All posts by Greg Wackett

Saleen Owners and Enthusiasts Club co-founder. Operates the Saleen Locating Service. Saleen historian and memorabilia collector.
Press Release

SALEEN INTRODUCES HIGH-TECH “MAXGRIP” FOR MUSTANG PEFORMANCE ENTHUSIASTS

IRVINE, Calif., (August 20) – Mustang performance enthusiasts rejoice! Saleen Inc., the acknowledged leader in aftermarket parts for America’s favorite ponycar, has announced the immediate availability of their advanced “MaxGrip” rear end differential for all late model Ford Mustangs. The brand new unit incorporates the latest in mechanical traction control technology, and drastically improves the handling characteristics of the entire car.

The Saleen “MaxGrip” kit features a viscous fluid-type limited slip unit that acts as an open differential until it detects a change in rear wheel speed due to slippery conditions or application of high torque – easily done in a high-performance Mustang. When this occurs, a special pump forces fluid against an internal multiplate clutch to compensate for the speed difference in the differential. The greater the speed difference, the greater the pump output. The beauty of the Saleen “MaxGrip” system is that it uses this hydraulic control to “tune” the performance of the unit including aggressiveness of clutch engagement and maximum torque bias in putting power to the rear wheels.

What does all this mean for the Mustang enthusiast? The MaxGrip unit not only enhances the straight-line and launch characteristics of the vehicle, but it also greatly increases cornering performance at entry, apex and exit. According to Steve Saleen, “the new MaxGrip is one of most cost effective additions a Mustang owner can make to their car.”

A complete overview of the Saleen Performance Parts line-up is also available on our website at www.Saleen.com. Catalogs and additional technical information can be obtained by calling the Saleen Performance Parts specialists at (800) 888-8945.

MaxGrip Differential Technology

Fluidic device with progressive torque biasing performance which is tunable to the requirements of the vehicle.

How MaxGrip Works:

The MaxGrip differential includes a gerotor pump that is connected across the differential. The inside of the pump is connected to one side of the differential and the outside is connected to the other side. When there is a speed difference across the differential, which can occur when one wheel looses traction due to slippery conditions or application of high torque, the pump PUMPS! The greater the speed difference, the greater the pump output. The pressure and flow from the pump is used to actuate a wet, multi-plate clutch. The friction from the clutch is used to return the speed difference to near zero at which point the pump stops pumping and the biasing effect goes away.

The MaxGrip Provides:

  • Robust: Low duty cycle results in very long life
  • Fail Safe: If MaxGrip fails for any reason, the axle functions similar to an open differential
  • Value: Outperforms other devices at a competitive cost
Automotive News

‘SUPERCAR’ CLOSER TO REALITY

By: N.A. on July 26, 2002
Original Article: WAIKATO TIMES

Ford has moved the GT40 project on another stage by naming the four key “supplier partners” who will get this limited-production car on the road.

The new GT40 will debut late next year and go on sale in 2004.

The supercar will be built in limited numbers, a symbol for the American car maker’s upcoming centennial celebrations.

The companies involved as supplier partners are Lear for interior systems; Mayflower with responsibilities for the aluminium spaceframe design, body structure, skin panels and interior trim; Roush Industries, which will develop the powertrain; and Saleen, which already has experience of low-volume niche manufacturing with its own GT cars.

All four supplier partners operate within a 440km radius of Ford’s HQ at Dearborn, and although there won’t be all that many GT40s produced, the whole project, design and build, is being run to a just-in-time schedule.

Ford has its own inhouse team, hand-picked by vice-president for North American product development Chris Theodore.

He’s been thinking about this kind of thing since he joined Ford in 1999, and describes the whole GT40 project as being likely to “teach us valuable lessons about the power of small, nimble product teams and supplier partnerships”.

Other members of the Ford group include people with present or past experience in the company’s Special Vehicle Team, in F1, CART, NASCAR and GT racing. It includes Neil Ressler, at one time involved with Jaguar Racing and recently retired as Ford’s vice-president in charge of advanced engineering and motorsports development, and Carroll Shelby who was hired by Ford to oversee the racing programme of the original GT40, back in 1964.

Design work on the GT40 started in March 2001, the project went into the serious development stage that summer, and the concept car made its debut at the North American Auto Show in January of this year.

It went down a storm, despite some unexpectedly dismissive comments from sections of the media which felt this was just an exhibition job likely to go no further.

There’s no confirmation yet about the final specification, the likely performance figures, the price, how many will be built, or even what the car will eventually be called. But it’s a very serious project.

