ACEMCO abandons Le Mans plan.

American Le Mans Series team ACEMCO Motorsports has officially withdrawn its entry for June's Le Mans 24, blaming a rule change for its decision not to compete.

The team claims that its withdrawal is based purely upon the order, issued ahead of the last ALMS round at Road Atlanta, to use a smaller rear wing on the #63 Saleen S7-R. The GT1 class machine did not handle as well with the change, falling further behind the class-leading Corvettes as a result, and team boss Jeff Giangrande said that it would not make sense - both performance and safety-wise - to take the car to France.

"Based upon our experience at Road Atlanta, when we were running with the ACO-mandated revised wing width, the aerodynamic package of the S7-R is extremely unstable, especially in high speed corners," he said, "Because of the high speeds that are witnessed at the Le Mans circuit, we feel that the car, in its current configuration with six inches less on the rear wing than the team ran in 2004, would be too big of a compromise in overall handling and performance. I also have to think of the safety of my drivers."

Ironically, American Le Mans Series officials are considering allowing the team to go back to its 2004 wing configuration for the remaining eight races on the US-based schedule. The series has already courted controversy with the ACO - which governs the 24 Hours and also lends its rules to the ALMS - by allowing the Maserati MC12 to contest its events, albeit without being able to score points.

"The team will use the month of June to continue testing the aerodynamics, the integration of the new engine management system and forge ahead with our partner, Elan Products, with engine development," Giangrande concluded.

ACEMCO's withdrawal, which follows not long after the 'green fuel'-powered Nasamax team announced its own exit, will allow Raymond Narac's Porsche team into the field, albeit in the GT2 category, rather than as a direct replacement for the Saleen in GT1. The Nasamax prototype was also replaced by a GT2 Porsche - the T2M car - swelling the junior class even further.

Narac's team, however, has been accelerated up the reserve list, however, with the ACO claiming that the original 'next-in-line' - Larbre Competition, Racing for Holland and GPC Sport - had not 'respected the terms of their entry by 13 April, as laid down in the rules'. The only car left on the reserve list is the Dutch-based Spyker C8 Spyder, as neither the Graham Nash Motorsport Saleen or Thierry Perrier's Porsche 911 GT3 have been confirmed.

ACEMCO's decision to abandon its Le Mans quest will also leave drivers Johnny Mowlem and Terry Borcheller on the available list for the French event.