Schecter Guitars joins Lotus AJR for American LeMans
Schecter Guitars Joins Lotus Alex Job Racing
A perfect blend of craftsmanship and speed
HETHEL, ENGLAND; TAVARES, FLA., (Apr. 14, 2012) - Lotus Alex Job Racing welcomes Schecter Guitars as a sponsor on the No. 23 Lotus Alex Job Racing/Battery Tender/Yokohama/Lotus Evora GT that will make its debut in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT Class at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach this weekend.
Schecter Guitar Research, Sun Valley, Calif., is embarking on its 36th year of business. Schecter Guitars have solidified its elite status as one of the world's premier guitar companies, offering electric, acoustic and bass guitars, along with its complete USA Custom Shop providing instruments to musicians in more than 150 countries. One of the company's strongest assets is its growing roster of high-profile artists, including Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, The Cure, Papa Roach, Seether, Prince, Stone Temple Pilots, Nevermore and Black Label Society.
"I am a Lotus enthusiast," Marc LaCorte, executive vice president, Schecter Guitars said. "Racing is very similar to what we do in the guitar business and music world. We have to craft and fine-tune the instrument to perform on a large stage in front of thousands of people. The same applies to a high performance vehicle expected to win in front of all the fans. We thought being associated with Lotus Alex Job Racing would be a perfect match."
Alex Job, team principal, is realizing the power and following of the Lotus brand.
"I received a call from Marc out of the blue about three-weeks ago," Job said. “Clearly he was a Lotus enthusiast and wanted to be a part of our effort this season. Schecter Guitars is a performance business just like Lotus Alex Job Racing. Craftsmanship of a race car and a guitar are very similar. Sometimes you have to play them slow, and sometimes you have to just wail!"
Papa Roach's Jerry Horton to Reveal Schecter Lotus Custom Guitar at Long Beach Grand Prix
HETHEL, ENGLAND; TAVARES, FLA., (Apr. 13, 2012) - Jerry Horton, lead guitar player for rock band Papa Roach, will appear at the Lotus Alex Job Racing trailer at the Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix this Saturday to help with a special Schecter Guitar reveal tomorrow, Sat., Apr. 14.
Since 2000, Jerry Horton has been an endorser of Schecter Guitars and had multiple signature models over 13 years. Most recently his passion for cars is shown on his custom "Skull and Pistons" Signature model. Jerry is often cited as a big part of the Schecter breakout success when he played a relatively affordable C-1 guitar in the band's massive hit video "Last Resort."
"I am a big car guy and love everything that goes fast," Horton said. "Combine rock and roll with racing and I will be there ready to go. I am looking forward to the weekend and being a part of a very cool reveal on Saturday."
Papa Roach, from Vacaville, Calif., had their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest in 2000. The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy (2002), their platinum album Getting Away with Murder (2004), The Paramour Sessions (2006), and Metamorphosis (2009). The band's seventh album, Time for Annihilation, was released in 2010. Papa Roach has sold about 18 million album copies worldwide, and are known for their hits "...To Be Loved," "Broken Home," "Last Resort," Resort", "She Loves Me Not," "Scars," "Forever," "Lifeline" and "Getting Away with Murder."
"We wanted to commemorate our participation with the Lotus Alex Job Racing team by designing a unique race inspired custom Schecter Guitar," Marc LaCorte, executive vice president, Schecter Guitars said. "The custom Solo 6 guitar features Lotus graphics painted in the classic black and gold, along with the cars number 23 and splashes of red. "The lines of the car and guitar are so similar that it just flowed perfectly."
Horton will be revealing the special Schecter Guitar during the American Le Mans Session autograph session at 12:45 p.m. in the Lotus Alex Job Racing paddock area, located on the outside of Turn Nine.
Lotus Alex Job Racing is competing in the American Le Mans Series Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix with its Lotus Evora GT driven by Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler.
The American Le Mans Series Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix will be televised Sat., Apr. 14 at 7:30 p.m., ET on ESPN2; Live streaming of the race will begin at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN3, Sat., Apr., 14; Qualifying can be seen on-line at 8 p.m. Fri., Apr. 13.
Alex Job Racing is one of the most successful teams in sports car racing. The team's resume includes: ALMS GT series championships in 2004, 2003, 2002; a record 22 consecutive ALMS GT pole positions; two-time 24-Hour of Le Mans GT class winners; Eight 12-hour of Sebring wins in 2012, 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1995.
The ALMS GT Class is production-based, moderately-modified two-wheel drive race cars comprise the GT class - BMW M3, Corvette C6.R, Ferrari F458 GT, Ford GT-R, Jaguar XKR GT, Lotus Evora and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The GT cars share many similarities to their showroom brands. With top speeds of up to 180 mph, these elite GTs produce between 450-500 horsepower and have a minimum weight of 1,145 kilograms (2,480 pounds). All GT race cars have green Leader Light System race position lights and green car numbers.