So, of course, was the original GT40. Henry Ford II’s intention to build a Le Mans winner was announced in 1963, the car was launched to the press in June 1964, and by 1969 it had four successive Le Mans wins to its credit, including a one-two-three in 1966.

Product Review

S7th HEAVEN

By: MARK VAUGHN on July 2002
Original Article: AUTOWEEK, VOL. 52, ISSUE 27

But can heaven wait any longer for a Saleen S7 street car?

Yes, it’s a great supercar, how could you expect anything else from the very same chassis, heck, almost the very same car that won the 2001 ALMS GTS championship and a host of other real race titles? No, it’s not as smooth, supple and ergonomically cozy as Ferraris, Lamborghinis or other supercars, far from it. But on tight, winding roads and around racetracks with lots of turns it works better than almost anything you can put a license plate on. It is a race car for the street, and despite all the other carmakers that have come before claiming to have a race car for the street, this one really is.

Or it will be real soon. Before we get to how much fun this is to drive, and it is fun, we have to ask that supercar question that has always plagued supercars: Will the things ever get here? The street versions, that is.

Since the S7’s unveiling at the Monterey Historics on Aug. 19, 2000 (reminder, that year the Historics featured Maserati, as opposed to Bentley last year and Corvette next month), we’ve been given several delivery dates. We’ve been promised and promised like an abused boyfriend in a dysfunctional relationship that S7s would be in customer hands, and-at this writing-still there is none. Well, there is one, the keys of which were handed over to Jerry and Kathy Ritzow of Milwaukee during an elaborate ceremony at Saleen headquarters June 6. But that car and all the other theoretical S7 street cars still hadn’t passed all the certification hurdles necessary to hang a license plate on the back and drive to Taco Bell. When this story went to press the S7 was scheduled to complete its final certification, a cold-start emissions test, on June 22. For your review, here are the promised S7 delivery dates with their accompanying (paraphrased) reasons given us that the cars weren’t done:

  • First date: “The second quarter of 2001.” Reason we got no S7s then: “I meant race cars.”
  • Second date: “Fall 2001.” Reason we got no S7s then: “We were real busy with lots of other stuff.”
  • Third date: “March 2002.” Reason we got no S7s then: “Did I say March?”
  • Fourth date: “July 2002.”

This time for sure! Full production of the street cars will be up and running by the end of July, Steve Saleen promises. He even showed us a flat, empty cement area in Saleen world headquarters that will serve as the assembly line. And if a flat, empty cement area isn’t proof enough for you skeptics out there, well, we can’t help you.

But we know street cars will be coming. How? Because the street S7s are necessary if Saleen wants to keep racing his S7Rs. And he will do darn near anything to keep racing. Saleens are currently banned from FIA GT Cup competition because Saleen hasn’t delivered any street-legal vehicles. The cars carry a weight and restrictor penalty in ALMS competition for the same reason, though the penalty has been lessened recently because Saleen keeps convincing organizers that he really, truly intends to start making street cars. ALMS competitors gripe that while Corvette makes 30,000-plus street cars and Viper over 1000 a year, Saleen has made no S7s other than S7Rs. Saleen says that the Corvettes and Vipers on the racetrack bear precious little resemblance to any Corvette or Viper he has ever seen. The argument continues.

All technicalities when you’re behind the wheel of the “street” S7, which is a major blast to drive.

Oh man.

With unequal-length aluminum A-arms and unheard-of-for-a-street-car tires (Pirelli P Zero 275/30ZR-19s in front and 345/25ZR-20s rear), the car grips like a Hoover vacuum cleaner on a fur ball. The torque band is so flat and wide that the six-speed transmission doesn’t seem to care what gear it’s in. The disc brakes are 15 inches in front and 14 inches in the rear (yikes!), made by Brembo to Saleen specifications. The thing feels like a Group C car or, more precisely, the ALMS GTS car it is.

Here are the facts: The basic layout and almost all the details of the street car are just about exactly the same as the race car. Start with the monster 7.0-liter aluminum-block V8 that is the heart of the whole beast. That engine traces its roots back to big desert racing trucks of SCORE. It has torque, it has horsepower, it has unstoppable growl. In its current form it sits longitudinally just behind the cockpit, putting out 550 horsepower and 520 lb-ft of torque, both at 6400 rpm. The race engine makes 600 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque at the same engine speeds.

