Hethel, England-based Lotus Alex Job Racing announced the addition of Schecter Guitars as a sponsor of the No. 23 Lotus Alex Job Racing/Battery Tender/Yokohama/Lotus Evora GT.
The car will make its debut in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GT Class at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, California, this weekend.
The team at Schecter Guitars even built a custom Solo 6 guitar featuring Lotus graphics painted in the classic black and gold, along with the car's number (23) and splashes of red.
Right now, the guitars are for promotional use only (for Lotus AJR) but, according to Marc LaCorte, executive vice president of Schecter Guitars, the reaction has been so overwhelming that Schecter is talking to Lotus about making a limited run of guitars signed by the team; proceeds would be donated to select charities.
"I'm a Lotus enthusiast and own an Esprit V8," LaCorte 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 car is crafted and fine-tuned to perform on a similar stage in front of thousands of fans. We thought being associated with Lotus Alex Job Racing would be a perfect match."
Alex Job, team principal, realizes the power and following of the Lotus brand.
"I received a call from Marc out of the blue about three weeks ago," Job said. "Marc is 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!"
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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; Seven 12-hour of Sebring wins in 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1995.
Schecter Guitar Research, now in its 35th year of business, offers electric guitars and basses, acoustic guitars and USA Custom Shop instruments to musicians around the world in more than 150 countries. Its continually evolving and expanding line of guitars and basses appeals to a broad spectrum of players and diverse musical styles.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
