Petersen/ White Lightning Invited To Run Porsche at Le Mans
Petersen/ White Lightning Invited To Run Porsche at Le Mans LAS VEGAS, March 26, 2004 - The Automobile Club De L'Ouest (ACO)- the sanctioning body for the 24 Heures Du Mans- announced today that the Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing Westward Ho Casino/ MMPIE/ PAWS/ Justice Bros./ Michelin Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has been asked to participate in this year's 72nd Running of the classic French endurance event. In 2003, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing teamed with American Le Mans Series (ALMS) rival Alex Job Racing (AJR) to win the LM GT class of the world's most famous sports car event. In 2004, the Michael Petersen-owned Porsche race team has been invited back to chase the class win under the White Lightning Racing entry on June 12-13. Petersen and team manager Dale White have accepted the invitation and will field the No. 90 Michelin tire-shod Porsche RSR in the LM GT class. The driver line-up is currently being finalized and will be announced soon. The ACO selected Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing based on many factors including the team's exceptional level of performance since entering the ALMS in 1999. Also considered was this month's third-place finish in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and last year's victory in the Road America 500 plus podium finishes at Sebring and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing, one of only 50 overall and 14 LM GT class invitations issued, shipped its new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to France Wednesday in anticipation of the preliminary testing at the Circuit Des 24 Heures Du Mans, on April 25. Mike Petersen, car owner: "I'm definitely excited about returning with my team and hopefully carrying on the success of last year. Le Mans has been a dream of mine forever and I know all the guys are very excited. We are all looking forward to the overall experience of returning to Le Mans. I want to thank all of our sponsors because without them none of this would be possible. Most importantly, I want to thank the guys for working so hard to make this happen. We have been refining this team so that we can take the nucleus of it and race at the top of any series that we want run anywhere in the world. And that includes in major events like at Le Mans. I think we are getting very close to that. I'm looking forward to the return to the historic race of Le Mans and, perhaps, a return to the podium. We'll be making an exciting driver line-up announcement very soon. So, I think all the pieces will be in place for us to do well." Dale White, entrant, team manager: "I am pleased we were invited on our own merit to participate with our own team this year. Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing has been together now for a long time and works great together. Our Porsche will have the same graphics as last year so the fans will hopefully remember us. We're coming back in force with the whole White Lightning team, with Petersen Motorsports, Porsche and Michelin. It's an honor to be coming to Le Mans but we are coming to win." Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing began operation as an off-road team in the 1980s winning over 50 truck victories, including three-consecutive overall wins at the Baja 1000, and multiple championships. Since beginning sports car racing, the effort has scored victories in the ALMS, the Trans-Am Series, Speed Challenge Series and endurance sports car wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Alex Job Racing, Watkins Glen and at the Rolex 24 of Daytona. For more, please visit www.petersenmotorsports.com. ### Digital images and complete team and driver bios available upon request. Editors, please do not publish any contact information other than web sites. Thank you. contact: Tom Moore, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing, 615-599-7034 (office), 404-229-3703 (cell), tom@darkhorsecom.com