The torque comes on low in this two-valves-per-cylinder mill. Each stainless-steel valve is controlled by a hydraulic roller lifter and a roller rocker. The race car gets solid rockers and titanium valves. Both race and street engines are topped with eight vertical air intake trumpets stacked directly on top of the plenum like an old Can-Am powerplant. The heads are CNC-machined aluminum. Pistons are forged aluminum and the rods and crank are forged steel.

The transmission is a six-speed manual mated to a 3.22:1 final drive ratio with a limited-slip differential. The race car uses a viscous differential.

The powertrain is nestled in a 4130 alloy steel space-frame chassis with honeycomb composite panels. The body panels are carbon fiber baked in an autoclave. The whole thing weighs 2750 pounds in street trim, 2530 pounds in race. That gives it an unbelievable power-to-weight ratio of 1:5 in the street car and 1:4.22 in race trim. A Lamborghini freakin’ Murcielago (AW, June 17) is 1:6.93.

Great jumpin’ catfish.

We drove both an S7R on a racetrack and, later, what was described as a pre-production prototype S7 street car in the hills north of Santa Barbara, California. There was little significant difference between the two. The race car had a ride height that put it two and a half inches off the ground while the street car rode four inches above the pavement. The race car had electronics bolted inside the cabin, a racing seat and a racing radio in place of the S7’s finished interior and six-disc CD player, but otherwise there was little difference.

Our turn in the race car was limited to five laps around the Streets of Willow, a tight, curvy track near Edwards Air Force Base in the Southern California desert. We were limited to five laps at Willow both because of time constraints and to reduce the likelihood of smacking the thing up. The race car belonged to Park Place Ltd., which fields a winning team in the ALMS, and they needed it.

It was mighty tight inside for a six-foot-tall driver, but a race car doesn’t need to be spacious; any space in a race car immediately gets the preface “wasted.” The seat and pedals have to be fitted for each driver, and a change-over fitting later in the day for some gangly six-foot-four-inch colleagues took 45 minutes of pedal adjustment.

The engine sounded full-throat blasty at ignition, but with the clutch controlled by non-racer feet, it stuttered out from a stop before opening up nicely on Willow’s short straight. The race car’s 600 horsepower gets lost in its 550 lb-ft of torque. Since it doesn’t come on gradually or hit a sudden peak as it would in a turbocharged or nitrous-fed engine, there’s nothing immediately obvious to compare it to. All that power and torque are just there all the time. It’s a mountain of force. Saleen claims a 0-to-60 time of less than four seconds and a top speed of “200-plus” mph. Murcielago numbers, using a little less power and a lot less mass.

The shifter in the S7R is a quick, race-type box that also takes a few turns to get used to, but shifting seems almost unnecessary with power and torque curves this wide.

In some race cars, sports prototypes for example, the most impressive thing is the brakes, especially if they’re carbon fiber. These brakes are very good, vented aluminum discs 15 inches in front and 14 in the rear, no doubt designed to last 24 hours at Le Mans. But the most impressive thing about driving the S7R was its cornering ability. Pushed hard into a wide, fast turn at Willow, the car just held on like it was entering another dimension. Your body’s not used to that much side force and has to readjust. The Saleen press kit says with ground effects in full use at 160 mph the S7R “could be driven upside down and still maintain contact with the road.” They mean driven like on the roof of a tunnel, not sliding along on its roof, though that would work, too.

The street car was very much the same as the race car. The finished interior was a little nicer, might be more comfortable on a date for instance, but was similar in performance. Our street-car drive being in a prototype meant some quirks were to be expected. The speedometer didn’t work, for one (Saleen says the gauges are made in China and are being sent “by slow boat”), interior trim pieces weren’t connected all the way and the steering wasn’t hooked up. Yes, the steering wasn’t hooked up, at least not properly. That was a bit disconcerting.

When we pointed out what felt like loose steering to a Saleen engineer, he spoke about the very close relationship between racing and the street, about making compromises and finding the right balance of performance and comfort, about many things, none of which had to do with part of the steering not being hooked up. At more than 100 mph, with the car wandering around on the road, we figured maybe the caster was just set for lower resistance or something. At the end of our first day’s drive in the street car another engineer tried it out and said something like, “My God, there’s something wrong with the steering!” We got back in the car a few days later and it cornered almost like we remembered the race car. (Note to self: Don’t say “loose” or “not hooked up” when talking to chassis engineers. Say “broken.”)

