Tag Archives: Motorsports

Press Release

ACEMCO MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES SEBRING DRIVER LINE UP

Brabham to Join Borcheller and Mowlem

SPRING LAKE, Mich., Feb. 16, 2004 – Adding to its already potent driver lineup for the 2004 ALMS season, ACEMCO MOTORSPORTS owner, Jeff Giangrande has announced that David Brabham will join the team’s principal drivers, Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem, in the ACEMCO MOTORSPORTS Saleen S7R for the 52nd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring, March 17-20, 2004.

Owner of one of the most famous last names in racing, David Brabham has had a distinguished career in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). After racing Prototypes the first four years of the series, he switched to the GTS class in 2003 driving a Ferrari 550 and was runner-up in the Championship with three wins.

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge of Sebring this year,” commented Brabham. “Not only am I going to have the opportunity to drive the competitive Saleen S7R, but I’ll be racing head-to-head with my old friend and teammate, Jan Magnussen. This should be fun!”

The dynamic duo of Borcheller and Mowlem thus becomes the terrific trio of Borcheller, Mowlem and Brabham for the opening round of the 2004 ALMS season as Jeff Giangrande places an exclamation point on his determined bid to end the Corvette and Ferrari dominance of the GTS Class.

Borcheller and Mowlem arrive at Sebring having already scored wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the endurance race that signals the start of a new season of international road racing every year in North American. Terry finished first overall in a Daytona Prototype while Johnny finished second overall and first in GT behind the wheel of the Orbit Racing Porsche.

The 2004 12 Hours of Sebring represents a renaissance for both the S7R and Pirelli as Saleen returns to the ALMS after a year’s absence from factory support for the S7Rs and Pirelli continues to expand its presence in the North American marketplace.

“Since 1995, Pirelli has won seven Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships each in North American sports car competition but none since returning from a one-year hiatus in 2002,” stated Peter Tyson, Pirelli’s Vice President of Marketing. “We’ve been trying to build a “Dream Team” around the Saleen with drivers like Borcheller and Mowlem and Brabham since our return, and we can’t wait until the green flags fall for qualifying at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.”

To that end, ACEMCO, Saleen and Pirelli have been conducting an aggressive testing program during the next several months, including extensive tire testing at both Sebring and Homestead in preparation for the 12 Hours of Sebring.

“Anyone who has watched the GTS battle the last several years knows that this is where the competition is,” stated Giangrande, ACEMCO’S owner. “We’re also very aware of what the privateer Saleen S7Rs accomplished in their first two seasons of competition winning seven of eight championships, 37 of 72 races and holding the majority of the class poles and fastest lap records,” he continued. “With Terry, Johnny and David on board, we’re looking for nothing less than a GTS Class victory at Sebring.”

With more than 50 years of manufacturing experience, ACEMCO AUTOMOTIVE is a leader in the engineering, manufacture and assembly of metal stampings for light trucks, SUVs and passenger cars with three plants located in the western Michigan area. Products include frame and engine mounting components, as well as interior metal insert assemblies. ACEMCO’s Team Goal is to provide Customer satisfaction, manufacturing Excellence and
quality products while Maintaining a clean, safe working environment and Continuously improving processes to ensure 100% On-time deliveries.

Pirelli Tire North America specializes in the manufacture and marketing of highperformance car, light truck and motorcycle tires and currently has three of its highly advanced MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) modules in operation in a new factory in Rome, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets. For more information, visit the Company’s web site at www.us.pirelli.com.

DAVID BRABHAM
Date of Birth: September 5, 1965
Birthplace: London, UK (raised Sydney, Australia)
Residence: Maidenhead, England
Marital Status: Married, wife Lisa
Children: Jayson, Sam, Finn
Team (Class): ACEMCO Motorsports – Saleen S7R (GTS)
Website: www.davidbrabham.com
PR Contact: Jack Gerken; (714) 436-9900; Jack@Gerken.org

Owner of one of the most famous last names in racing, David Brabham has had a distinguished career in the American Le Mans Series. After racing Prototypes the first four years of the series, he switched to the GTS class in 2003 driving a Ferrari 550 and was runner-up in the Championship with three wins. At Sebring, “Brabs” joins Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem behind the wheel of Jeff Giangrande’s ACEMCO Motorsports Saleen S7R.

