The Motor Sport Month - International News

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McLaren GT readied
The new MP4-12C GT3 racer is the first step in a long-term return to sports car racing by McLaren.
A tie-up with UK-based GT race team CRS Racing to help develop McLaren Automotive’s carbon-chassis 12C for the GT3 class was confirmed late last year. McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has now revealed that a car built to Le Mans GT Endurance class rules (formerly GT2) will follow and that future models will also be developed for racing.
Whitmarsh, whose firm won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1995 with the Fl GTR, described the MP4-12C as “just the start” and continued by promising that “over the next three to four years we are going to roll out a whole range of products”.
The first 12C GT3 should be up and running in March. CRS is planning to undertake a number of races with the car later in the season before production of the first race cars gets underway.
It is planned that 15 GT3s will be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 season, with a total production run of 40 cars.

Pescarolo plans Le Mans return
Sports car legend Henri Pescarolo’s team will return to the Le Mans 24 Hours after a one-year absence.
The renamed Pescarolo Team plans to field at least one of its eponymous one eponymous Judd-powered LMP1 contenders in the 24 Hours and the fiverace Le Mans Series. Emmanuel Collard, who helped the team then known as Pescarolo Sport to the LMS title in 2005 and ’06, has been signed to lead the assault.
Pescarolo, 68, has regained control of his team, which was taken over by the Sora composites group over the 2008/09 offseason. The assets, including two Pescarolo 01 chassis, were bought out of administration by a group including OAK Racing boss Jacques Nicolet and loaned back to the team founder in October.