On our second drive, Steve Saleen himself was riding shotgun. With the car assembled properly it was a brilliant, if somewhat rattly ride. Though the chassis is rigid thanks to its steel space frame, NVH is not a strong point. It’s not anywhere near as bad as a Consulier, but the Consulier did come to mind. Other beefs: The shifter was recalcitrant about going into first gear at stoplights; the pedals are so close together we drove the street car with bare feet and wished we’d driven the race car that way; and the rear glass, positioned vertically right behind our heads, reflected the oncoming traffic in the rearview mirror, which was terrifying for a little while until we got used to it.

But we could spin the tires off the line and slot through corners all day long. Everything else in front or behind simply dove out of the way. The street car was as much fun as the race car, and that was a lot of fun.

“It’s addictive, isn’t it?” said Saleen.

It is. But at $395,000, it is an expensive addiction. The price, the car’s performance and the wild dimensions of the S7 (it’s 41 inches high, for instance) put it in a very elite class. Cross-shoppers will be looking at Murcielagos, Ferrari FXs and Porsche Carrera GTs. Those guys can afford to cross-shop. And if they’re willing to wait for an FX or Carrera GT, well, why not wait while Saleen gets a factory up and running?

We’d like to be those guys. Except for that part about waiting.

Lifestyle

POWER PASSION DOESN’T GO FOR A SONG

By: ROB GUEST on June 15, 2002
Original Article: HERALD SUN (MELBOURNE)

I LOVE cars. At the last count, I have owned 85 since I began driving in New Zealand at the age of 15. That works out to about two different cars a year.

But I would have to go a long way to beat my latest, a 2001 Saleen Mustang Speedster.

I bought the Mustang, fully imported from the US, on impulse one afternoon while driving around North Sydney.

I just traded in the BMW on the spot, because I loved the Mustang the minute I saw it.

I have owned Jaguars, Porsches, BMWs, a Lotus Esprit and Mercedes but one thing is certain: my passion has cost me a lot of money.

Probably the worst deal I have made was when I bought a black Lotus Esprit Turbo S4. It had been first prize in a raffle. It was worth $215,000 on the road, so I said I would buy it if the highest offer was less than $130,000.

I was doing Phantom of the Opera at the time and my mobile phone rang during the interval to say I had been successful.

I had to sell my Mercedes 500SL Convertible to pay for it and the Lotus proved to be a very unwise investment.

I later sold it for $115,000 with only 3000km on the clock. It was a great car to drive. It would go from nought to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds, but to reach the handbrake I had to rest my head on the windscreen.

My mum has seen at first hand my impulsive nature. I was out with her one day in my black Jaguar XJ6.

I saw a Triumph Stag on a stand at a car dealership. I pulled over, worked out the difference in the changeover, had the stereo moved into the Stag and half an hour later we were off again, in the new car.

The problem is, you never make money on cars. Luxury cars are just that… you never make money on them.

But I just love cars and I always will.

Press Release

SALEEN S7Rs FACE UP HILL BATTLE IN RETURN TO 24 HOURS OF LE MANS

LE MANS, June 12, 2002 – After quite possibly the finest inaugural race season ever last year, a trio of Saleen S7Rs find themselves considerable underdogs at this weekend’s classic 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Consider this…The new Saleen S7R set 27 poles and fastest laps and won 19 out of 32 races last year, including the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring where they upset the factory Corvettes. At last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, Saleen S7Rs set the fastest lap in practice, qualifying (with a record run of 3:52.849 nearly 3 seconds faster than previous) and the race and finished a respectable third in spite of an early race accident.

So why the underdog status?

Per the original ACO regulations requiring the construction of 12 cars, Saleen built 18 chassis including seven racecars prior to the American Le Mans (ALMS) season-opening race at Sebring. In a “rules clarification” the week before Sebring, the ACO advised Saleen that 12 “road” cars would be required thereby imposing a 15% restriction in air and 70 kilos of additional weight on each car. Saleen built another chassis before the
ALMS race at Sears Point only to have one of its crash test cars disqualified from the ACO head count. Saleen now clearly understands that it must build one more car before the restrictions are lifted which the company expects to occur shortly after Le Mans.

“We’re certainly disappointed with the recent rulings,” commented Steve Saleen, president of the Southern California-based manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. “With nearly 9,000 Saleen Mustangs built in the past 19 years, we truly believe that we’ve done everything that the ACO has asked including demonstrating the ability to build 12 S7 supercars per year,” Saleen added. “With our racing success of the past 18 months, it’s a shame that our Saleen S7Rs won’t be allowed to compete on a level playing field. But our focus now is on delivering more S7 road cars to our customers which will automatically eliminate the restrictions in the near future.”

