gaijin
01-21-2005, 08:43 AM
New Name for Indy winning chassis
HOMESTEAD, FL, January 20, 2005 - To simplify its nomenclature and to better brand the chassis that has won the two most recent Indianapolis 500 Mile Races, Elan Motorsports Technologies have announced a new name for their IRL chassis. "We have decided we will use the name Panoz," declared CEO David Bowes.
The IRL chassis is named for the company's owner, Don Panoz. "We needed to have a new branding strategy going forward that makes sense with our growth and which promotes the images and names as we want," Bowes stated.
The Panoz (nee G Force) chassis was an initial member of the Indy Racing League family in 1997 as the IRL began to use specific equipment. When Bowes joined the company to the end of 2002, G Force was in the UK. "We moved manufacturing to the US in the winter of 2002 and did all of our bodywork in-house. At that time tubs were still being built in the UK.
"A year later we moved the entire enterprise to our headquarters in Braselton, Georgia including our purchasing functions, design office and aerodynamics. As there is no part of G Force remaining any longer in the UK, we feel justified in making this change," he said.
The company is utilizing two names - Panoz and Elan. Panoz is the name of "the products we produce and sell ourselves" while the Elan name refers to the side of the company that performs engineering and manufacturing exercises for other companies.
If Elan Motorsports Technologies performs work for another manufacturer, the product is called "Elan". "When we are manufacturing products for ourselves that we are selling from our headquarters, it is called a Panoz," Bowes explained.
"Because we are growing and developing new business in aerospace and military/defense markets, we felt the need to differentiate and simplify.
"We are now an All American race car company," Bowes said. "On those components where we are free to choose suppliers, more than 80 percent of the pieces involved come from American companies."
Panoz IndyCar Series chassis will be campaigned by at least eight IRL full-time entrants during the 17-race tenth anniversary Indy Racing League season in 2005.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing has three Panoz entries in 2005: 2003 IRL champion Scott Dixon in the #9 Target Panoz/Toyota/Firestone; sophomore Darren Manning working the #10 Target Panoz/Toyota/Firestone; rookie Ryan Briscoe in the #33 Panoz/Toyota/Firestone. Briscoe's commercial partners will be announced at a later date.
Rahal Letterman Racing also has three entrants: 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice in the #15 Argent Mortgage/Pioneer Panoz/Honda/Firestone; rookie Danica Patrick for the #16 Argent Mortgage/Pioneer Panoz/Honda/Firestone; Vitor Meira continues in the #17 Menards/Johns Manville Panoz/Honda Firestone.
Super Aguri Fernandez Racing returns with a #55 Panasonic/Autobacs/ARTA Panoz/Honda/Firestone for 2004 Bombardier Rookie of the Year Kosuke Matsuura. IRL veteran Scott Sharp joined Fernandez Racing for 2005 in his #8 Delphi Panoz/Honda/Firestone challenger.
HOMESTEAD, FL, January 20, 2005 - To simplify its nomenclature and to better brand the chassis that has won the two most recent Indianapolis 500 Mile Races, Elan Motorsports Technologies have announced a new name for their IRL chassis. "We have decided we will use the name Panoz," declared CEO David Bowes.
The IRL chassis is named for the company's owner, Don Panoz. "We needed to have a new branding strategy going forward that makes sense with our growth and which promotes the images and names as we want," Bowes stated.
The Panoz (nee G Force) chassis was an initial member of the Indy Racing League family in 1997 as the IRL began to use specific equipment. When Bowes joined the company to the end of 2002, G Force was in the UK. "We moved manufacturing to the US in the winter of 2002 and did all of our bodywork in-house. At that time tubs were still being built in the UK.
"A year later we moved the entire enterprise to our headquarters in Braselton, Georgia including our purchasing functions, design office and aerodynamics. As there is no part of G Force remaining any longer in the UK, we feel justified in making this change," he said.
The company is utilizing two names - Panoz and Elan. Panoz is the name of "the products we produce and sell ourselves" while the Elan name refers to the side of the company that performs engineering and manufacturing exercises for other companies.
If Elan Motorsports Technologies performs work for another manufacturer, the product is called "Elan". "When we are manufacturing products for ourselves that we are selling from our headquarters, it is called a Panoz," Bowes explained.
"Because we are growing and developing new business in aerospace and military/defense markets, we felt the need to differentiate and simplify.
"We are now an All American race car company," Bowes said. "On those components where we are free to choose suppliers, more than 80 percent of the pieces involved come from American companies."
Panoz IndyCar Series chassis will be campaigned by at least eight IRL full-time entrants during the 17-race tenth anniversary Indy Racing League season in 2005.
Target Chip Ganassi Racing has three Panoz entries in 2005: 2003 IRL champion Scott Dixon in the #9 Target Panoz/Toyota/Firestone; sophomore Darren Manning working the #10 Target Panoz/Toyota/Firestone; rookie Ryan Briscoe in the #33 Panoz/Toyota/Firestone. Briscoe's commercial partners will be announced at a later date.
Rahal Letterman Racing also has three entrants: 2004 Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice in the #15 Argent Mortgage/Pioneer Panoz/Honda/Firestone; rookie Danica Patrick for the #16 Argent Mortgage/Pioneer Panoz/Honda/Firestone; Vitor Meira continues in the #17 Menards/Johns Manville Panoz/Honda Firestone.
Super Aguri Fernandez Racing returns with a #55 Panasonic/Autobacs/ARTA Panoz/Honda/Firestone for 2004 Bombardier Rookie of the Year Kosuke Matsuura. IRL veteran Scott Sharp joined Fernandez Racing for 2005 in his #8 Delphi Panoz/Honda/Firestone challenger.