Greetings scR friends, family, and followers!  While it has been a while since our last official team newsletter, there has been a flurry of activity in preparing all three cars for their 2003 campaign.  Dyno testing, chassis tweaking, schedule preparation , and budget reductions (yes, they effect everybody) have kept us on our toes since January 1...here's the latest news.

The #34 team scR car is nearly ready for its engine replacement.  Through hours of meticulous assembly, measurement, balancing, and blueprinting, the little 1.9 liter motor is now producing a couple more horsepower than in years past.  Rest assured it's no LT1, but careful tuning was employed to shift the power into more usable zones.  After all, on the race track you rarely drive around at 3000rpm!  Maybe it will be enough of a bump to hang with the Hondas on the straights, but we won't know for sure until May. 

Both the #21 car of the R^3 team and the #34 car will be undergoing significant, if evolutionary, changes in chassis set-up.  Having learned quite a bit in the past three years about Saturn chassis wants and needs, we have targeted a new tuning package for those specific tracks we race throughout the year.  Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta...big, fast corners will be our focus this season.  When combined with the power gains found on the dyno, the package should be a significant step from 2002.

Leading the charge in 2003 will be the #55 car of the Six Cats Racing team.  With a test day scheduled for the end of March, ample opportunity will be available for the continual performance enhancements that go hand-in-hand with owning the world's largest Saturn performance parts provider.  Many new products, including some under development, will make their way into the #55 car this year.  You will be among the first to hear of the successes we find along the way.

Finally, we have compiled a preliminary schedule for 2003.  While not set in stone, between babies, budgets, and horse barns, this is where you will be able to find us this summer.  Our website should be updated with this information soon...

3-28 Putnam Test Day (#55)
4-13 IRP regional (#55)
5-25 Grattan regional (#21, #34, #55)
7-6 Mid-Ohio regional (#21, #34, #55)
8-3 BeaveRun regional (#21, #34, #55)
9-14 Watkins Glen regional (#34)
10-5 Mid-Ohio regional (#21, #34, #55)
11-9 Road Atlanta ARRC (#21, #34, both tentative)

That's all for now.  Stay tuned, stay in touch, and remember it's only 11 days until the start of scR motorsports 2003!

james walker, jr - #34 - team scR
mark rushbrook - #21 - R^3 motorsports
john comeskey - #55 - six cats racing