2003: Entered GTS ranks and drove Prodrive Ferrari in partnership with longtime cohort Jan Magnussen.

Began season at Sebring in Team Bentley livery along with Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell and helped pilot team to third place. Finished 2nd at the Le Mans 24hrs with Bentley.

Was asked to drive the #80 Ferrari in year’s third ALMS event, Infineon, and drove to 3rd place behind the two Corvette entries, with whom Brabham/Magnussen would battle the rest of the season.

Ran 4th at Trois-Rivieres, again trailing the Corvettes, then 3rd at Mosport, just behind other Ferrari entry.

Took sensational last-lap win at Road America, then declared GTS winner at Laguna Seca when #88 Ferrari was excluded due to technical violation.

Won 3rd consecutive race at Miami, with Darren Turner substituting for Magnussen, before dropping to 2nd position at Petit Le Mans to #88 machine driven by Tomas Enge and Peter Kox.

Finished second in GTS driver championship points.

2002: Campaigned all year in P900 Panoz LMP vehicle, with Magnussen.

Started slowly at Sebring, covering just 56 laps before mechanical problems ended the day.

Deficiencies corrected, piloted Panoz machine to win at Sears Point, edging Tom Kristensen and Johnny Herbert on lead lap.

Ran 3rd at Mid-Ohio.

Encountered misfortune again at Road America, dropping out (mechanical) after 69 laps.

Rebounded again at Washington for big win over Kristensen and Rinaldo Capello.

Took 5th at Trois-Rivieres and 4th at Mosport.

Had another 4th place finish at Laguna Seca, then ran 5th at Miami.

Added David Donohue for long-distance Petit Le Mans and came in 7th, Brabham’s final race with the Panoz factory team.

2001: Continued with Panoz factory team, with co-driver Jan Magnussen, starting season with new Panoz LMP07 design.

Opened year by taking 3rd position at Texas.

Car came undone at Sebring, retiring after 109 laps (mechanical).

Brought back older Panoz LMP1 and ran 3rd at Sears Point behind pair of factory Audi entrants.

Broke Audi dominance with win at Portland, then followed up with solid 2nd position at Mosport.

Claimed 2nd win at Mid-Ohio, fending off three challengers on final lap.

Dropped out at Laguna Seca after 57 laps (accelerator), then ended season 8th at Petit Le Mans.

2000: New co-driver Jan Magnussen with Panoz factory team.

Went to the post 11 times.

Blown engine at Sebring continued string of bad luck at 12-hour event.

Ran 2nd in Charlotte behind JJ Lehto and Jorg Muller.

Went overseas and again finished 2nd to Lehto-Muller before turning tables on them with win in the rain at Nurburgring.

Took 5th position at Sears Point, then did not see action at Mosport after Magnussen was involved in crash on lap 41.

Came back nicely at Texas with 3rd place showing and was 2nd at Portland.

Took 3rd at Petit Le Mans, but retired very early at Laguna Seca (engine) after 66 laps.

Ended Las Vegas race in 6th position.

After Magnussen ran just two laps at Adelaide (alternator), Brabham partnered with Greg Murphy and Jason Bright in another Panoz car and finished 3rd, 9th overall.

1999: Raced the entire inaugural season of ALMS with Panoz factory team. Partnered with Eric Bernard at Sebring, dropping out (fire) after 103 laps.

Drove to 5th position at Road Atlanta, then he/Bernard took 2nd place at Mosport behind fellow Panoz drivers Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell.

Sears Point yielded 2nd place finish, followed by victory at Portland over JJ Lehto/Steve Soper and Magnussen/O’Connell, all three on lead lap.

Brabham and Bernard then won Petit Le Mans, one lap up on nearest competitor.

Mechanical failures forced dropout near end of Laguna Seca and blown engine at Las Vegas put damper on end of first ALMS year.

