Chrysler Press Release: Four Vipers In for 24-Hours of Le Mans

05/23/96

CHRYSLER TO RACE FOUR VIPERS AT LE MANS

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 16 -- There will be four
Chrysler Viper GTS-Rs running in this year's 24-Hours of Le Mans,
entered by the North American Canaska/Southwind and French ORECA race
teams.  Chrysler Corporation today has decided to enter four
of the five Viper GTS-Rs that pre-qualified at Le Mans on April 28.

"We entered all five cars in pre-qualifying last month in order to
put our best foot forward," said Lou Patane, executive director,
Motorsports Operations, Chrysler Corporation.  "We were very pleased
that all five cars qualified, but after careful analysis of all the
factors involved, we've concluded that at this early stage in our
program, it's more prudent to race four cars with full support."

"To have four cars competing at Le Mans in June is already an
outstanding achievement for Team Viper, which is comprised of less than
a dozen members of Viper engineering.  They used the same tools and
facilities to develop the GTS-R that Chrysler's platform teams use every
day to produce vehicles faster and more cost-effectively than any other
automaker," Patane added.  "This accomplishment is further proof that
our motorsports strategy is efficient and effective."

At pre-qualifying for the 24-hour race in April, the Vipers proved
their potential by placing tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth and
sixteenth in class.

One of the cars run by ORECA during pre-qualifying is a prototype
vehicle that has been a development car since the beginning of the GTS-R
program.  It will not appear at Le Mans, but will continue as a test
vehicle throughout the remainder of the season.

"We have already informed the ACO of our decision, allowing plenty
of time for one of the reserve teams to prepare for the race," said
Patane.  "We look forward to competing against the best-of-the-best next
month and plan on being with them at the end of the 24 hours."

Chrysler entries at the 24-Hours of Le Mans on June 15 and 16 will
consist of: Price Cobb, Mark Dismore and Shawn Hendricks driving #48 for
Canaska/Southwind of the U.S.A.; Alain Cudini, John Morton, and Victor
Sifton in Canaska/Southwind's #49 car.  The driver lineup for the ORECA
cars, running under the French flag, will be finalized next week.