Dodge Viper To Enter American LeMans Series

DaimlerChrysler will enter the newly formed American LeMans Series with two factory-prepared Dodge Viper GTS-Rs.

The Dodge Viper, defending LeMans class winner and two-time Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) GT2 Champion, has achieved considerable success and recognition at the highest level of professional European sports car racing. Yet, up until now, America's most powerful and competitive sports car has appeared at only a limited number of North American racing venues.

That all changes when Viper Team ORECA joins the new American Le Mans Series, beginning with the June 27 race at Ontario's Mosport Park.

"For the past several years, it's been up to the Viper to carry the American motorsports flag in Europe," said DaimlerChrysler Vice President of Motorsports Operations Lou Patane. "We're proud of what we've accomplished. Without detracting from our FIA title defense, we're prepared to challenge for the American Le Mans championship."

The Dodge Viper will join the American Le Mans Series for the six races that follow the June 12-13 Le Mans 24-hour race in France. Three of those races will be broadcast nationally in the United States, and the rest will air on Canada's CNBC network. They include:

The announcement came during the opening of this week's Viper Owners Invititational, an annual event that has drawn some 800 of the distinctive sports cars to Las Vegas for racing schools, social events and even a few weddings among Viper enthusiasts.

The Dodge Viper is well on its way to establishing a motorsports legacy. In 1997, in only its second year in racing, the Viper GTS-Rs entered by Viper Team ORECA won the prestigious FIA GT2 Manufacturer's Championship and the driver's title with Justin Bell dominating the series throughout the year. Viper Team ORECA repeated the feat in 1998 with Olivier Beretta and Pedro Lamy.

Along the way, Viper picked up the first win by an American manufacturer at Le Mans in 29 years in 1998. The win was the first ever at Le Mans for an American production-based car.