BRABHAM NOTES: Born in England but grew up in Australia and is an Australian citizen

One of few drivers to have won at least one race in every year the ALMS has existed

Has raced around the world in various forms of competition, mainly in sports cars since his F1 career

GT1 class winner at Sebring in 1998

Second overall and GTP class winner in Daytona 24 Hours in 1992

Brabham has had two different Formula One rides

In 1990, drove for Brabham F1, starting eight times. Mechanical woes forced five retirements, and two others resulted from crashes, though Brabham did finish 15th at French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard

Returned to Formula One in ’94, making 16 starts for Simtek team

Had two 10th place finishes, at Catalunya in Spanish Grand Prix and Hockenheim in German Grand Prix

Also raced in Formula 3

Won ’91 Spa 24 Hours touring car event

Also raced in Japan with John Nielson and was 1996 Japanese GT champion

Began his Panoz association in ’97

Won British Rallycross event at Brands Hatch in ’93

British Formula 3 Champion in 1989

Early racing experience includes 4th overall in 1986 Formula Ford 1600 competition and the’87 Australian

Gold Star Champion in Formula 2 series

Competed in 1988 British Formula 3 Class B series finished 3rd and won the overall Championship the following year

Fourth in the Australian Formula ford Championship (four wins) in 1986

Raced a Ford laser (two wins) in 1985

First race in a 100 cc sprint kart in Australia in 1984; won the Canberra Cup and the New South Wales Country Karting Championships

First drove at eight years old in an EH Holden on the family farm in Wagga, Wagga, Australia

Most memorable victory came over future F1 legend Michael Schumacher in the Macau F3 World Cup

Son of Sir Jack Brabham and brother of former IMSA star Geoff Brabham

Favorite drivers as youth were Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost

Lived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for a year in 2002 and 2003 before moving back to England

Favorite sports team is Manchester United

Avid player and follower of soccer

Also enjoys cricket, golf, tennis and running

Press Release

ACEMCO MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES 2004 DRIVER LINE UP

Pirelli Committed to Winning GTS Championship for Michigan Team

SPRING LAKE, Mich., Nov. 24, 2003 – It took two years but Saleen’s “Dream Team” is finally ready to challenge the big guns in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GTS Class thanks to Jeff Giangrande and ACEMCO MOTORSPORTS as Terry Borcheller and Johnny Mowlem were confirmed today as the team’s principal drivers for the 2004 season.

Terry Borcheller, six-time sports car champion including three as a Saleen factory driver, won the 2001 ALMS GTS Drivers’ Championship in the Saleen S7R’s inaugural season by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring, earning 4 poles and setting 7 fastest laps. Most recently, Borcheller won the 2003 Rolex Cup Drivers’ Championship in Bell Motorsport’s Daytona Prototype.

Joining Borcheller is Brit Johnny Mowlem. Interestingly enough, Mowlem replaced Borcheller as Saleen’s lead factory driver in 2002 just as Saleen was awarded the contract to build the Ford GT. Recognized as one of the top Porsche drivers, he distinguished himself the year before by setting the fastest GTS lap at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in his first and only drive in a Saleen S7R. This past season, he finished second overall in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Risi Competizione Ferrari 360, competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an ACEMCO Ferrari 360 and won Road America in the White Lightning Porsche.

After two years, the two Saleen factory drivers are together for the first time on ACEMCO’S “Dream Team” to contest the entire 2004 ALMS season and all points beyond.

“Anyone who has watched the GTS battle the last several years knows that this is where the competition is,” stated Giangrande, ACEMCO’S owner. “We’re also very aware of what the privateer Saleen S7Rs accomplished in their first two seasons of competition winning seven of eight championships, 37 of 72 races and holding the majority of the class poles and fastest lap records,” he continued. “With Terry and Johnny on board, the Saleens will once again become the fastest guns in the west.”

ACEMCO also announced that Pirelli Tires would be providing the engineering and tire support for the Saleen S7R. “Since mid-season, we studied the performance of the various tire companies in GTS and GT,” commented Giangrande. “It was fairly obvious that Pirelli had an improved product and we’re very excited about developing a winning combination with them.”

“Since 1995, Pirelli has won 7 Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships each in North American sports car competition but none since returning from a one-year hiatus in 2002,” stated Peter Tyson, Pirelli’s Vice President of Marketing Communications. “We’ve been trying to build a “Dream Team” around the Saleen with drivers like Borcheller and Mowlem since our return and we can’t wait until the green flags fall for qualifying at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.”

