Lux Performance Looking for Road America Hardware

2018 Trans Am Northern Cup Champion Returns to Series for First Time in 2019

Aloha, Oregon, August 20, 2019| Road America has been very good to the Lux Performance Group over the years. Each season, the Oregon-based Trans Am Series race team travels 2,053 miles east to America’s National Park of Speed. Typically, the load is heavier on the trip back to the Northwest because lead-driver Cindi Lux (Aloha, Oregon) has raced her way to the Road America podium and brought the trophy back with her. The 13-time Road Racing champion returns to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin this weekend with the intention to add to her victory hardware at the 4.0-mile track behind the wheel of the No. 45 Lux Performance Group Dodge Viper ACR-X. Also returning to the team for the August 24 Ryan Companies 100 will be Dirk Leuenberger (Redmond, Washington) in the No. 35 Dodge Viper ACR-X.

Now in her fifth-season of Trans Am, Cindi drove this same V10 beast to Road America podium finishes the last two Trans Am seasons. The black and red Viper narrowly missed victory last year finishing in second-place, only 0.7-tenths of a second behind the leader when the checkered flag fell. She was third in 2016. In 2015, the program raced the pair of American-made machines to a track qualifying record and captured the top-two steps on the Trans Am Series’ SGT – then TA3 – class podium. Going further back, in 2004 and 2006, Lux won the prestigious June Sprints driving a Corvette and Viper respectively.

In her career, Lux has earned 13 road racing championships including last year’s Trans Am Series Northern Cup Championship, SGT Class – then known as TA3. In 1999, Lux fought to the inaugural American Le Mans Series Women’s Global GT Series championship and was SCCA NorPac T1 Class Champion from 2003 – 2006. The success on the track and skill behind the scenes earned her factory driver status with Dodge Motorsports from 2005 –’07, a Mopar factory driver position in 2008 and the same position with SRT in 2012. To-date, she has four Trans Am Series wins along with 21 podiums and six pole positions in the production-car based class. All of the success brought her recognition in the industry as well. She was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Motorsports Museum Assoc., was the Oregon SCCA National Driver of the Year (’03), Pro-Driver SCCA Driver-of-the-Year Award (’99) and the Northwest Pat Piggot Memorial Award winner for the most outstanding driver in 1992. In her career, Lux has more than 80 victories, over 160 podium finishes and more than 50 pole positions.

With a race scheduled for 100-miles, Lux will have work to do. The packed entry list of sports cars – the largest SGT class of the season to-date – makes for heated competition with each machine having a variety of speed and braking differences. 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 for Trans Am competition, the challenge for the drivers is to make them last. Lux has long been known as an ace at managing her car while husband Fred Lux is renowned throughout the paddock as “The Mad Scientist” with panache for perfect preparation.

Joining Black Rock on the No. 45 Viper will again be CoolShirt Systems, Forgeline Wheels and Motion Control Suspension.

CBS Sports Network will broadcast the Ryan Companies 100 on a tape-delayed basis. Check local listings for exact times in your area.

Quotes |
Fred Lux, Team Principal/Engineer, Lux Performance Group Viper ACR-X |
“Setup is key at Road America. The long straights mean relatively low downforce to maximize top speed. A fast setup will produce ‘grey hairs’ for our driver! 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 Viper. With the lap time being long here, you don't get many laps in practice sessions. Keeping Cindi and Dirk 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 |
“We are a little late getting to the party this year… as usual. But, there’s no other track I look forward to more than Road America. It’s a classic race track that has everything I thrive on. It’s fast, has great elevation changes and it’s extremely challenging. I can't really put my finger on exactly what it is but I am not going to question it. It’s just like when you put on your favorite, comfortable old shoe… it just feels right. When you’re comfortable, you perform well. I have had some of my best wins and worst crashes at this track. Busted-up ribs and punctured a lung back in 2005 but I couldn’t wait to come back in 2006. I have a lot of respect for this track but I love pushing the limits here more than normal.

I thrive on turning my motivation into dedication. I need to race smart which sounds easy. However, with the level of competition in SGT class, you need the entire package. But I found some tricks at Road America that seem to work especially on the long runs. First priority is to make sure you have something left at the end. I’ll be very focused on that this weekend.”

About Trans Am | The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, America’s Road Racing Series, began igniting the passion of motorsports fans across the world in 1966 and has been home to some of the greatest names in road racing. Today, Trans Am continues to honor its legacy, while challenging the status quo in racing, through meaningful racing platforms and a driver-oriented focus. The Trans Am Series is operated by The Trans Am Race Company, LLC (TARC), through a five-year agreement in which TARC oversees the management and marketing of the Trans Am Series. SCCA Pro Racing sanctions Trans Am events and provides operations services to the Series. More information is available at www.GoTransAm.com .

For more on Cindi Lux, please visit www.CindiLux.com. Follow Cindi on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/CindiLux, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/OfficialCindiLux and http://instagram.com/cindilux on Instagram.

For more on the Trans Am Series visit www.gotransam.com, “like” Trans Am on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam, or follow Trans Am on Twitter at @gotransam.

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