Just last Thursday, June 6, Saleen presented the keys to the first S7 road car to Jerry and Kathy Ritzow of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, (see www.RacingPR.com) keeping his promise to deliver the first supercar in the spring of 2002. The proud owners of a Lizstick Red S7 were the very first to purchase the new American supercar after its debut at the Monterey Historic Races in August of 2000. Saleen currently has orders for 50 supercars and plans to begin regular production of one S7 per week at its Irvine, Calif., headquarters this summer.

In spite of the restrictions imposed by the ACO and the “success ballast” that is part of the British GT rules, Saleen S7Rs are seeking to repeat their performance of last year when they won GT Drivers’ Championships in four different series around the globe.

Chris Bingham, the 2001 Grand-Am GTS Drivers’ Champion, continues to rule the Grand-Am Rolex Cup winning three straight races after the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. In a similar fashion, Graham Nash Motorsports (GNM) is dominating both the British GT and Spanish GT Championships with three Saleen S7Rs. Ian McKellar, the 2001 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) GTS Drivers’ Champion, and Tommy Erdos currently lead the British GT with five victories in the first six races, while Pedro Chaves and Miguel Ramos are on top in the Spanish GT.

For the second year in a row, three Saleen S7Rs are entered in this weekend’s classic twice-around-the-clock race through the French countryside. Although very similar to last year’s line up, the drivers have played some musical chairs. Although Ray Mallock sold his ELMS Championship car to Graham Nash recently, the team has an automatic Le Man entry and will borrow GNM’s car, crew and Portugese duo for the race. Chaves and
Ramos will be joined by England’s Gavin Pickering in the #68 Saleen.

Although the driver line up is very similar to last year, the two factory entries will be replaced by two Saleen S7Rs from Konrad Motorsports. Toni Seiler of Switzerland moves over from the second car to assist the team of Franz Konrad of Austria and Terry Borcheller of Phoenix, Ariz., in the #66 Saleen which placed third on the podium last year. Borcheller won the 2001 ALMS GTS Drivers’ Championship driving with Konrad. Charlie Slater of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Switzerland’s Walter Brun will be joined Saleen by Rodney Mall of Riverside, Calif. in the second Konrad car (#67).

Press Release

CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION ACCOMPANIES DELIVERY OF FIRST SALEEN S7 ROAD CAR

“A Lady in Red” Makes a High-Performance Debut

IRVINE, Calif., June 6, 2002 – At a champagne reception today at the Saleen World Headquarters, President Steve Saleen handed over the keys to “a Lady in Red,” the first S7 road car, the beautiful mid-engine, exotic supercar produced by this American auto maker, to owners Jerry and Kathy Ritzow.

For the past year the S7 has been burning up the road circuits of America and Europe, winning four different GT Championships during 2001, a remarkable feat for an all-new car. And while the S7 continues its winning ways in 2002, and is set for a repeat appearance at the most prestigious endurance race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it placed third in class last year, the key ceremony is the fulfillment of a promise made by Steve Saleen at the very beginning of the S7 project.

“We will race the S7,” Saleen said, “because much of what we have learned about how to make a better performing Mustang for the street came from our racing. We will apply similar lessons from the S7 in competition to the street version we will produce.”

Manufacturing and marketing a fully DOT and NHTSA certified automobile isn’t easy and this is especially true of a small manufacturer like Saleen. But Saleen has been doing just this with his high-performance Mustangs since 1994.

“Some people don’t realize, Steve continued, “that the Mustangs we sell are certified for sale in all 50 states. That’s why the delivery of this car to Jerry and Kathy is such an important step for this company. No one else in America has done what we have done: Start with an initial concept and build a ground-up fully certified mid-engine supercar.”

“Besides being drop-dead gorgeous and offering incredible performance, we believed in Steve’s commitment to the S7 by being the first to put down a $100,000 deposit with our S7 dealer, Motorcars International,” said Jerry Ritzow. He and his wife live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Jerry founded an aquarium manufacturing company in 1967, which has grown to be the largest in the world.

Jerry has always been interested in fast cars, but during the last 10 years the interest has turned into a serious hobby. “Kathy and I both enjoy cool cars,” Jerry says, “and we’ve added a number of them to our collection over the last several years.”

In addition, Jerry has attended a number of racing schools including Buck Baker for stock car racing, Skip Barber for road racing and the Frank Hawley drag racing school.

Obviously, the first of many S7 to come has been handed over to four very enthusiastic and competent hands.

