Returning to pilot the stable of three Lexus IS 300s are pro drivers Andy Lally, Ian James, Paul Menard and Goldsborough. A fourth IS 300 racecar will be run at select events throughout the 2003 Grand-Am Cup season.<P>

For the 11-race 2003 Grand-Am Cup Series, Team Lexus will again compete in virtually stock Lexus IS 300s powered by a production-based 235 hp, 3.0-liter, inline six-cylinder engine. The high-revving IS 300 engine, prepared by Caldwell Development, Inc. (CDI), in Vista, Calif., shares the strong low-end and mid-range torque features of its production counterpart, while the compact sport sedan's ideal balance and steering response thrive on the track.<P>

"Lexus has engineered a natural race car," said Goldsborough. "The IS 300's performance capabilities, rear-drive chassis layout and crisp handling make up a great package."<P>

After successful campaigns in SCCA, IMSA, and Speedvision Cup, Goldsborough launched Team Lexus in 1999. Goldsborough and the team debuted two privateer Lexus GS 400s in the Motorola Cup series.<P>

<b>Team Lexus</b>
With a potent 4.0-liter V8, producing 300 horsepower, coupled with the vehicle’s terrific balance and handling attributes, the luxury sport sedan provided a unique racing platform. The GS 400 proved to be successful almost immediately, earning its first victory in its sixth race.<P>

The win was the cornerstone of a successful inaugural season as the GS 400 secured four podium finishes in nine races. Team Lexus also claimed two track records, received the A.N. Deringer Award for most positions gained, and earned the Sony Sound Performance Award for outstanding team management.<P>

Team Lexus continued to build on its success during the 2000 Motorola Cup season. The GS 400s produced another victory, two podiums and three top-five finishes. Lexus finished third overall in the manufacturers’ championship. Three Team Lexus drivers placed in the top 15 out of 62 overall competitors in the driver’s championship, and it finished fifth out of 14 in the team championship.<P>

The team initiated a development program to prepare the new Lexus IS 300 for competition in 2001. Learning from its experience with the Lexus GS 400 in 1999 and 2000, Team Lexus debuted two IS 300s in the 2001 Grand-Am Cup North American Street Stock Series at Phoenix in April 2001. The compact sport sedan was competitive immediately, earning its first pole position in its fourth race at Mosport and a victory at Virginia International Raceway in its fifth. <P>

In addition to its championship titles, the 2002 season produced other notable successes. Seven Team Lexus drivers finished in the top 10 out of 103 competitors in the final 2002 driver standings. The team also scored an unbelievable qualifying “hat trick” at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada last year. All three cars qualified within one-hundredth of a second of each other and placed first through third on the starting grid.<P>

The Grand-Am Cup Series kicks off its 2003 season January 31 at the famous Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.
 
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