LeMans

[Boxer]

Will Panoz be at LeMans this year?

[Ackmann]

I would think so since they have given up their recent plans to run an LMP1 car and have decided to put their focus into the GT2 program as it has gotten very competetive with new manufactures fielding cars. At least this is my take on the situation. I was thinking about placing a few calls and feeling them out, but am trying to be very respective of their privacy as they been supportive with our efforts to develop this site.

[Boxer]

Is Panoz still family owned ?

[Ackmann]

It is. Don Panoz still owns it, ALMS Racing Series, Sebring, Road Atlanta, and Mosport Raceway. He is involved with many other companies, some being the Algea Fuel development they were discussing running in the LMP1 car. Great family story really; fun to read about. Their engineer John Leverett is the man behind the scene that has been very instrumental to working on both street and racing cars. They dont build the Indy cars anymore I believe but still maintain a good program in ALMS. Hopefully with new motivation we will see them field a larger program as well as the street cars. I know that it's been too long for their street car program and they'll loose some of the benifit of all the work they did to develop the Esperante. With the dollar being weak they should put a right hand drive together to market into Europe.

[Boxer]

It is. Don Panoz still owns it, ALMS Racing Series, Sebring, Road Atlanta, and Mosport Raceway. He is involved with many other companies, some being the Algea Fuel development they were discussing running in the LMP1 car. Great family story really; fun to read about. Their engineer John Leverett is the man behind the scene that has been very instrumental to working on both street and racing cars. They dont build the Indy cars anymore I believe but still maintain a good program in ALMS. Hopefully with new motivation we will see them field a larger program as well as the street cars. I know that it's been too long for their street car program and they'll loose some of the benifit of all the work they did to develop the Esperante. With the dollar being weak they should put a right hand drive together to market into Europe.

Thanks for the insights. A Panoz would probably do very well on the UK market.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally it was said by Dominik Farnbacher that an "Evo" version of the Esperante GTLM would be developed for the 2010, but now PTG has put its transporters up for sale and will not be running anything in 2010.

The very same chassis that PTG ran this year first made its debut in 2004 and the car has simply been developed about as far as is possible (especially when Tom Milner has been doing it all on his own with VERY little Panoz support for the past 2 years).

Unfortunately for all of us Panoz fans, there will be NO Panoz on the grid anywhere in 2010...