X180R on SpeedVision

[lotus4s]

For those who might have missed it, a very nice piece shown tonight on Speed Channel here in the states on the X180R.

Too short but good to see nonetheless. Positive media exposure is not easy to come by.

Here's a link.

http://www.espritv8.com/multimedia/movies/scrlotus.wmv

Big props to Brian Skeoch of the Atlanta bunch in spearheading this project.

Thanks Ernie for hosting this.

Cheers,

[shadeone]

its gonna be airing again sometime on saturday for those who want to see it on actual TV or for those who want to tell their computer illeterate friends...

shade

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

Great piece

How are they doing in the competitions? Or are they getting pantsed by said "bigger displacement cars"?

[f1karting]

What is cool beside the segment, is that the show series is a canadian production..

..what would be even more cool, is if someone in the US, where the cars are kept and restored could get a LEF exclusive photo story on the current owner and cars for us to enjoy..

[Vulcan Grey]

What is cool beside the segment, is that the show series is a canadian production..

..what would be even more cool, is if someone in the US, where the cars are kept and restored could get a LEF exclusive photo story on the current owner and cars for us to enjoy..

Edited May 19, 2006 by Vulcan Grey

[Guest B Skeoch]

Hi guys. I am the team PR guy and will type up a press release or summary about the team. for those who havent seen the airing yet it will be on again tomorrow 5/20 on Sports Car Revolution.

the team is located in Baltimore MD US. the co owners Kevin Mcgovern and Jaime Goffaux bought 3 of the 6 race cars that were builtt and have been restoring them. the 4th is here in Atlanta in a storage shed and is in pieces. The 5th is in PA and is owned by a gentlemen that is sometimes interested and sometimes is not. the 6th car was crashed by Doc in Texas way back in 91. the car was totally destroyed so the team and factory really never counted that one.

the cars are very competitive to this day and will race very well against 911 RSR's, Corvettes, etc. the current team does this for fun and for no prize money as the series is considered for vintage cars only.

primary team driver is Ken Fitzgerald. very smooth and cosistent. other notables behind the wheel at last falls final race were Doc Bundy, David Murry and BS Levy.

this fall race at Road Atlanta will be another Lotu Sport team reunion and I just spoke with Andy Pilgrim and if he is in the states he will come to the event and co drive with Doc or David.

the team is currently in Elkart Lake this weekend racing in the SVRA series. they qualify today for tomorrows 200 mile endurance race. the team has 2 competitive cars and the 3rd will be ready for the fall race here at Road Atlanta.

thanks.

Brian Skeoch

PR Director

Lotu Sport

770-712-8077

[Guest B Skeoch]

guys, the air date for the showing of Sports Car Rev will be tomorrow 5/20 at 10:00 am eastern. the channel is speed tv.

we only had a short time in the show, but it was still worth it.

Brian

[Guest B Skeoch]

I have a bunch of pictures from the event, the interviews, Tom trying to get in the car etc. I will post them to this site this weekend.

Brian

[L8Braker]

Thanks for the video.......

Brian you are on F-chat too right? thought I recognized the name!

I saw one of these cars for sale at the pizza place near the interstate in braselton/winder about 2 years ago and was amazed to see it. I believe the restaurant had pictures of the car all over the inside.

[shadeone]

how much?!?! lol

god i would buy one an x180 in a heartbeat!

shade

[Guest B Skeoch]

yeah, thats me, I am on F chat too. you coming to the Giovanni show tomorrow ?

yeah, the X180R in Brasselton was Andy Waldrops. Andy worked on the team back then and now works at Panoz for their race team.

Jack Ansley also had one of the 20 and he recently sold his.

I want a X180 R too. so bad that I can hardly stand it. Andy Waldrops was very nice. it just needed a bit of TLC. Not sure what happened to his or Jacks.

Brian

[Guest Troy Halliday]

Nice to see an Esprit racing agian thanks for the Video clip.

See I'm not he only nutter I only restored 1 they've done 3

[xwingftr]

I'm really happy to see the X-180's on the track. Anything that keeps the Esprit name alive is all good in my book.

Brian, do you know if Jaime will be getting back to Yesteryear to work on customer cars after this weekend?

Thanks for your efforts with the team!

Johnny

[Guest B Skeoch]

Hey Johnny. Nice to talk with you again. yep, Jaime will roll back into town Sunday night and then its time to park the race cars and get busy on customer cars.

they said last night that teams are coming up to them in WI and saying " hey, we saw you guys on speed tv, so they are getting some recognition.

Doc will be back in the car in October. he will also be driving for Roger Cates in the GT Esprit car which by the way is the exe Zenardi Lemans car . That puppy had 650 horses at one time, but the team has de tuned it to 500 horses. its ready, just needs to be painted Norfolk Yellow again.

Andy Pilgrim too is really happy that these cars are going again. I even spoke with the original PR person for Lotu Sport back in 91. Her name is Robin Herring. She was the nicest woman. I spoke with her a few days ago about that era and she said it was soo much fun. Doc said she was green to the racing series until they got ahold of her. yes, you can imagine what she was like when she left the team. the poor girl. anyway, she is a nice woman. She ended up getting married to Tom Gly of Tom Gloy Racing. She now lives in Tahoe.

its fun turning over rocks and finding out more and more about these days. Jaime has done a complete research down to the DNA of each car and its build history etc. the team even swapped numbers from time to time for different drivers taste for each track. crazy fly by wire stuff. My mechanic actually has the steering wheel from the # 11 car on his chevy truck. he also has 2 original X180 R carbon fiber seat shells from the old team that I am trying to talk him out of. fun stuff like that.

it just goes on and on. some of he stories that I have heard from the original team owner are just amazingly fun and eye popping.

