Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 22, 2016| Road America has been very, very good to Lux Performance Group over the years. In 2015, the Aloha, Oregon-based raced team brought its pair of Dodge Viper ACR-X machines to the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin track and captured the top-two steps on the Trans Am Series’ TA3 class podium. Ten years earlier, Cindi Lux (Aloha, Oregon) came to the track for the first time and walked away as only second woman in history to win the June Sprints. On Saturday, August 27, Lux and Steve Streimer (Sherwood, Oregon) make their third start of the 2016 Trans Am Series looking to defend Streimer’s 2015 series’ win. With the circuit’s long straights and quick lap times, the ETE Transmissions Muscle Car 100 Presented by Pura Vida Tequila will most likely come down who can still stop their American muscle cars most effectively as the brakes succumb to lap after lap of abuse.
At 4-miles long with a variety of configurations in its 14 corners, significant elevation changes and a race scheduled for 100-miles, Lux and Streimer will have work to do. 36 cars will start the 25 lap or 70-minute race, 10 of which are in the TA3 category that the V10-powered ACR-X competes. That makes for heated competition and a variety of speed and braking disparities. That puts a premium on the brake systems and the drivers who regulate their use. While the meaty disc brakes are the best on the market open for Trans Am TA3 competition, the challenge for the drivers is to make them last.
To celebrate Trans Am’s 50th Anniversary of racing, Lux Performance will be giving away a special edition, unique to the weekend, t-shirt at Road America. Fans on-site for the event can visit the Lux Performance trailer in the Trans Am paddock on Friday from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and on Saturday 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for a chance to receive their memento of the historic anniversary. The shirts, which features the pair of Lux Performance-prepped Dodge Viper ACR-X and the Trans Am logo, will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last.
Lux Performance Group is running a limited schedule in 2016 – this weekend marking on the third event weekend for the team – but has already enjoyed success. Streimer won the class in the No. 42 Lux Performance Group Dodge Viper ACR-X at their most recent round – held at Brainerd (Minnesota) International Raceway in early July while Lux brought her No. 45 home in third there. That was the second double-podium for the operation run by Fred Lux this year. They opened the season at a wet and cold Watkins Glen International in New York with Lux taking second-place and Streimer third. The operation will close Trans Am’s 50th Anniversary year at VIRginia International Raceway (September 21-24), NOLA Motorsports Park in Louisiana (October 12-15) and the Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas (November 3-5).
CBS Sports Network will televise race on Sunday, September 18 at 4:00 PM ET. For the full slate of race’s on CBS Sports, visit http://gotransam.com/news/index.cfm?cid=64719.
Quotes
Fred Lux, Team Principal/Engineer, Lux Performance Group | "Setup is key at Road America. The long straights mean relatively low downforce to maximize top speed. It is typically an understeer track, especially the long 'Carousel' corner which means the car wants to push to the outside at every turn. We'll adjust the suspension to find a good balance for the Vipers. Maybe the bigger challenges is how hard Road America is on our brakes. We’ll be reminding both of the drivers to manage their brakes all weekend. With the lap time being long here, you don't get many laps in practice sessions. Keeping Cindi and Steve focused on setup and not lap times will be a challenge. Our drivers never want to be slow; but tell me a driver who does? Better yet, don’t. I am not looking for anyone like that on this team."
Cindi Lux, Driver, No. 45 Lux Performance Group Dodge Viper ACR-X | "There’s no other track I look forward to more than Road America. It’s a classic racetrack that has everything I thrive on: it’s fast, has great elevation changes and its extremely challenging. It's just somewhere I've always seemed to run well. I can't really put my finger on exactly what it is but I am not going to question it. I'm just super-comfortable at the track. Having confidence in the car is huge and Fred and the crew always give us a great Viper ACR-X every time we leave the pit lane. There are typically several yellows in our 70 minute races, we had a big one at Road America last year on the last lap so you need to be very smart on how to take care of your equipment. First priority is to make sure you have something at the end. I’ll be very focused on that this weekend."
