Durango ecstatic at Le Mans entry.

Cher Monsieur,

Le Comit? de S?lection de l'ASA ACO des 24 Heures du Mans vient de se tenir et nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter ? vous pr?senter aux v?rifications administratives et techniques des Essais Pr?liminaires 2003.

"Nous vous prions de bien vouloir trouver, en fichier attach?, la liste des engag?s avec votre num?ro de course. Dans l'attente du plaisir de vous accueillir au Mans...

This was the principal content of a letter which the Durango team has been keeping close to its heart since the middle of the week - one which confirms that its hard work in attempting to secure an entry to the 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours has finally paid off.

Already the likelihood of an entry was already known by the Italian outfit, it required official confirmation from the Automobile Club l'Ouest, and reading the invitation has been a pleasure for all concerned. It marks the start of an adventure for the erstwhile F3000 team, and one which its mechanics, engineers, team manager Anselmo Cosmo, and principals Ivone Pinton and Enrico Magro have been waiting for for some time.

Twelve years on from the last Durango experience in Le Mans, running with car #15, the Italian team is set to return to La Sarthe with #19, and ready to demonstrate that nothing is too difficult if it puts in the same amount of trust and work hard that has characterised its return to sportscar racing in recent years.

Running in the premier LMP900 class, the team will field a sole MG-powered Durango prototype for French combination David Hallyday and Philippe Alliot, who will give the right support and advice to young Italian team-mate Michele Rugolo on his first visit to Le Mans.

Rugolo will race the Durango in the forthcoming FIA Sportscar Championship, where he will be teamed with another Italian, Leonardo Maddalena, who has signed to bring his sportscar experience to the team's season-long racing programme.

[image courtesy www.durango.it]