Lux Performance Looking for Road America Hardware

Road America has been very good to the Lux Performance Group over the years. Each season, the Oregon-based Trans Am Series race team travels 2,053 miles east to America’s National Park of Speed. Typically, the load is heavier on the trip back to the Northwest because lead-driver Cindi Lux (Aloha, Oregon) has raced her way to the Road America podium and brought the trophy back with her. The 13-time Road Racing champion returns to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin this weekend with the intention to add to her victory hardware at the 4.0-mile track behind the wheel of the No. 45 Lux Performance Group Dodge Viper ACR-X. Also returning to the team for the August 24 Ryan Companies 100 will be Dirk Leuenberger (Redmond, Washington) in the No. 35 Dodge Viper ACR-X.

 

	Cindi Lux is back looking to add to her Road America trophy case. Image courtesy of and in fond memory of our friend John Thawley

Now in her fifth-season of Trans Am, Cindi drove this same V10 beast to Road America podium finishes the last two Trans Am seasons. The black and red Viper narrowly missed victory last year finishing in second-place, only 0.7-tenths of a second behind the leader when the checkered flag fell. She was third in 2016. In 2015, the program raced the pair of American-made machines to a track qualifying record and captured the top-two steps on the Trans Am Series’ SGT – then TA3 – class podium. Going further back, in 2004 and 2006, Lux won the prestigious June Sprints driving a Corvette and Viper respectively.

 

In her career, Lux has earned 13 road racing championships including last year’s Trans Am Series Northern Cup Championship, SGT Class – then known as TA3. In 1999, Lux fought to the inaugural American Le Mans Series Women’s Global GT Series championship and was SCCA NorPac T1 Class Champion from 2003 – 2006. The success on the track and skill behind the scenes earned her factory driver status with Dodge Motorsports from 2005 -’07, a Mopar factory driver position in 2008 and the same position with SRT in 2012. To-date, she has four Trans Am Series wins along with 21 podiums and six pole positions in the production-car based class. All of the success brought her recognition in the industry as well. She was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oregon Motorsports Museum Assoc., was the Oregon SCCA National Driver of the Year (’03), Pro-Driver SCCA Driver-of-the-Year Award (’99) and the Northwest Pat Piggot Memorial Award winner for the most outstanding driver in 1992. In her career, Lux has more than 80 victories, over 160 podium finishes and more than 50 pole positions.

 

Fred and Cindi Lux. Image courtesy of and in fond memory of John Thawley

With a race scheduled for 100-miles, Lux will have work to do. The packed entry list of sports cars – the largest SGT class of the season to-date – makes for heated competition with each machine having a variety of speed and braking differences. That puts a premium on the brake systems and the drivers who regulate their use. While the meaty disc brakes are the best on the market for Trans Am competition, the challenge for the drivers is to make them last. Lux has long been known as an ace at managing her car while husband Fred Lux is renowned throughout the paddock as “The Mad Scientist” with panache for perfect preparation.

 

Joining Black Rock on the No. 45 Viper will again be CoolShirt Systems, Forgeline Wheels and Motion Control Suspension.

 

CBS Sports Network will broadcast the Ryan Companies 100 on a tape-delayed basis. Check local listings for exact times in your area.