ACO decides Le Mans line-up

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) has announced the starting grid line-up for this year's Le Mans 24 Hour race. Organisers received nearly 80 entries from teams to compete.

More than half the field (28) will be LMP1 contenders including the likes of Audi's R10 and Peugeot's new 908 HDi FAP, which won in its first outing in the Le Mans Series' opening round at Monza in April.

Audi had the show to itself in the 2006 event but this year's diesel duel will be interesting with Audi contending three of its V12 diesel-powered R10 sportscars, and Peugeot running two V12 diesel 908s.

The petrol-powered brigade includes three new V10-engined Pescarolos backed up by Yves Courage's two V8 AER turbo C75s. The French constructor will be celebrating his 25th year in the Sarthe classic with his own cars. In celebration of Henri Pescarolo’s Matra-driving past, and his victorious epic at Le Mans in 1972, '73 and 74, the new Pescarolo 01 2007 is painted French blue, similar to that of the Matra Endurance prototypes.

Also joining the LMP1 the fray this year are Creation, Zytek, Dome and a Lola -- powered by the famous V8 Audi turbo that has won the event on five occasions.

Lola, Courage and Zytek cars also make up the LMP2 category, while the LM GT1 Grand Touring category will see six Aston Martins up against four Corvettes and two Saleens (entered by the French team ORECA) as well as the single Lamborghini Murcielago from Japan that contested last year.

For once the Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs do not enjoy their usual numerical superiority among the LM GT2 category, as there are five Ferrari F430GTs against four cars from the Stuttgart factory, as well as the 2006 winner Panoz with two entries, and the two C8 Spyker spyders.

This year's race on 16-17 June begins at 3pm. Test day begins 3rd June.