To that end, ACEMCO, Saleen and Pirelli will conduct an aggressive testing program over the next several months beginning with a shakedown of the first Saleen S7R next week at Willow Springs, just north of Saleen’s Irvine, Calif.-based headquarters. The team will then move east for extensive tire testing at both Sebring and Homestead in preparation for the 12 Hours of Sebring.

With more than 50 years of manufacturing experience, ACEMCO AUTOMOTIVE is a leader in the engineering, manufacture and assembly of metal stampings for light trucks, SUVs and passenger cars with three plants located in the western Michigan area. Products include frame and engine mounting components, as well as interior metal insert assemblies. ACEMCO’s Team Goal is to provide Customer satisfaction, manufacturing Excellence and quality products while Maintaining a clean, safe working environment and Continuously improving processes to ensure 100% On-time deliveries.

Pirelli Tire North America specializes in the manufacture and marketing of highperformance car, light truck and motorcycle tires and currently has three of its highly advanced MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) modules in operation in a new factory in Rome, Georgia, to better serve the American OEM and Replacement markets. For more information, visit the Company’s web site at www.us.pirelli.com.

Motorsports News

COMPETITION: FLASH

By: N.A. on September 22, 2003
Original Article: AUTOWEEK, VOL. 53, ISSUE 38

Pagani delayed
The race return of the Pagani Zonda supercar scheduled for next month’s Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta has been set back. The Dutch-based team put the race program on hold for the Mercedes-engined GTS contender after a disappointing Le Mans performance in June. A projected return for the American Le Mans Series finale is delayed while the team awaits new development parts. The revised car, which will run a 7.0-liter engine and an Xtrac gearbox for the first time, should test in early October and then compete in the Le Mans Endurance Series Nov. 9 race on the Le Mans-Bugatti circuit.

Junior will do the 24
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will contest next year’s Daytona 24-hour with the Freisinger Porsche team. Eamhardt Jr., who made his debut in the sports car classic in 2001 driving a factory Chevrolet Corvette he shared with his late lather, has signed a deal to race the German team’s lead 911 GT3-RS in the Florida event next February. Freisinger team leader Stephane Ortelli will join him in the car. Team boss Manfred Freisinger said, “We have a mutual friend who contacted us about Dale. Everything has been agreed and the deal will be signed this week.” Eamhardt Jr. currently sits second in Winston Cup points in the Chevy owned by DEI Inc., the team his late father started.

Customer Lambos
Lamborghini wants to sell more than 10 of its new V12-engined Murciélago R-GT racers around the world next season. The Audi-controlled sports car maker is pitching the new design, unveiled at the Frankfurt show (page 17), as a turnkey customer car for privateers. The R-GT will be eligible for the FIA GT Championship, the American Le Mans Series and the Le Mans Endurance Series in Europe. Manfred Fitzgerald, Lamborghini head of marketing, explained that the program had been kick-started by requests from potential customers. “So many of our clients were asking us for a tool to use on the racetrack that we felt we had to do something,” he said. “That’s the motivation behind what I am calling our customer sports program.”

Saleen return?
U.S. supercar manufacturer Saleen will make a full-time return to the American Le Mans Series in 2004. The California company, which has been represented in only a handful of this year’s races, is selling two cars to the American Acemco Motorsports team. Jeff Giangrande, who owns the team, intends to field a Saleen in all ALMS events next season. Giangrande entered a GT class Ferrari in the ALMS this year, but said he likes GTS because that’s where the competition is. “We believe [GTS] is the best place to be competitive as a privateer,” he said. It is unclear who will run the car in 2004. The Ferrari 360 Modena that Acemco has entered in the ALMS this year has been run by Risi Competizione. No drivers have been announced, although Giangrande said that his pairing of Terry Borcheller and Shane Lewis were both on the “short list.” A deal for Borcheller would mark the 38-year-old’s return to a Saleen three years after he won the ALMS’ GTS crown in a Konrad-entered car.

From The Road

Contributed by Doug Nagy, Saleen Motorsports

Monday, October 28, 2002

This last weekend only had one Saleen competing.

John Young and Apex Racing were at VIR in Virginia for the Speed World Challenge final round.

John qualified on the front row only .025 seconds off of the pole due to a slight miscue on his qualifying lap. He traded the lead several times and finally took the lead for good on the second to last lap. He won the race by a margin of .44 seconds over second place. This win, combined with some poor results by other competitors, moved John to fourth in the final points standings. This is an excellent result for a driver in this series in his rookie year. John had already clinched the Rookie of the Year award at the previous round at Road Atlanta.