Photo available at http://racingpr.com using the User Name “Saleen” and the Password “Saleen”

Press Release

SALEEN S7R’s WIN SEVEN OUT OF TEN RACES THIS SEASON

Konrad Motorsports Faces Up Hill Battle At Sears Point

SONOMA, Calif., May 16, 2002 — While the Park Place Racing S7R of 2001 Grand-Am GTS Champion Chris Bingham has scored three straight victories in the Grand-Am Rolex Cup and the Saleen S7R of Graham Nash Motorsports has won three out of four races in the British and Spanish GT Championships, the Konrad Motorsports team is still looking for that elusive first win in the 2002 American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

Team owner, Franz Konrad, and co-driver, Terry Borcheller, last year’s ALMS GTS Drivers’ Champion, hope this weekend’s 2 hour 45 minute Grand Prix of Sonoma, presented by Foster’s Lager will be the time and the place for their first top podium finish of the year. The challenging 12-turn 2.52-mile up-and-down-hill event on the Sears Point circuit is the second ALMS round of the season, following the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.

Konrad Motorsports finished 3rd at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona (a Grand-Am Rolex Cup race) and 2nd to the factory Corvette at Sebring. This latter podium finish was in spite of penalties assessed by the ACO that resulted in a 15% reduction in airflow to the engine, along with having to add 70 kilos (150+ lb) of lead to the car because of confusion over how many S7s have been produced.

Borcheller and Konrad are out to avenge their 3rd-place finish last year at Sears behind the Corvette Racing team, which will be back to defend their title with two cars, including the Corvette of Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell winner of last year’s GTS class at Sears. Last year Terry Borcheller put the Saleen on the pole and set fastest race lap, but the overall GTS win eluded the Konrad team when a problem occurred with its Goodyear tires. The team has switched to Pirelli tires this year, but unfortunately will have to race with a 10% restriction and 50 kilos of weight at Sears Point.

“We were really quick at Sears last year; the very first time an S7R has raced at that rack,” commented Borcheller. “Poles and fastest race laps are certainly satisfying, but this year Franz and I would prefer to put our Saleen in victory circle more often.”

Not that the Konrad team expects an easy time of it. Besides the Corvette factory racing team, the Konrad/Borcheller duo will face stiff competition from a GTS field that also includes Dodge Viper GTS-Rs and a newcomer to the ALMS, the Ferrari 550 Maranello.

ALMS cars will test the circuit for the first time on Friday, May 17, with official practice and qualifying to be held on Saturday, May 18. The race will be televised live by the SPEED Channel beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 19. Live coverage by the American Le Mans
Series Radio Web can be heard online at www.imsaracing.net beginning at noon with a one-hour pre-race show. ALMS Radio Web also will have two hours of coverage of qualifying for the Sears Point race with several drivers as special quests. The broadcast will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday May 18. Listeners will be able to email questions for the drivers to answer. The names of the drivers and the email address will be listed on the web site.

With four Saleen customer teams entered in four series around the world last year, the Saleen S7R customer teams set 27 poles and fastest laps and won 19 out of 32 races this season — quite possibly the finest inaugural race season for any marque in history. And, hopefully, more in store for 2002.

Saleen was crowned the SCCA World Challenge Champions in 1996-1998, while an ex-Le Mans Saleen SR won the Spanish FIA GT in 1999. In 2000, Saleen swept the Grand-Am GTO Championships winning the Team, Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ titles. Last season’s remarkable success with the S7R makes this the sixth straight GTS Manufacturers’ Championship for Saleen Motorsports — and looking for lucky #7!

Press Release

SALEEN TO “FOCUS” ON THE FUTURE VIA EXPANDED PERFORMANCE PRODUCT LINE

IRVINE, Calif., April 17, 2002 – The sparkling yellow Focus inside Saleen’s massive production facility looks almost out of place amongst the backdrop of colorful S281 and S7 production cars sitting next to it. At once both stylish and aggressive, the recently completed coupe perfectly reflects the company’s increased concentration on the future direction of its Saleen aftermarket sales division.

Building upon Saleen’s legacy for creating vehicles with high performance and functional style, the company has announced the availability of the first group of performance parts for the Focus ZX3 coupe. Company engineers and stylists have worked their unique Saleen magic on an extensive line of new products for the popular Ford Focus. In keeping with Saleen’s motorsports heritage, many of the new performance offerings are designed to enhance power and handling, as well as overall vehicle appearance.

