LE MANS SERIES - ADELAIDE
18 January 2000
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express Macintosh Edition - 4.5 (0410) >Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:09:36 +1030 >Subject: LE MANS SERIES - ADELAIDE >From: "Paul Ryan" <paul@pr2.com.au> > >2000 LE MANS SERIES >ADELAIDE¹S RACE OF A THOUSAND YEARS - December 31, 2000 > >MEDIA RELEASE >18th January 2000 > >ADELAIDE WINNERS TO GET AUTOMATIC LE MANS 24 HOUR ENTRY > >Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz yesterday announced that outright >and class winners at Adelaide¹s Race of Thousand Years next New >Year¹s Eve will be given automatic entry to the 2001 Le Mans 24 Hour. > >Adelaide will be one of only three races in the 12 round 2000 Le Mans >Series in which victory will guarantee a place on the packed Le Mans 24 >Hour grid. > >Such is the demand from sportscar teams to race in the fabled French >race, event organisers, the Automobile Club l'Ouest, stage a separete >pre-qualifying weekend to narrow the field down to the final 48 starters. > >Last year 75 entries were received to contest the race with only five cars >guaranteed of a grid position for the race - leaving 70 cars to fight over >43 spots. > >Whether they be private or factory entries - if the teams do not make the >qualifying time in their class, the car will be missing from the 24 Hour. > >Individual teams can spend up to $500,000 (U.S.) on the pre-qualifying >weekend alone to prepare for the event. > >Adelaide will join the Road Atlanta Petit Le Mans event in the U.S. and the >newly announced Nurburgring race in Germany as the direct qualifying >events. Panoz made the announcement at the prestigious Autosport Show in >Birmingham at the weekend. > >"The chance to gain a direct entry into the Le Mans is a major incentive to >sportscar teams right around the world," Panoz said. > >"If you have a problem on the pre-qualifying weekend and miss the 24 >hour, your entire program can be ruined. By gaining direct entry in the 24 >hour, you can use the pre-qualifying weekend as a test session or by-pass >that weekend and concentrate on your development. > >"No matter what happens in pre-qualifying, you know you will be on the >grid for the main event. It certainly makes life easier for teams for >planning, sponsorship and logistics." > >Pre-qualifying for this year¹s Le Mans 24 Hour will be staged on April 30, >with the race itself on the weekend of June 17 and 18. > >Race winners in the Prototype, GTS and GT classes in the Adelaide >event will have guaranteed grid positions in 2001. > >Panoz said the decision to make Adelaide one of the three qualifying races >will further ensure its success. > >"As I have said before, I think Adelaide will be one of the Œjewels in the >crown¹ of our series and we are keen ensure it will be a major success," >Panoz said. > >"Adelaide¹s reputation for providing a fantastic motor race and an even >better party remains strong in the international motorsport community and >the feedback I have been getting throughout the world is extremely >positive. > >"We plan to position Adelaide as one of the world¹s great sportscar races. >Every driver wants to have victories at Le Mans, Sebring and Petit Le >Mans on their C.V. - we want racers to be desperate to add Adelaide to >that list." > >The Audi and Panoz marques have already committed to the entire Le >Mans series in 2000 and an announcement is expected soon regarding >BMW¹s expected involvement. > >Customer chassis from specialist racecar manufacturers Reynard, Lola >and Riley and Scott are expected to swell the grid. The bonus of >automatic Le Mans qualifying is also expected to attract teams from the >Japanese GT championship. > >Panoz confirmed the calendar for the 2000 Le Mans Series with >Silverstone in the U.K. (May 13) and the Nurburgring in Germany (July 9) >filling the final two spots on the calendar. > >The announcement gives the series 12 races on three continents for the >2000 racing campaign. > >CALENDAR >March 18: 12 Hours at Sebring, Sebring, Florida, U.S. >April 1: Lowes Motor Speedway, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. >May 13: Silverstone, England >July 9: Nurburgring, Germany >July 23: Sears Point Raceway, Sonoma, California, U.S. >Aug. 6: Mosport International Raceway, Ontario, Canada, >Sept. 2: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. >Sept. 10: Portland International Raceway, Portland, Oregon, U.S. >Sept. 30: Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia, U.S. >Oct. 15: Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California, U.S. >Oct. 29: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. >Dec. 31: Race of a Thousand Years, Adelaide, Australia > > >FURTHER INFORMATION: PAUL RYAN > >2000 Le Mans Series >Adelaide's Race of a Thousand Years - December 31, 2000 > >----------------------------------------------------- >PANOZ MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD >6 Cord Street >Dudley Park >South Australia 5008 >PHONE: + 61 8 8342 5777 >MOBILE: (0419) 295 285 >FAX: + 61 8 8344 9830 >E-MAIL: paul@pr2.com.au