Steve Streimer, No. 42 Lux Performance Group Dodge Viper ACR-X | "From start to finish, Road America is an incredible time. This track has got to be one of the best in the country to visit both as a driver and a fan. As a driver Road America is fast, challenging and very hard on brakes. As a fan, I don't think there is a better track for watching road racing anywhere. From the park-like camping sites to the multiple viewing opportunities, Road America has been set-up to cater to the fan. This track is definitely America's National Park of Speed!"
Aloha, Oregon, November 8, 2016|Fifty year anniversaries are commemorated in gold. In 2016, Lux Performance Group celebrated the Trans Am Series’ five decades of competition by bringing home two wins, two runner-ups, three third-place finishes, two pole positions. The Aloha, Oregon-based team never ran outside of the top-five taking the checkered flag each weekend. All of that in a limited five race schedule for its two Dodge Viper ACR-X race team. Steve Streimer (Sherwood, Oregon) captured the top-step twice in his red No. 42 Viper while Cindi Lux (Aloha, Oregon) chased her student across the finish-line twice in her own black No. 45 V10 ACR-X. The pair combined for the remainder of the top-tier results in the TA3 class of North America’s oldest road racing sedan series.
"I get a lot of questions on why we would haul our racecars over 10,000 miles coming from Portland Oregon to race. However, it is simple," commented Cindi Lux. "Racing in Trans Am is super challenging and exhilarating. Granted, it is not the smartest thing as most of our season budget is consumed in vehicle transportation, which is why we cannot participate in a full season, but the competition drives us. We are always fighting for the additional funding to do more races. If we had that, there would be no question it would be a much different story. We’d be at all of the races."
"It’s been an incredible year racing alongside Steve. Started working with him on HPDE days back in 2009 and it has been a joy to see him grow as a driver within our program," Cindi said with much admiration.
With the 2016 season now complete and the two front-engine American supercars back in the team’s Northwest shop, Lux Performance team principal Fred Lux has his full attention on the 2017 campaign. 2017 marks 23-years of motorsports distinction for the husband-wife effort. And they are looking to make it the most significant to date – no easy accomplishment for the former Dodge, Mopar and SRT factory effort.
Lux Performance Group currently has an opening on their 2017 team to support a driver in a "turn-key" program.
"We do it all: prepare, transport and provide trackside support." said Team Principal/Engineer Fred Lux. "Cindi will act as driving coach and head the non-mechanical aspects of the team. One of the things I am most proud of in our 2016 season is that we had no DNF. Don’t get me wrong, wins and pole positions are important. Nevertheless, it just shows how much we care about vehicle prep and durability that come out of our shop. You can’t get wins, podiums and poles without getting to the checkered flag," continued Fred. "We have a record of bringing cars to the finish, and in contention, that I will put up against any team in motorsports."
With the new West Coast Trans Am Series slated to begin next year, Lux is exploring options for a championship assault on that or the prime package back on the east coast. Having had much success in Pirelli World Challenge and SCCA Club Racing as well, Lux Performance Group is also examining the options for several other series and classes.
One of the most decorated teams in any paddock for its fit and finish both on the track and off, Lux Performance Group has shown itself an ideal fit for the "arrive and drive" approach.
"We are just exploring all of our options for 2017 at the moment," offered up Cindi. "It’s my busiest time of the year but I love it. We have sort of a 24-hour rule. We allow ourselves to enjoy the successes of the season for about a day and then it is right back to work. The sport is changing a lot right now, that isn’t a bad thing. Change brings options and opportunities. I think we have a lot of both, good ones."
"Our success and how we present ourselves on and off the track has attracted a lot of positive attention," continued the 12-time road racing champion. "We had never fully considered the turn-key approach for our own program before but we keep getting people asking so it would be foolish for Fred and I to just ignore the option. After all, we did it during the Viper one-make championship when we prepared the two celebrity factory cars. So, we are open to inquiries. With the off-season getting shorter and shorter each winter and the options being almost endless, we hope to have all of it in place before January 1. Then we can put full-focus on winning races and titles."
Those interested are encouraged to contact the team through its website, www.LuxPerformance.com
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