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24H Le Mans

LM24 Entry List Notebook

Tony DiZinno’s notebook from the 24 Hours of Le Mans entry list reveal…

Photo: John Dagys

Photo: John Dagys

***Nissan has the highest engine representation in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nissan will power 15 of the 20 cars in LMP2, while the three new Nissan GT-R LM NISMOs in LMP1 bring the tally up to 18 of the 56 cars.

***In the GTE ranks, Ferrari still has the most cars between GTE-Pro and GTE-Am, but with only eight F458 Italias confirmed and a ninth as the third reserve, the Italian manufacturer comes up short of double digits. There are six Porsches, five Aston Martins and three Corvettes to make up the balance of confirmed entries.

***The U.S. has four teams entered, but Dempsey Racing-Proton is not one of them. Extreme Speed Motorsports is the lone full-season U.S.-listed entrant into the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, with Corvette Racing, Krohn Racing and Scuderia Corsa the three others. The Dempsey-Proton Porsche is listed instead as a German entrant. If Riley Motorsports-TI Auto advances from the reserve list, that would make for five U.S. teams on the grid.

***The Asian Team AAI, which earned two automatic invitations to Le Mans from the Asian Le Mans Series, has two spots confirmed in GTE-Am with a pair of older, 997-spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR chassis. The new 991-spec Porsche 911 RSR is into its third year, which leaves these two cars among the oldest in the field as it stands, along with Pegasus Racing’s Morgan Nissan. AAI had run both a BMW Z4 GT3 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in the Asian championship.

***Full-season ELMS entrants Algarve Pro Racing (No. 25 Ligier JS P2 Nissan) and Ibanez Racing (No. 44 Oreca 03R Nissan) are the fifth and seventh reserves, respectively, on the 24 Hours of Le Mans entry lists. Nine of the remaining 10 ELMS full-season LMP2 cars were granted a spot on the Le Mans entry list.

***SMP Racing’s pair of new BR01 chassis have a Nissan engine listed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but not for the European Le Mans Series. On the ELMS entry list, the BR01s are listed as just BR01s. A tire partner has not been designated for the team on either one; the team ran Michelin in 2014.

***Signatech-Alpine has confirmed Silver-rated Vincent Capillaire alongside Paul-Loup Chatin and Nelson Panciatici in the No. 36 Alpine A450b Nissan. Capillaire replaces Oliver Webb, who shifts to Team SARD-Morand for 2015.

***Wolf Henzler has been listed as Proton Competiton’s first driver for its No. 65 Porsche 911 RSR, the sixth reserve entry. However, he was named to the factory No. 92 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 RSR alongside Patrick Pilet and Fred Makowiecki for GTE-Pro.

***Gulf Racing’s ELMS GTE effort will feature Mike Wainwright, Adam Carroll and James Winslow. Gulf’s No. 86 Porsche 911 RSR is the fourth reserve on the entry list. Gulf team drivers Roald Goethe and Stuart Hall have been confirmed as two of the three drivers in the No. 96 Aston Martin Racing GTE-Am entry, a full-season WEC car.

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno) is Sportscar365's North American Editor, focusing on coverage of the IMSA-sanctioned championships as well as Pirelli World Challenge. DiZinno also contributes to NBCSports.com and other motorsports outlets. Contact Tony

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