Le Mans entry list unveiled.

The ACO has revealed the 55 entrants and eight reserves for the 2008 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The organisers of the event had 88 potential entrants into the French classic, with 21 of the starting positions quickly filled by automatic entries. It was the left to the governing body to whittle down the remaining entrants to fill the rest of the slots.

LMP1 contains new fewer than 20 entries, with Audi and Peugot set to once again renew their diesel battle. Both teams will run three cars in the race, with Peugeot's team set to contain drivers with well over 300 Formula 1 Grand Prix starts between them.

Henri Pescarolo's eponymous team will again run two cars while customers Rollcentre Racing have a single car, as do fellow British outfit Creation Autosportif. The Bicester-based squad also has a second car on the reserve list.

The newly merged Courage-Oreca squad has two entries into the race as does Charouz Racing Systems, one of which is the stunning closed-coupe Lola-Aston Martin that hit the track recently for the first time.

Single car entries come from the Dome Racing Tea, Chamberlain Synergy, Epsilon-Euskadi (plus one reserve), Autocon, Terramos and the Tokai University squad which has entered a car based on a Courage powered by the YGK Japanese engine.

In LMP2, only teams entered into the Le Mans Series feature, with the Penske Porsche and Acura teams from the ALMS having elected not to chase entries into the race.

Of the LMP2 runners, Speedy Team Sebah will debut its closed coupe Lola in the event as will Embassy Racing with its new WF01. The race will also see the first appearance of the Porsche RS Spyder at La Sarthe with Team Essex and van Merksteijn Motorsport both having earned entries. Interestingly though, there is no Horag Racing Spyder on the entry list.

One of the big surprises comes in GT1, which will once again see Aston Martin Racing and Corvette Racing renew battle. As well as expected entries from Team Modena, Luc Alphand Aventures, Larbre (plus one reserve) and IPB Spartak Racing (plus one reserve), Vitaphone Racing - which turned down an automatic entry with its Maserati MC12 being ineligible - has also secured a slot on the grid running an Aston Martin DBR9.

In GT2, ALMS racers Flying Lizard, Risi Competizione and Tafel Racing will come to Europe to take on the cream of the LMS, including GT2 champions Virgo Motorsport, Spyker and IMSA Performance MATMUT. FIA GT runners AF Corse and BMS Scuderia Italia will also feature.

To view the entry list, CLICK HERE.