Larry Schumacher to debut Lola''s new sportscar

The car that set this year's benchmark for safety in sportscar racing's SR2 category will break cover later this month in America - with a Schumacher behind the wheel.

Leading British race car manufacturer Lola Cars International Ltd this week delivered its first B2K/40 machine to Martin Snow . He will drive the car along with fellow American Larry Schumacher, a double US Road Race Car Club GT Champion.

Schumacher, along with car owner Snow, will help give the car its first taste of competition in the second round of the Grand American Road Racing Championship, at Phoenix on Sunday, April 23. A second B2K/40 SR2 racer is due to be shipped out next week from Lola's Cambridgeshire base to the TRP Racing team that will also run the car at Phoenix.

Following Phoenix, both teams will contest the remaining seven rounds of the Grand-Am series with the Lola B2K/40.

Last month, Lola became the first manufacturer in 2000 to see its SR2 pass the full set of crash and structural tests, set down by the sport's governing body, the FIA. It was also the first all-aluminium chassis to do so.

With the B2K/40's advanced aerodynamic package -- a result of Lola's extensive wind-tunnel programme at its in-house, 50 per cent facility -- the company is very optimistic about the potential performance of the new car compared to its rivals.

Says Lola's Managing Director David Bowes: "We are achieving great results on all our new cars because of our state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility . It's allowing us to push the boundaries of design and aerodynamics to a new level and we hope to see the predictions from the tunnel proven on the track throughout the year."

Further B2K/40 SR2 cars are due to supplied to customers in the coming months.