From The Road

Contributed by Doug Nagy, Saleen Motorsports

Tuesday, October 15, 2002

The last two weekends have been busy for teams racing Saleens.

Over the October 4-6 weekend in Miami, Graham Nash Motorsports S7R qualified sixth and finished sixth after brake problems caused by a sticking throttle cable during the race. The second GNM S7R crashed during practice and could not make repairs in time for the race. Konrad Motorsports S7Rs qualified on the pole with the #26 car and did not make qualifying with the #25 car as it was damaged during practice when it hit the wall. The #26 car finished 8th in the race with a failed clutch while the #25 car finished sixth.

The October 9-12 weekend at Petit Le Mans took place at the Road Atlanta circuit. Konrad Motorsports qualified third with #26, and ninth with #25. The #26 car led early and for most of the first hour before having mechanical problems that cost considerable time in the pits, finishing sixth in class. The #25 car also had lots of small mechanical problems and several off-course incidents that dropped it back to fifth in class.

Graham Nash Motorsports qualified fifth with #84 and tenth with #83. The #84 suffered with engine problems in the warm-up and was not able to take the green flag. The #83 car suffered from several small problems that kept it from running to its full potential and only finished eighth in class.

The same weekend at Atlanta the Speed World Challenge ran with Apex racing qualified in eighth on a set of inconsistent tires. During the start of the race John was caught up in an incident between two other cars and was put in the gravel trap. He lost a lap while being extracted and finished the race in 13th one lap down. John has now clinched the rookie of the year title with one race remaining. With a good finish and some luck he may be able to edge back into the top five in points championship.

The Spanish GT championship was awarded this weekend in the next to last round in Jerez, Spain. The pole was set in the Graham Nash Motorsports Saleen S7R with Pedro Chaves and Miguel Ramos driving. They won the race and set fast lap on their way to the podium. This gives them the driver’s championship and Miguel has won the Amateur Standings championship for their efforts this year.

The next race is the World Challenge finale in Alton, VA the weekend of October 25-27.

From The Road

Contributed by Doug Nagy, Saleen Motorsports

Monday, September 23, 2002

This weekend was busy for Saleens around the world.

In Spanish GT, the Graham Nash Saleen S7R qualified on the pole for both races, and with 65 second success penalties in each race finished Second in both races. The drivers Miguel Ramos and Pedro Chaves have increased their lead in the driver’s championship points. The next race is October 11 in Jerez, Spain.

In ALMS at Laguna Seca, Terry Borcheller qualified second in the Konrad Saleen S7R. They finished second in the race and Terry was short of the fast lap of the race by only one tenth of a second. This should move Terry to 5th in Driver’s points in GTS. The next race is in Miami the first weekend of October. There will be four Saleen S7Rs at this race.

In the Speed World Challenge at Laguna Seca John Young Jr. qualified 10th with an engine problem in his Saleen SR, and battled his way to sixth in the race with a less powerful back up engine. John was awarded the Rogaine Hair Raising Pass of the Race award, and extended his lead in the rookie of the year points standings. There are two races left in the season with the next one being at Road Atlanta in three weeks.

In the British GT Championship, Tommy Erdos won the Top Gun Championship for most pole positions of the year and Graham Nash Motorsports won the Team Championship. The Driver’s Championship was clinched last weekend by Tommy Erdos and Ian McKellar. Saleen S7Rs qualified 1st and 3rd and Tommy and Ian finished second after an unscheduled stop for a damaged tire. The second Saleen S7R had an incident on the first lap and did not finish the race.

Press Release

SALEEN S7R DRIVERS — CHAMPIONS ON TWO CONTINENTS

Konrad Motorsports Earns Second Straight Podium

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 22, 2002 – Last month two Saleen S7Rs finished on the podium on the same day on two different continents. First in England and third in Canada. This month provided a similar story as two Saleen S7Rs took their drivers to the GTS Drivers’ Championships in their respective series, once again on two different continents.

