Le Mans - France (June 14th, 2006)  Multimatic Motorsports Team Panoz has completed the opening phase of qualifying at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with heavy rain lashing the circuit for the entire night.

While the #77 Panoz Esperante only recorded the 10th fastest time in the GT2 class at 4 minutes, 55.638 seconds, all three Multimatic drivers were able to complete their mandatory three qualifying laps under night time conditions.

With clearer skies predicted for tomorrow night’s second qualifying session, Multimatic Vice President and Motorsports Technical Director Larry Holt is confident of a stronger showing.

“I certainly would have liked to have recorded a faster time, but we were able to complete the night without any major problems,” Holt said.

“We know we have a very fast car in the dry, but tonight showed we probably still have work to do if it remains wet for the rest of the week.

“The positive aspect is we were able to complete 31 laps without any car issues.

“The weather forecast is looking good for tomorrow, so we be working hard with Pirelli to get a tire combination that will allow us to challenge at the sharp end of the field.”

The second night of qualifying kicks off on Thursday at 7.00pm. The final two-hour session runs from 10.00pm to midnight.