Intersport Racing opts for customer MG/Lola.

Intersport Racing has announced that it has purchased a new MG Lola EX257 to contest the entire 2002 American Le Mans Series schedule in the LMP 675 class.

The #37 Intersport Racing/Banana Joe's MG Lola will make its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring on 16 March after Intersport decided to replace one of it ageing LMP900 class Lolas. Jon Field, Duncan Dayton and Mike Durand piloting the prototype machine.

"We are looking forward to running the full ALMS season and competing for the LMP 675 championship," said another of Intersport's drivers, Clint Field.

The team is no stranger to the Lola chassis, as it has entered a Lola-Judd in the senior class of both the ALMS and the Rolex Sports Car Grand-Am series for the past two seasons, and the Banana Joe's car looked odds-on to win the recent Daytona 24 Hours, only to be thwarted by mechanical problems.

"We are excited to be working with Lola again with this new MG product," Field said, "We have some great results in the Lola chassis and are looking to continue our success."

The rapid two-litre turbo-charged sportscar, demonstrated to American teams by Jonny Kane at Sebring before Christmas, is significantly lighter than the current race-winning LMP 900 class cars, and its excellent fuel economy is expected to make it a serious contender in the longer races in the ALMS series. Jon Field tested the car in Atlanta and confirmed that the car had the potential to take podium finishes at every event.

Intersport becomes the second US team to take advantage of MG/Lola's decision to make customer versions of the car available for sale, following a similar move by LMP675 regulars KnightHawk Racing.