Brian

[Vulcan Grey]

Hey Johnny. Nice to talk with you again. yep, Jaime will roll back into town Sunday night and then its time to park the race cars and get busy on customer cars. 

they said last night that teams are coming up to them in WI and saying " hey, we saw you guys on speed tv, so they are getting some recognition.

Doc will be back in the car in October. he will also be driving for Roger Cates in the GT Esprit car which by the way is the exe Zenardi Lemans car . That puppy had 650 horses at one time, but the team has de tuned it to 500 horses. its ready, just needs to be painted Norfolk Yellow again.

Andy Pilgrim too is really happy that these cars are going again.  I even spoke with the original PR person for Lotu Sport back in 91.  Her name is Robin Herring. She was the nicest woman. I spoke with her a few days ago about that era and she said it was soo much fun.  Doc said she was green to the racing series until they got ahold of her. yes, you can imagine what she was like when she left the team.  the poor girl.  anyway, she is a nice woman. She ended up getting married to Tom Gly of Tom Gloy Racing.  She now lives in Tahoe.

its fun turning over rocks and finding out more and more about these days.  Jaime has done a complete research down to the DNA of each car and its build history etc.  the team even swapped numbers from time to time for different drivers taste for each track.  crazy fly by wire stuff.  My mechanic actually has the steering wheel from the # 11 car on his chevy truck. he also has 2 original X180 R carbon fiber seat shells from the old team that I am trying to talk him out of.  fun stuff like that.

it just goes on and on.  some of he stories that I have heard from the original team owner are just amazingly fun and eye popping. 

Brian

Brian,

Mike Sekinger (on this forun) now owns one of the old GT1 V8 Esprits. He also made his Sport 350 in a GT1 replica.

I wonder what would happen if you contacted Jan Lammers and Mike Hezemans about driving the old GT1 cars...

[Guest B Skeoch]

man thats cool. a GT1 V 8 ? man thats cool... Lammers is here all of the time testing at Road Atlanta. by the way Travis, anyone know what happened with the old Lister Storm race cars that I see on your web page ?

Brian

[L8Braker]

Nah Brian I'm headed to Charleston this weekend......maybe next time though. I live up in Asheville, so I'm about 2.5 hours away from you.

Yeah I remember that X180r not being very much......I think it was priced under $40k, but I can't remember for sure. I know the price seemed too good to be true.

[ragingfool35]

this fall race at Road Atlanta will be another Lotu Sport team reunion and I just spoke with Andy Pilgrim and if he is in the states he will come to the event and co drive with Doc or David. 

Brian Skeoch

PR Director

Lotu Sport

770-712-8077

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

uh, when is this race?

i will be there for the motorcycle races

and would LOVE to the Esprits run!

[Evil_Dr_Fish]

I could be talking out of my dodgy short term memory but I'm sure one of the X180R's popped up on ebay last year?!

[Guest B Skeoch]

there was one on ebay last year. it was the street version. it ended up going to a new home in Indy. it sold for 42 grand. yes, 42 , a steal.

the X180 R race cars are all spoken for. the one that is here in Atlanta was the old # 9 car I believe, and it will need a complete frame off restoration before it can see track duty, but in the mean time, the owner just keeps it in moth balls. a real shame. He wants to get it back on th etrack, but he doesnt want to pay the 50 grand to restore it . I dont blame him. But I know where it is and someday, he will want to turn it.

the actual 1992 championship car was the one you saw on tv . it had a bubble top put in the roof liner for Doc so his helmet had some mobility, and it had an on board brake bias control switch installed to the center console, which I believe was the only car to have that,. it won the championship and is now the # 14 car.

fun stuff. very complicated especially since the record keeping wasnt always up to date .

Brian

[Guest B Skeoch]

the fall race will be in mid October at Road Atlanta,. Usually the 3rd weekend.

[Guest B Skeoch]

good news. I just spoke with the team and this past weekend of racing up at Road America was a sucessful weekend. The team finished 3rd yesterday in the sprint race. 1st and 2nd were a couple of Porsche 911 RSR's and were fast.

Ken Fitzgerald driving the X180 R was very consistent and quick. he is really enjoying the drive in the X180 R and loves its lateral grip capabilities.

thanks

Brian Skeoch

PR , Lotu Sport / Yesteryear Motorsports

[shadeone]

damnit, there was a real x180r within driving distance of me!!! grrrr!

got any pics from the road america event this weekend?

shade

[Vulcan Grey]

I drove Jim Collins' X180-R this weekend, along with a 1960 Lotus Elite, a '67 Super Seven (RHD), and a Europa (5spd).

The X180-R only has 6000miles on it now, still felt brand new. Sounds great with no cat, and only a small BORLA where the cat was.

Pics here

http://www.lotuscolorado.com/vulcangrey/ga...locodriveswap06

Edited May 22, 2006 by Vulcan Grey

[WayneB]

I could be talking out of my dodgy short term memory but I'm sure one of the X180R's popped up on ebay last year?!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes one did Fishy!

Cant remember how much it went for eventually ($30Large ish?)

I do know it had non standard Momo seats and Lince in Columbia was thinking of buying it.

We had a thread about it on the forum B)

Edited May 22, 2006 by WayneB