THE LINE

June 8, 2011

(Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo)
Corvette Racing team members at the entrance to scrutineering in the Place des Jocobin, located in the center of the medieval city of Le Mans, next to the Cathedrale Saint-Julien, which can be seen in the background.

(Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo)
The No. 73 Corvette Racing C6.R undergoing technical inspection by ACO officials in Place des Jacobins, in Le Mans.

(Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo)
Scrutineering for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a hugely popular, well-attended event in the center of Le Mans.

(Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo)
The Corvette Racing team is one of the attractions at Le Mans - the French racing fans love the sound of those booming American V8s.

(Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo)
There is nothing like Le Mans in June.

(Richard Prince/GM Racing Photo)
Corvette Racing team drivers Antonio Garcia, Tommy Milner, Richard Westbrook, Olivier Beretta, Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen before the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans.

(Photo© Lister/BMW)
Team BMW Motorsport presented its two BMW M3 GT cars for technical inspection for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and completed the so-called “Convocation” at the Place des Jacobins on Monday. These two activities traditionally open the week ahead of the 24-hour race at the 13.629-kilometer “Circuit de la Sarthe” which starts on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (9:00 a.m. EDT). Jörg Müller (DEU), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Dirk Werner (DEU) will drive the No. 55 Team BMW Motorsport BMW M3 GT, and Andy Priaulx (GBR), Dirk Müller (DEU) and Joey Hand (USA) will drive the No. 56 Team BMW Motorsport BMW M3 GT in this weekend's edition of the French endurance classic.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: An exciting development has been announced at Le Mans involving a radical new All-American entry for the 2012 race. The Delta Wing project previously announced as a proposal for the 2012 IndyCar series has now been re-configured into a sports prototype bringing together Ben Bowlby's Delta Wing design and the two-time ALMS champion Highcroft Racing team, with technical involvement and support from Dan Gurney.  This is the most exciting development for racing in years and I believe this project could ultimately determine racing's future. You can read the full press release below, and then make sure you watch the video here. Very cool stuff. - PMD

LeMans, France -- Some of the biggest names in American motorsport will join forces for the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans to showcase a unique concept demonstrating extreme performance with half the weight and horsepower of a traditional racing car.

The Project 56 group brings together the design talents of DeltaWing Racing Cars LLC; the manufacturing capabilities of All American Racers - the company owned by 1967 Le Mans winner and American racing legend Dan Gurney; and back-to-back American Le Mans Series championship winning racing team, Highcroft Racing.

American Le Mans Series founder Dr. Don Panoz has also joined the project as a key advisor.

The group has received an invitation from Le Mans 24 Hour race organizers, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest to contest the 2012 race as an additional 56th entry.

The 56th place on the grid is reserved for a technologically innovative car to participate “outside the classifications” – a vehicle showcasing new applications and unique technologies previously unseen in the world’s greatest endurance race.

While racing cars have traditionally strived for increased performance through gains in horsepower and aerodynamic downforce, the DeltaWing concept concentrates on exploiting efficiency gains found outside contemporary regulations to reduce fuel consumption without reducing performance.

The new and experimental car is targeting competitive performance with only half the horsepower of the outright contenders. It does this through halving the amount of aerodynamic drag of traditional racing cars as well as a similar reduction in weight.

The Project 56 Group is in discussion with engine partners to provide a 1.6-liter turbocharged power plant for the project – producing approximately 300 horsepower.

The car will be unlike any previously seen at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car features a slender nose with extremely narrow front track – minimizing the horsepower required to push the car to speeds of 200mph around the 8.5 mile circuit.

Eliminating the use of traditional wings, downforce for the DeltaWing is generated solely beneath the car by the contoured underbody.

The DeltaWing selection was revealed today at the ACO’s annual press conference coinciding with this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans event.

Construction of the new machine will begin next month at Gurney’s California facility.  The Highcroft Racing team will begin track testing of the new car later this year.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world’s oldest and most famous endurance race.  First held in 1923, the event has attracted the world’s finest automotive manufacturers and drivers.

Highcroft contested the race for the first time in 2010 while Gurney won the race in 1967 aboard a Ford GT40 with AJ Foyt – famously spraying champagne on the podium for the first time to kick start a now world-renowned tradition.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: If you really must keep up on all of the latest F1 developments and the potential U.S. GP in Austin, Texas, go here. - PMD

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Check out Michelin's racing website - "Michelin Alley" - and get in on all of the behind-the-scenes buzz. Go here. - PMD

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