Graham Nash Motorsports’ team of Brazilian Tommy Erdos and Brit Ian McKellar continued to dominate the British GT Championship with a victory last Sunday at Thruxton in England, thereby clinching the GTS Drivers’ Championship for both drivers. They followed that up with a second-place finish at Donington Park today. Erdos’ pole earned him the title of “Top Gun” and the Team Championship for GNM. The duo has been on the podium ten out of eleven races this year winning an amazing seven of them. McKellar was the 2001 European Le Mans GTS Drivers’ Champion.

GNM’s entry in the Spanish GT Championship also continues to dominate as Pedro Chaves and Miguel Ramos each won a pole this weekend and finished second in their heavily restricted Saleen S7R.

On this side of the pond, Chris Bingham won his second straight Rolex Cup GTS Drivers’ and Team Championship without turning a wheel at Mt. Tremblant as his nearest competition stayed home. Saleen can clinch its second straight Grand-Am GTS Manufacturers’ Championship simply by taking the green flag at Daytona in November.

Not quite as lucky has been the Konrad Motorsports’ team of Terry Borcheller and team owner Franz Konrad in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). In spite of Borcheller being the “fastest gun in the West” by claiming most of the GTS poles last year and finishing as the 2001 ALMS GTS Drivers’ Champion, the car has been hampered by an ACO-imposed restriction that has reduced performance by approximately 100 horsepower.

The duo did gain their second straight podium this weekend at Monterey’s Laguna Seca as they finished second to the ProDrive Ferrari 550 Maranello, shutting down the factory Corvettes for the first time this season. The final two races of the ALMS season will be in Miami on Oct. 5 and Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans on Oct. 12.

From The Road

Contributed by Doug Nagy, Saleen Motorsports

Monday, September 16, 2002

This weekend Graham Nash Motorsports ran in the British GT with 2 Saleen S7Rs at Thruxton in England.

Tommy Erdos and Ian McKellar qualified second and won the race clinching the Driver’s Championship for Tommy and Ian as Co-Champions. Robin Liddell and Justin Law qualified third and finished second to give Graham Nash a 1-2 finish with S7Rs this weekend. The last race of the year for British GT is next weekend at Donington and the team will be trying to win the Team and Top Gun Championship for most pole positions this year.

In Mont Tremblant, Canada this weekend the TF Racing team qualified third after working all night to rebuild their car after a fire. They retired the car after 5 of the 6 hours of the race in third place. Saleen currently leads the manufacturer’s points in GTS and Chris Bingham has clinched the Driver’s Championship in GTS. Chris won the championship driving an S7R this year. He is also 2001 Driver’s Champion, making this a back to back championship for Chris and Saleen.

From The Road

Contributed by Doug Nagy, Saleen Motorsports

Tuesday, September 3, 2002

This weekend Graham Nash Motorsports raced at Snetterton in the British GT series. Tommy Erdos and Ian McKellar qualified the Saleen S7R in second position and finished the race in second spot. Robin Liddell and Nathan Kinch qualified in fourth and finished in First, and Robin Liddell set fast lap and a new lap record on the way to the front.

The TF Racing/ Zippo Saleen SR qualified sixth and finished eight in a rain soaked weekend at VIR in the Grand Am Cup series.

Editorial

WILD HORSES: SALEEN S7S, MODIFIED MUSTANGS

By: GERRY MALLOY on August 31, 2002
Original Article: TORONTO STAR (CANADA)

Supercar, Muscle Car Combo Drives Early Racing Success

Steve Saleen stunned the automotive press at the Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca when he not only announced that he was going into the supercar business, but unveiled a sleek prototype.

That was two years ago. Much has happened since.

The high-performance, mid-engined supercar is the purest form of the modern automobile.

Exemplified by such exotica as the Ferrari F50, Lamborghini Murcielago and McLaren F1, it is a barely tamed race-car, adapted for use on the street.

Predominantly a product of Europe, the genre has been the subject of numerous North American concept cars. The few attempts that have been made to build and market such cars on this continent have ended in ignominy.

Saleen aims to break that pattern. If anyone outside the Big Three can do it, he is probably the one.

He is already well on his way. When I visited the Saleen assembly plant in Irvine, Calif., his fabricators were working on chassis number 19 in the company’s S7 lineage.

Not only does he have the facilities and expertise to achieve his production goal of 15 to 20 vehicles a year, he has the critical mass to support it; he is also building 20 Saleen Mustangs a week in the same plant.

