This year’s Petit Le Mans will once again be shown LIVE on Motors TV (Sky Digital 413 and Virgin Media 545) in September with non-stop coverage of all ten hours.
The High Speed Television Channel, which has been the exclusive home of the American Le Mans Series in Europe since 2004, kicked off the season with live, lights-to-flag coverage of the famous Sebring 12 Hours. Naturally, that same treatment returns for what promises to be the tightest duel of the sportscar calendar!
The race features the strongest line-up of LMP1 machinery seen anywhere all season. Audi, whose all-new R15 TDi triumphed at Sebring on debut, return to the ALMS for the first time since that victory in March desperate to avenge the defeat by arch rivals Peugeot at Le Mans in June. The brace of 908 HDi FAPs meanwhile will themselves be out to make up for the disappointment of 12 months ago when, after ten hours of racing, just 4.5 seconds separated them from the winning Audi.
Acura meanwhile are the unknown quantity of the three heavyweights, their only clash with Europe’s top two so far resulting in a shock pole position at Sebring. A season in the States spent testing and racing means they’ll be ready for the fight. Likewise ORECA, who will make their prototype debut at Petit following a successful LMS campaign.
Throw into the mix a healthy number of LMP2 entries, not to mention the ultra-competitive and unpredictable GT2 category, and you’ve got an event any self respecting motorsport fan cannot afford to miss.
“This year’s Petit Le Mans looks like being a belter!” said Motors TV’s Head of Programming and Acquisitions Frederic Viger. “The feedback we’re getting is that fans want to see these grandee races in their entirety and with such a great line-up this year, it’s little wonder. Thanks to their limited 2009 schedules, it will be only the third race for Audi’s new R15 so it’s going to be interesting to see how it measures up against Peugeot post-Le Mans. I’m sure Acura will have also improved since Sebring and when you throw in the likes of ORECA, Drayson and the other ALMS regulars, it’s shaping up very nicely.”
Motors TV’s live Petit Le Mans coverage kicks off on Saturday, September 26 at 4pm. Catch it on Sky Digital 413 and Virgin Media 545.