The Saleen-prepared Focus includes a diverse assortment of new Saleen products including the “Series 3” aerodynamics package, a complete Racecraft suspension kit featuring adjustable coil-over shocks and a front strut tower brace, a rich leather Saleen interior, a custom performance exhaust, high-performance Pirelli P Zero tires, and 18 x 7-inch alloy wheels, along with a Saleen-designed graphics package.

“We are very proud of our new Focus aftermarket parts program,” explained Steve Saleen, president, Saleen Inc. “It is our objective to provide only the finest in parts and customer service to the discriminating enthusiast. This program is designed to be a very strategic, longterm project that retains our passion for performance. After almost 20 years of producing some of the finest specialty vehicles on the market, it is time to strategically and aggressively grow the Saleen brand to a larger audience.”

The Saleen Focus program introduces a wide variety of new part numbers to the company’s performance line-up. The company will capitalize on a variety of its well established, in-house design and manufacturing capabilities to develop an extensive line of Saleen components including aerodynamics, suspensions, engines, drivelines, brakes, interiors, graphics, merchandising and competition parts. Saleen “PowerFlash” engine kits, Saleen “Series II” superchargers and the company’s impressive “MaxGrip” limited-slip differentials are also slated to be part of the overall product mix.

Saleen Parts Division

Since August of 2000, Saleen’s newly revitalized performance parts division has sustained high double-digit growth. A comprehensive e-commerce web site (www.saleen.com) and an upscale catalog were introduced last year.

A cornerstone of the new Saleen business model is a dedication to the entrepreneurial spirit that is considered vital to successfully reaching the aftermarket consumer. Thanks to its history of providing high-performance enthusiasts with passionate and exciting specialty vehicles, Saleen understands the importance of actively interacting with its target audience.

“Our objective with Saleen’s aftermarket parts division is really very simple,” explains John Dillon, VP and general manager of the division. “We want to offer the Saleen consumer experience to a broader range of car enthusiasts like ourselves. This will take some very active brand management, staying closely attuned to the market and bringing new products to our customers in a timely fashion. Most importantly, we always have to remember the things that have made the Saleen name so vibrant for nearly two decades.”

For ordering information, pricing and availability, please call 800-888-8945 or visit the Saleen web site (www.saleen.com).

Motorsports News

LATE RACING NEWS

By: N.A. on March 25, 2002
Original Article: AUTOWEEK, VOL. 52, ISSUE 13

Four F1 races on ABC
ABC Sports will televise four Formula One races this season. The network will televise the Grand Prix of Monaco on May 26, the Grand Prix of Canada on June 9, the Grand Prix of Italy on Sept. 14 and the U.S. Grand Prix on Sept. 29. The broadcasts from Canada and Indianapolis will be live, with Monaco shown at 3:30 p.m. Eastern and Italy at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Saleen penalized
The Saleen S7R was hit by a big performance penalty just before the opening round of the American Le Mans Series (page 41). The four GTS-class cars entered in the Sebring 12-hour were forced to run with 70kg of ballast and 15 percent smaller engine air restrictors. The penalties were applied because the Saleen failed to meet new eligibility regulations introduced over the winter. The California supercar builder received a total of three penalties, the biggest for failing to build the prerequisite number of road cars. Saleen headed into the race believing it could count three race S7Rs toward the 12-car production minimum. A rule clarification before the race meant the nine road cars in production were not enough. The extra weight and reduction in engine power meant the best of the Saleens qualified nearly 3.5 seconds behind the pole-winning Chevrolet Corvette C5-R. Tommy Erdos, who set the time in the Graham Nash Motorsport entry, said, “This is affecting us immensely. The weight hits us in the corners and straight-line speed is way down.” Both Saleen and Le Mans are confident the performance restrictions will be removed as the company meets the rules. Gerard Gaschet, one of the Le Mans rules bosses, said, “Step by step the penalties will disappear.”

Laguna revamp
Remember the quaint, mostly flat paddock at Laguna Seca? It’s history. By the time you read this, construction crews will be pouring concrete on the first new garages, hospitality suites and fancy restrooms as part of Laguna’s $15 million improvement project. Ten double-car garages and 12 hospitality suites along with numerous other improvements will be in place by the end of the 2002 race season. Twenty double garages and 29 hospitality suites will be in place by the end of the 2003 season. Further upgrades are planned beyond that. The CART, Superbike, Monterey Historics and Sports Car events will go on as planned. See www.laguna-seca.com for more.

