Le Mans receives 96 entry requests.

Le Mans 24 Hours organiser, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest [ACO], has confirmed receipt of 96 entries for this year's 70th running of the round-the-clock marathon on 15-16 June.

The submission represents an increase of almost 20 per cent over the amount submitted for the 2001 race, and the ACO Selection Committee will convene in the next few weeks to decide the 48 cars that will be invited to participate in the famed endurance racing classic. The entry requests include 44 from 'prototype' cars in the LMP 900 and LMP 675 classes, and 52 from 'grand touring' cars in the GTS and GT classes.

The Committee will attend next weekend's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the opening event of the 2002 American Le Mans Series season, and will announce its choices in the days following the event.

Many American Le Mans Series [ALMS] teams are among those that have submitted entry requests and, as an element of the strong relationship between the ALMS and the ACO, teams that regularly compete in ALMS races will receive special consideration in the selection process.

Eight competitors are already officially pre-selected for the event based on wins at Le Mans last year or wins in two Le Mans Series races that were designated as official 'qualifying events' - Petit Le Mans on the ALMS and the Estoril round of the now defunct European Le Mans Series.

Pre-selected based on wins in last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans are Audi Sport Team Joest (LMP 900), Corvette Racing (GTS) and Seikel Motorsport (GT), while Audi and Corvette are also in courtesy of their wins at Road Atlanta. Pescarolo Sport (LMP 900), Ray Mallock Limited (GTS) and Freisinger Motorsport (GT) are pre-selected based on wins in the Estoril event.