. Lexus to Race New IS 350 in the American
Le Mans Series in 2006
Photos: Lexus
TORRANCE, Calif. -
Just six weeks after introducing the new IS 350 to the American
market, Lexus announced today that it will enter the powerful luxury
sport sedan in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT2 class in 2006
with a two-car team.
Under a new-for-2006
"S2" vehicle preparation standard, the IS 350 sedans will compete
against established GT2 sports cars such as the Porsche 911 GT3
RSR and Panoz Esperante and race for the same prizes, points and
championships. Several other S2-prep cars are expected for 2006
as well, including the BMW M3.
"The ALMS endurance
road-racing series is the ideal place to showcase the technology
and performance of our new IS 350," said Lexus Group Vice President
and General Manager Bob Carter. "We expect the competition to be
very tough, but we are confident that the new IS 350 will be a formidable
challenger."
As with the
previous generation IS, Lexus will team with its production
car racing partner, Team Lexus, who will build, develop
and campaign the new cars. After a successful four-year
run in the Grand Am Cup series with two championships and
numerous wins, pole positions and podium finishes, the team
has already begun preparing the IS 350s for their new mission.
"Developing and racing two
brand-new cars in a new category will be a major challenge, but one that
we relish," said Team Lexus owner/driver Chuck Goldsborough. "We've been
building our team along with the new cars this year and are looking forward
to some of the most exciting road racing in North America."
The ALMS' S2 standard creates
opportunities for new competitors to enter the series that were previously
unavailable. This opened the door for Lexus to enter the new IS in a series
with international appeal, populated with premium car makers.
"The Lexus brand coming into
the American Le Mans Series is as close to a natural fit as we could ever
imagine," said ALMS President Scott Atherton. "When anyone mentions Lexus,
many of the same attributes that are associated with the American Le Mans
Series come to mind -- words like luxury, high performance, leading-edge
technology, style and quality describe both brands."
Although Team Lexus expects
to begin racing early in the 2006 season, the specific timing will be based
on vehicle build and development progress. Driver lineup for the two-car
team will be announced at a later date.
