Petersen/ White Lightning - 24 Heures Du Mans Race Preview

Petersen/ White Lightning – 24 Heures Du Mans Race Preview

 

LE MANS, France, June 11, 2004 – In 1989, Michael Petersen sought-out
Dale White and White Lightning Racing to assist his entry into desert
truck racing. An immediately successful partnership was born that day.
The two have grown to become teammates, friends and partners in pursuit
of their motorsports dreams. That dream brings the two to Le Mans for
the first time with their own all-out effort to win tomorrow’s 24 Heures
Du Mans. The No. 90 Westward Ho Casino/ MMPIE/ PAWS/ mail2web.com
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR qualified on the LM GT pole for the classic
endurance race with Porsche works drivers Jörg Bergmeister (Langenfield,
Germany), Patrick Long (Oak Park, Calif.) and Sascha Maassen (Raeren,
Belgium). 

 

Petersen and White first came to Le Mans on a reconnaissance trip in
2000 with an eye for a full LM GT program in 2001. Their plans were put
on hold with the untimely death of team driver Bob Wollek. In 2003, the
duo joined with American Le Mans Series (ALMS) rival Alex Job Racing to
come to La Sarthe and compete for the LM GT title. That effort won the
pole and then the race. Now, the Las Vegas-team returns with its own,
complete effort of dedicated technicians, a Porsche 911 RSR and Michelin
tires. To cross the finish line first on Sunday would be the culmination
of a dream for both Petersen and White who have a checklist of major
endurance victories they would like to win in the team’s career. The
list includes the four greatest endurance races of all-time: the BAJA
500 and 1000, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 24 Heures Du Mans and the
Dakar Rally. The first two checks on the list came at BAJA with overall
victories in both the 500 and 1000 in 1995-’97. GT class honors at the
Rolex 24 came in a Porsche in 2001—where the team finished second
overall. Dakar, which would require a minimum of a 16-month lead-time,
has passed the proposal stage but no date for the effort has been set.
Tomorrow’s 24 Heures Du Mans brings the combination its first chance to
bring home a Le Mans victory under the Petersen Motorsports/ White
Lightning Racing banner.

 

Mike Petersen, team owner: “The hours are counting down, finally, for
the start of the race. The weather looks very good for racing and we’re
in the midst of our final prep work. I’m especially looking forward to
the start. As I think the team will agree, this is what we all came here
for, the start of the long, 24 Hour of Le Mans race. Because of all the
thorough prep work and the skilled drivers we are very confident. We are
looking forward to a very competitive race.” 

 

For more, please visit www.petersenmotorsports.com.