Evo X: JR Motorsports newsletter 2009-06-22

JR Motorsports' Evo X hits the tracks

The JR Motorsports prepared Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X carried out its first ever track test on Friday (19th June) at Oulton Park. Driven by Julian Westwood, the team were delighted to report that the car ran faultlessly throughout the day.

Unveiled at Autosport International in January as a prototype of the car that will feature in its Evo X single-make racing series in 2010, JRM's Evo X has undergone a programme of development during the past few months. Now, with a reliable 400 bhp from its two-litre turbocharged engine, new Exe-tc suspension and re-mapped Motec engine ECU and diff controller, the car is set to embark on a series of tests and races to establish the specification with which it will go on sales later this year.

The car completed over 50 laps during its recent test, with changes made to its suspension geometry and ECU programmes in order to establish the best set-ups. With no problems whatsoever encountered during the day, the team came away delighted with the outcome, as JRM's Motorsport Director Chris Hodgson reports:

"Basically, this is a brand new car, so we are extremely pleased it ran so well throughout the test. We went to the circuit with what we thought was a good base set-up and found that it didn't take much to get it to 100%. It's a great start to the development of our to car in readiness for Evo X Series."

Westwood was also impressed with the performance of the car and said: "I wasn't sure what to expect when I first left the pit lane, but the car was good straight out of the box and it didn't take long before I felt I could lap at a competitive speed. With the way the engine delivers its power, plus the grip the four-wheel-drive gives you, the car is not only quick, it's also very drivable."

The first competitive outing for the JRM Evo X will be at next weekend's Time Attack event at Brands Hatch. Although not a race in the true sense of the word, Time Attack replicates the form of a qualifying session, with the results calculated from the fastest lap times.

JRM see this format as an excellent opportunity for more testing and development, as the Evo will compete against a range of other four-wheel-drive turbo-charged machinery. Added to this, there is less likelihood to be the distraction of racing and the chance of any body contact, which means lap times will be more representative of what the car is capable of.

It has been confirmed that Westwood will drive the JRM Evo X next weekend, it being the experienced racer's first time of competing in a Time Attack event.

JR Motorsports' Evo X race programme is supported by: Pirelli tyres, VP fuels, Motec, Exe-tc suspension, Carbonetics clutches and Performance Friction Brakes.

-credit: evoXseries.com