Total production of those highly modified Mustangs has approached 10,000 units over the 19 years since he began the business.

Saleen himself is a racer at heart. He competed in everything from autocross and Formula Atlantic to Trans-Am and Indy cars.

He is a businessman, with a degree from USC and a flair for promotion. He is the most successful private North American auto manufacturer in modern history.

Because most of his creations are Mustang-based, many regard Saleen as little more than a tuner. But the changes he makes to the Mustangs are such that the cars must be individually certified for both emissions and crash-test performance.

So Saleen’s operations are afforded full-fledged manufacturer status.

Everything about his 14,000-square-metre plant, located in the heart of California’s aerospace and automotive community, supports that designation.

The Mustangs are disassembled as they arrive from Ford, then they go on dollies through a 13-station assembly line, each with its own team and tasks, for reconstruction.

Saleen supplies three body styles: coupe, roadster and speedster for each of three models, designated S281, S281 Supercharged and S281-E.

The number 281 derives from the displacement, in cubic inches, of the Ford 4.6-litre SOHC V8 that serves as a base for modification.

In S281 trim, the Saleen engine is rated at 285 hp. Adding a supercharger bumps that figure to 365, and the E-model raises it again, to 425 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque – which is delivered through a six-speed, quick-ratio manual gearbox.

Suspension, drivetrain, brakes, interior, wiring, front and rear fascias, hoods, and, in some cases, even external body panels, are replaced by Saleen-designed and, in many cases, Saleen-produced components.

Many of the cars are fitted with full roll cages.

A separate finishes-and-composites division, soon to be integrated into the main plant, is responsible for manufacturing many of those parts, and for finishing them and the cars themselves in a range of exclusive and evocatively-named Saleen colours, including Lizstick red, named for his wife.

The combined operations employ more than 150 people, including a support team for Saleen-owners’ many racing efforts.

The success of Saleen’s Mustangs on the track have pushed him and his cars into the limelight, and supported the success of the manufacturing business..

The real excitement these days lies on the other side of the shop in the eight race-car bays where the exotic S7s and S7Rs (the racing versions) are assembled.

Developed with Ray Mallock, a British race- and specialty-car builder of considerable repute, the original protype supercar was as stunning as its Laguna Seca announcement.

Long and low, with the engine amidships and air vents everywhere (every one with a purpose, Saleen says), its silhouette showed the influence of cars such as the Jaguar XK 220 and Lamborghinis and Bugattis.

But it had its own distinctive form.

It remains powered by a 7.0-litre, OHV V8, which had its genesis as a Ford service-parts aluminum racing block, but is now all-Saleen.

The engine is rated at 550 hp at 6400 rpm, and 525 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm – more in racing trim, and more than enough to make it a supercar.

Just as impressive are the rest of its credentials, which resonate pure race car: lightweight tubular-steel space frame with aluminum honeycomb structural panels; carbon-fibre body panels; double-wishbone front-and-rear suspensions; six-speed transaxle; and gigantic Brembo brakes.

Some members of the automotive press, who had seen such hopes raised and dashed before, dismissed the idea as a publicity stunt or a dream.

Saleen made believers by fielding a racing version of the prototype – which showed considerable promise – before the end of the year.

In 2001, an S7R won the 12-hours of Sebring, beating GM’s Corvette C5-Rs, qualified on the GTS class pole and finished on the GTS podium at Le Mans, and propelled lead driver Terry Borcheller to the ALMS GTS driver’s championship, beating out Ron Fellows (who’s dominating this season).

Saleen S7Rs won four separate championships in Europe and North America in their first full year.

Some people, Saleen says, have suggested that he is in the production car business just to support his racing habit – a motivation Enzo Ferrari openly admitted. But he claims it is the other way around; he races to support his production car business.

The production cars reflect this. They have high quality materials throughout, impeccable workmanship and a host of premium features, including a custom-fitted driving seat, an integrated DVD/GPS/TV/NAV-system, and custom-fitted luggage by Mulholland Brothers.

Would you expect less for US$395,000? Automobiles Bugatti of Montreal has been appointed Canadian distributor for the S7, which, Saleen says, will comply with all Canadian regulations, but price and delivery details have yet to be determined.