LMS releases 44-car 2010 entry list

Date published : 03 Feb 2010 - 13:50:59

Le Mans Series organisers have released the entry list for the 2010 season with a 44-car field led by 11 LMP1 entries.Reigning champion team Aston Martin Racing is only set to contest the season opener at Paul Ricard as it concentrates its efforts on a new car for 2011. Signature-Plus will run the title-winning B09/60 car as a customer entry for the full programme.Audi will enter its R15 in three of the five rounds, Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone, while the Kolles team will again run customer R10s.ORECA, which finished third in last year's standings, will run a customer Peugeot 908 HDi as well as one of its own models.Beechdean-Mansell Motorsport will field a Ginetta Zytek 09S for Greg and Leo Mansell, with Nigel joining for selected rounds.The LMP1 line-up is completed by two Rebellion Racing (formerly Speedy Racing Team Sebah) Lolas and a Noel del Bello Racing Lola.The LMP2 class has 16 entries, with Strakka Racing giving Acura its LMS debut with the 2009 American Le Mans Series-winning ARX-01b. Other leading LMP2 entries include OAK Racing (Pescarolo-Mazda), Racing Box (Lola-Judd), Salini (WR-Zytek), Quifel-ASM (Ginetta-Zytek) and Bruichladdich (Zytek).The GT1 class has just two entires, with Larbre Competiion and Atlas FX-Team Full Speed each entering a Saleen S7-R.The GT2 class has grown with the arrival of BMW, which brings its M3 along with Jorg Muller and Dirk Werner. Ferrari team AF Corse has ex-F1 racers Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi on its roster, CRS Racing returns with the Ferrari 430, Porsche is represented by reigning champion Felbermayr-Proton, JMW Motorsport will run a works-assisted Aston Martin Vantage, and Spyker completes the line-up.