Petersen/White Lightning to run at Le Mans.

The Automobile Club De L'Ouest [ACO] - the sanctioning body for the 24 Heures Du Mans - announced yesterday that the Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing Westward Ho Casino/ MMPIE/ PAWS/ Justice Bros./ Michelin Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has been asked to participate in this year's 72nd Running of the classic French endurance event.

In 2003, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing teamed with American Le Mans Series rival Alex Job Racing [AJR] to win the LM GT class of the world's most famous sports car event.

The Automobile Club De L'Ouest [ACO] - the sanctioning body for the 24 Heures Du Mans - announced yesterday that the Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing Westward Ho Casino/ MMPIE/ PAWS/ Justice Bros./ Michelin Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has been asked to participate in this year's 72nd Running of the classic French endurance event.

In 2003, Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing teamed with American Le Mans Series rival Alex Job Racing [AJR] to win the LM GT class of the world's most famous sports car event.

In 2004, the Michael Petersen-owned Porsche race team has been invited back to chase the class win under the White Lightning Racing entry on June 12-13.

Petersen and team manager Dale White have accepted the invitation and will field the #90 Michelin tyre-shod Porsche RSR in the LM GT class. The driver line-up is currently being finalised and will be announced soon.

"I'm definitely excited about returning with my team and hopefully carrying on the success of last year," said car owner, Mike Petersen, "Le Mans has been a dream of mine forever and I know all the guys are very excited. We are all looking forward to the overall experience of returning to Le Mans.

"I want to thank all of our sponsors because without them none of this would be possible. Most importantly, I want to thank the guys for working so hard to make this happen. We have been refining this team so that we can take the nucleus of it and race at the top of any series that we want run anywhere in the world. And that includes in major events like at Le Mans. I think we are getting very close to that. I'm looking forward to the return to the historic race of Le Mans and, perhaps, a return to the podium. We'll be making an exciting driver line-up announcement very soon. So, I think all the pieces will be in place for us to do well."

The ACO selected Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing based on many factors including the team's exceptional level of performance since entering the ALMS in 1999.

Also considered was this month's third-place finish in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and last year's victory in the Road America 500 plus podium finishes at Sebring and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing, one of only 50 overall and 14 LM GT class invitations issued, shipped its new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to France Wednesday in anticipation of the preliminary testing at the Circuit Des 24 Heures Du Mans, on April 25.

"I am pleased we were invited on our own merit to participate with our own team this year," added White, "Petersen Motorsports/ White Lightning Racing has been together now for a long time and works great together.

"Our Porsche will have the same graphics as last year so the fans will hopefully remember us. We're coming back in force with the whole White Lightning team, with Petersen Motorsports, Porsche and Michelin. It's an honour to be coming to Le Mans but we are coming to win."

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