Long signs with Manor
Patrick Long, the young American driver who finished second in last year’s British Formula Ford title chase, has signed with the powerful Manor Motorsports team for the 2002 British Formula Renault championship. Manor Motorsports has a strong record of success in both Formula Renault and Formula 3. Finn Kimi Raikkonen, now driving for McLaren in F1, captured the 2000 British Formula Renault championship in a Manor-prepared car. Raikkonen moved straight from Formula Renault to F1. Long ran British Formula Ford last year, winning three races and losing the championship at the last race. His runner-up position was the highest ever by an American in the class. Thirteen Formula Renault rounds will be held at 11 races. The 2002 season kicks off April 1 at Brands Hatch.

Press Release

BARRETT-JACKSON CLASSIC CAR AUCTION DEFIES ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES WITH $26.9 MILLION IN SALES

The Classic Car Market Barometer Sets Eight World Records

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ — There was little evidence of a recession in Scottsdale, Arizona, this past weekend as a record number of car collectors and enthusiasts from around the globe descended upon the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction, presented by Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep.

An unrivaled selection of historic racecars, award-winning street rods and muscle cars, European sports cars, and American classics were sold on the auction block at the 31st annual edition of what is internationally recognized as the barometer of the industry, and tagged as “The World’s Greatest Classic Car Auction.”

According to Barrett-Jackson President Craig Jackson, this year’s sale clearly demonstrated it was a seller’s market. “Our bidders showed us they are prepared to pay top, and in some cases world record prices, for the very best quality cars,” said Jackson.

Throughout the four-day auction, capacity crowds watched as prices paid on the auction podium skyrocketed and bidders dueled it out over an unparalleled selection of collector cars. “This year’s auction saw top prices paid in nearly all categories of cars,” commented Jackson. “We continued to realize unprecedented prices for high quality hot-rods, and also exceeded a number of previously established world record prices for certain other car models,” continued Jackson.

Record prices were achieved for a 1956 Ford Thunderbird at $109,080; a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS-6 convertible at $172,800; a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette L-78 Roadster at $124,200; and a 1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible at $86,400. An award-winning 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Roadster known as “Black Jack” topped the extensive list of significant hot rod sales with an unmatched price of $172,800.

Of the nearly 800 cars, and an extensive collection of racing memorabilia consigned to the auction, an impressive 86% of the lots were sold, pushing total sales volume to an unprecedented $26.9 million. The results exceeded last year’s record-breaking auction.

Legends from the motor racing world including Bobby Unser, Danny Sullivan and Parnelli Jones, together with Arizona Diamondback’s Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, joined television stars Tim Allen and Mark Harmon at Barrett-Jackson as record prices were achieved on the auction block. Baseball Hall of Fame’s Reggie Jackson, together with Cecil “Big Daddy” Fielder were both on the auction platform when avid collectors snatched up each of their rare Chevrolet Camaros. The $48,600 paid for Fielder’s 1969 Camaro COPO was eclipsed by “Mr. October’s” 1967 Camaro COPO that commanded $78,840. A record price was also paid for another example of the soon-to-be-discontinued Camaro, when a collector paid $118,800 for a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS Yenko.

The top price paid on the auction block went to the 2000 Saleen S7 Factory Prototype at $432,000, followed by a 1966 Ford GT40 used in the MGM movie “Grand Prix,” at $405,000.

All one hundred and fifty lots from the Race Rock Las Vegas restaurant, a one-of-a-kind automotive collection of race cars and rare racing memorabilia from every form of motorsport, brought over $520,000.

A one-of-a-kind Dodge “American Spirit” Viper Roadster was auctioned at No Reserve for $80,000 with all net proceeds going to benefit the DaimlerChrysler Help the Children Fund. This fund was established to help the children of victims from the events of September 11th.

The Barrett-Jackson auction is an automotive lifestyle event that continues to be one of the most influential worldwide drawing Hollywood celebrities, sports stars, legendary race car drivers, and serious collectors. The auction was also televised live for two days on the Speedvision / Speed Channel television network.

Each year the Barrett-Jackson Auction reaffirms its leadership position in the collector car market by elevating consignment standards, breaking annual records, and serving as the barometer for market trends. A listing of the sales prices can be found at http://www.barrett-jackson.com/auctionresults/byevent.asp and images of the cars sold at the Scottsdale auction can be found on the Barrett-Jackson website at www.barrett-jackson.com . The 32nd Annual Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction is scheduled for January 15th – 19th, 2003.

For further information, please contact: Timothy McGrane of Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, +1-480-421-6694, ext. 118, emedia@barrett-jackson.com.

SOURCE Barrett-Jackson Auction Company