Lotus to sponsor the Lotus Challenge Series

Lotus Cars USA has become the title sponsor of the Lotus Challenge Series for the 2009 season. Head on over to Lotus Challenge Series website to sign up for one of their 5 remaining dates this year including Laguna Seca (July 16-17), Infineon (Oct 8-9) and Spring Mountain (November 8–9, during WCLM 09)

PRESS RELEASE

Lotus Cars USA, Inc. Announces Title Sponsorship of Growing Lotus Challenge Series

Duluth, GA, June 25, 2009 – Lotus Cars USA, Inc. is pleased to announce that Lotus will be the Title Sponsor of the growing Lotus Challenge Series.

The Lotus Challenge Series was begun in 2008 by long-time Lotus enthusiast Jim Navarro along with critical support from other Lotus aficionados Jack Fried and Robb Bonanno. To help expand the Lotus Challenge Series to the east and continually improve the series, Jim recently took on a fellow racer as a partner in the series – Tom Hughes.

“When the Series 2 Elise came to the United States market for the first time in 2004, I immediately bought one and drove it straight to the track,” said Lotus Challenge Series founder and President Jim Navarro. “I decided it would be great to have a time trial and club race series where like-minded Lotus enthusiasts could enjoy their cars and improve their driving skills together, so Jack, Robb and I worked hard to build up the series last year. I’m proud of what we’ve built thus far in the Lotus Challenge Series and I particularly appreciate that all of our participants understand our series emphasizes safety and intelligence on the race track and they all drive accordingly.”

The inaugural year of the Lotus Challenge Series in 2008 was comprised of eight events with six at various California tracks and two events at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada. The first year of the series was a great success with full grids and a lot of fun and camaraderie enjoyed by all the Lotus racing participants.

With a good, solid first full year of learning and experience under their belt, the Lotus Challenge Series has been expanded for the 2009 season to 10 western US events (see included schedule), initially, and is now in the process of expanding further with an additional 4 events being planned for Lotus owners to enjoy in Texas. As the race schedule is expanding for the series, the variety of the venues is as well with upcoming events scheduled at the revered Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey and famous Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

“The Lotus Challenge Series is a very well run organization that’s expanding through providing Lotus owners a fun, safe and positive environment in which to enjoy their Lotus vehicles and improve their driving skills,” said Lotus Cars USA, Inc. Director of Operations Arnie Johnson. “What Jim Navarro, Tom Hughes, Jack Fried, Robb Bonanno and all of the participants in the Lotus Challenge Series are doing is fostering tremendous enthusiasm and goodwill for our treasured Lotus marque. We’re extremely proud to support the expansion of the Lotus Challenge Series as the title sponsor and show some of our most devoted Lotus owners how much we appreciate them.”

The full array of Lotus’ current North American product offering competes in the Lotus Challenge Series including various Elise and Exige models and the track-only Exige Cup Car 255 and the current ultimate track-only Lotus 2-Eleven.

Lotus Challenge Series 2009 Competition Schedule:

* January 23 – Streets of Willow, Willow Springs
* February 21 – 22 – Streets of Willow, (SCCA School)
* March 28 – 29 – Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch
* April 23 – Willow Springs International Raceway
* May 30 – 31 – Buttonwillow Raceway Park
* July 16 – 17 – Laguna Seca Raceway
* August 8 – Streets of Willow, Willow Springs
* September 3 – Buttonwillow Raceway Park
* October 8 – 9 – Infineon Raceway
* November 8 – 9 – Spring Mountain Motor Sports Ranch

As the Lotus Challenge Series continues to grow in participation and expand into other parts of the country, the dates and details for new events in the south and on the east coast for 2010 will be announced in August 2009.

Registration for GGLC Autocross Points event #3

Registration is set to up open first thing tomorrow (June 18) for the July 18th, Saturday points event #3 (of 6) autocross.

http://www.motorsportreg.com/index.cfm/event/event.advert/uidEvent/EB52BFDE-B462-4DC9-E41A05DD70AF48DA

The usual drill. Club members only can sign up in the first week, then it opens up to everyone. Limited car count and at least 12 runs for everyone with lunch being brought on site. Coaches available for pretty much every session to help out if needed / wanted.

Running in the points series is not required, you can simply treat this as a excuse to take your car out for a *spin*.

Photos from the May event can be found at:

Tony L:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lint666/sets/72157618300061170/show/
Marc:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/terra-incognita-pics/sets/72157619175050016/

And a video clip, from a couple of earlier autocrosses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o07e7lyVhwI

Thanks,

Larry & Alex
Event Chair

GGLC Open Track Day at Thunderhill Raceway Park July 14, 2009

Registration is now open for the Golden Gate Lotus Club’s second open track day of the year at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. This event will be held Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Schedule your PTO, sick day, or whatever you want to call it, and come out and enjoy the fun. Take note that for this event, we will be running the bypass.

Start prepping your cars and we’ll see you at the track!

Scott & John

Team Lotus returning to F1

The Norfolk-based Litespeed Formula 3 team has announced plans to enter the 2010 Formula 1 season under the iconic Team Lotus name. The founders of Litespeed, Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington are both former Lotus engineers, and have received permission from Lotus name rights-holder David Hunt to use the evocative title for their F1 bid. Former Team Lotus driver Johnny Herbert has joined the team as driver manager and commercial ambassador.

Design work on the chassis has already been started by Mike Gascoyne who welcomed the news that the project would use the Lotus title. “I am Norfolk born and bred,” said Gascoyne. “For me to continue my F1 career under the banner of the Team Lotus name and help to bring it back to its deserving place in the world championship is a fantastic feeling and something that I am extremely proud to be doing.”

[via Autosport]