gaijin
08-30-2005, 03:43 PM
ATHERTON: PORSCHE LMP2 WITHDRAWL WON'T TAKE SHINE OFF PETIT LE MANS
Braselton, Ga. - Despite Porsche's announcement today that its new LMP2 race car, the RS Spyder, will not compete at Petit Le Mans as originally planned, the race will by no means lose any of its luster, said American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton.
Atherton said the news from Porsche "is disappointing for sure, but not completely unexpected." There will be little, if any, hanging of heads as the annual event at Road Atlanta draws closer. There still is much to look forward to, including the anticipated return of Aston Martin's pair of DBR9s and a strong contingent of teams and drivers from Europe and around the world to go along with the ALMS' top-notch talent.
The 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance race, in its eighth edition this year, is scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Braselton road course. It is one of the ALMS' most challenging events on one of North America's most demanding circuits.
"The development of a totally new race car is a daunting task under ideal circumstances, and revisions to test schedules are very common," Atherton said. "The level of competition in the American Le Mans Series is extremely high, and Petit Le Mans is one of the most difficult challenges on the ALMS schedule. Let's face it. It is an extremely difficult race for a fully developed car. So for anyone close to the sport, it is understandable that Porsche has revised its plans."
Geoff Lee, Road Atlanta president, echoed Atherton's statement. "This is unfortunate, but understandable. With the introduction of any new race car, there are unforeseen testing issues," Lee said. "Porsche has not made this decision lightly, and we know they want the car to be ready to race when it first appears on the track in competition. Nevertheless, we are sorry that Porsche and Penske Motorsports will miss what we expect to be a terrific race this year and one of the premier events of the 2005 season. We will look forward to a substantial effort from them next season and at the 2006 Petit Le Mans."
Even without Porsche's new prototype, which will be fielded by Penske Motorsports, this year's Petit Le Mans is setting up to be one of the most action-packed ALMS events ever. It is highly likely that multiple drivers and team championships will be decided in three classes of the ALMS. The stakes are even higher considering that each class-winning entry receives an automatic invitation to next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, as do ALMS season champions. For this year's running of the famed French endurance classic, nine of 12 podium positions went to teams from the American Le Mans Series, including every GT1 and GT2 spot.
To magnify Petit Le Mans' scope even further, eight teams that have won class titles in past events went on to accomplish the same feat the following year at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
"In a relatively short period of time, Petit Le Mans has established a reputation as one of the world's great sports car endurance races," Atherton said. "It's one that everyone wants to win: drivers, teams, manufacturers and sponsors alike. A victory at Petit is a big accomplishment for anyone. And just like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the grid at Petit Le Mans will feature some of the best professional sports car teams and drivers in the world. While the debut of the new Porsche prototype will be missed, Petit Le Mans will be another world-class event by every measure."
Petit Le Mans, Round 9 of the 2005 American Le Mans Series, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 1 from Road Atlanta. Live coverage will be available on SPEED Channel. American Le Mans Radio, and IMSA Live Timing and Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com.
The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Grand Prix of Mosport, set for 3 p.m. EDT Sunday at Mosport International Raceway, with live coverage on SPEED Channel. Qualifying is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 3. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com.
The American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series is a series of sports car endurance racing events patterned after the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. ALMS events feature multi-class racing among the world's most elite sports car racing drivers and teams. The starting lineup for every event includes both factory and privateer racing teams competing for overall wins as well as wins in one of four classes of competition.
Braselton, Ga. - Despite Porsche's announcement today that its new LMP2 race car, the RS Spyder, will not compete at Petit Le Mans as originally planned, the race will by no means lose any of its luster, said American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton.
Atherton said the news from Porsche "is disappointing for sure, but not completely unexpected." There will be little, if any, hanging of heads as the annual event at Road Atlanta draws closer. There still is much to look forward to, including the anticipated return of Aston Martin's pair of DBR9s and a strong contingent of teams and drivers from Europe and around the world to go along with the ALMS' top-notch talent.
The 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance race, in its eighth edition this year, is scheduled for Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Braselton road course. It is one of the ALMS' most challenging events on one of North America's most demanding circuits.
"The development of a totally new race car is a daunting task under ideal circumstances, and revisions to test schedules are very common," Atherton said. "The level of competition in the American Le Mans Series is extremely high, and Petit Le Mans is one of the most difficult challenges on the ALMS schedule. Let's face it. It is an extremely difficult race for a fully developed car. So for anyone close to the sport, it is understandable that Porsche has revised its plans."
Geoff Lee, Road Atlanta president, echoed Atherton's statement. "This is unfortunate, but understandable. With the introduction of any new race car, there are unforeseen testing issues," Lee said. "Porsche has not made this decision lightly, and we know they want the car to be ready to race when it first appears on the track in competition. Nevertheless, we are sorry that Porsche and Penske Motorsports will miss what we expect to be a terrific race this year and one of the premier events of the 2005 season. We will look forward to a substantial effort from them next season and at the 2006 Petit Le Mans."
Even without Porsche's new prototype, which will be fielded by Penske Motorsports, this year's Petit Le Mans is setting up to be one of the most action-packed ALMS events ever. It is highly likely that multiple drivers and team championships will be decided in three classes of the ALMS. The stakes are even higher considering that each class-winning entry receives an automatic invitation to next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, as do ALMS season champions. For this year's running of the famed French endurance classic, nine of 12 podium positions went to teams from the American Le Mans Series, including every GT1 and GT2 spot.
To magnify Petit Le Mans' scope even further, eight teams that have won class titles in past events went on to accomplish the same feat the following year at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
"In a relatively short period of time, Petit Le Mans has established a reputation as one of the world's great sports car endurance races," Atherton said. "It's one that everyone wants to win: drivers, teams, manufacturers and sponsors alike. A victory at Petit is a big accomplishment for anyone. And just like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the grid at Petit Le Mans will feature some of the best professional sports car teams and drivers in the world. While the debut of the new Porsche prototype will be missed, Petit Le Mans will be another world-class event by every measure."
Petit Le Mans, Round 9 of the 2005 American Le Mans Series, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Oct. 1 from Road Atlanta. Live coverage will be available on SPEED Channel. American Le Mans Radio, and IMSA Live Timing and Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com.
The next round of the American Le Mans Series is the Grand Prix of Mosport, set for 3 p.m. EDT Sunday at Mosport International Raceway, with live coverage on SPEED Channel. Qualifying is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 3. American Le Mans Radio and IMSA Live Timing & Scoring will be available at www.americanlemans.com.
The American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series is a series of sports car endurance racing events patterned after the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. ALMS events feature multi-class racing among the world's most elite sports car racing drivers and teams. The starting lineup for every event includes both factory and privateer racing teams competing for overall wins as well as wins in one of four classes of competition.