Estoril preview

Estoril 1000KM - Le Mans 2002 Awaits The Winners!

Four times Le Mans winner and sportscar legend Henri Pescarolo brings his team, featuring Jean-Christophe Boullion, to Estoril next weekend seeking one of the automatic qualification places for the 2002 Le Mans 24 Hour race. Three entry places are up for grabs in this European Le Mans Series 1000km endurance event, for the winning prototype, GTS and GT cars. It promises to be an exciting and competitive race with so much at stake for the 22 cars assembled, heat is likely to play a significant part in the outcome of the race.

Portuguese interest will focus on Tiago Monteiro, the Formula 3 hot-shot driving the Panoz of Lanesra Racing team. On home soil, Monteiro will no doubt be looking to demonstrate his racing credentials against the likes of BAR test driver Patrick Lemarie, Tom Coronel and ex-Formula One ace Stefan Johansson, all piloting the Gulf Audi R8 of Johansson Racing and likely to be pushing for honours at the front of the grid. The newly launched sportscar team AKR, backed by British girl band Atomic Kitten, are entered with a Chevrolet Corvette into the highly competitive GT class, dominated by Porsche and including a two-car entry from British team PK Sport, fresh from a creditable 16th place overall on their Le Mans debut.

New entries for the European Le Mans Series include the Brookspeed Viper to challenge the dominant Saleen S7R's of Konrad and RML. The RML driver line-up is strengthened by the inclusion of Londoner Chris Goodwin, who will transfer from the McLaren Formula 1 car that he will drive this weekend at the Goodwood Festival. With Luc Alphand Aventures, Freiseinger Motorsport and Racing Engineering joining Atomic Kitten Racing in making their debut, the pop group backed car might not go straight in at number one.

-ELMS-