Qvale [SEP] dissolved or abolished
be delivered, Qvale and De Tomaso parted ways. Qvale took over the factory and the car's production. De Tomaso, however, refused to allow the use of his name. The first Mangustas were delivered to their customers with De Tomaso badges, which subsequently had to be exchanged at the dealers for the now-official Qvale logos.
Between 2000 and 2002, Qvale built 284 cars, the majority of which were exported to the USA. The lack of a well-known brand name, the slowing economy,
which would continue until (the series dissolved in) 2006 and also 2009, after which team owner Paul Gentilozzi would switch to the American Le Mans Series. In an 11 year span, Rocketsports Racing would garner a total of 8 Championships among 4 different drivers.
It was, however, the end of the "American muscle revival" era that had begun in 1989, with Italian manufacturer Qvale winning the championship in 2000.
The rules package changed again in 2000, with "Spec" (design specifications) rear