2012 Le Mans 24 Hours - The Automatic Entries

The ACO released the list with automatic invitations for the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours today. Seventeen teams have been invited to take part and if all teams accept their invitation 23 out of 55 available slots will be taken up.

Since no automatic invitations were given to the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup champions Peugeot has only received one invitation for winning Petit Le Mans. Audi on the other hand has been given one for winning the Le Mans 24 Hours this year.

It remains to be seen how many of the automatic LMP1 entries will be taken up as Pescarolo Team has received two and Dyson Racing Team also received two, one for winning the American Le Mans Series and the Michelin Green X Challenge.

In LMP2 Greaves Motorsport has already confirmed it will accept its two invitations. Pegasus Racing has earned an invitation by winning the Formula Le Mans category in the Le Mans Series.

AF Corse has received four automatic invitations, three in LM GTE Pro and one in LM GTE Am. Since a competitor can’t use more than two invitations the Italian team will have to decide which invitations it will use next year.

In order to accept the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours invitation a team will have to enter the Le Mans Series or the American Le Mans Series as well. Entries for the Le Mans 24 Hours open on December 19th and will close on January 18th. The full list of entries will be announced on February 2nd.

 LM P1

AUDI SPORT TEAM JOEST (Audi R18 TDi) 1st 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours
REBELLION RACING (Lola-Toyota) 1st 2011 Le Mans Series
PESCAROLO TEAM (Pescarolo-Judd) 2nd 2011 Le Mans Series
PESCAROLO TEAM (Pescarolo-Judd) 1st 2011 Le Mans Series Michelin Green X Challenge
DYSON RACING TEAM (Lola-Mazda) 1st 2011 American Le Mans Series
MUSCLE MILK ASTON MARTIN RACING (Lola-Aston Martin) 2nd 2011 American Le Mans Series
DYSON RACING TEAM (Lola-Mazda) 1st 2011 American Le Mans Series Michelin Green X Challenge
PEUGEOT SPORT TOTAL (Peugeot 908) 1st 2011 Petit Le Mans

LM P2

GREAVES MOTORSPORT (Zytek-Nissan) 1st 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours
GREAVES MOTORSPORT (Zytek-Nissan) 1st 2011 Le Mans Series
STRAKKA RACING (HPD ARX-01d) 2nd 2011 Le Mans Series
PEGASUS RACING 1st 2011 Le Mans Series FLM
LEVEL 5 MOTORSPORTS (HPD ARX-01g) 1st 2011 Petit Le Mans

LM GTE Pro

CORVETTE RACING (Corvette C6.R) 1st 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours
AF CORSE (Ferrari 458) 1st 2011 Le Mans Series
JMW MOTORSPORT (Ferrari 458) 2nd 2011 Le Mans Series
AF CORSE (Ferrari 458) 1st 2011 Le Mans Series Michelin Green X Challenge
BMW TEAM RLL (BMW M3 E92) 1st 2011 American Le Mans Series
CORVETTE RACING (Corvette C6.R) 2nd 2011 American Le Mans Series
BMW TEAM RLL (BMW M3 E92) 1st 2011 American Le Mans Series Michelin Green X Challenge
AF CORSE (Ferrari 458) 1st 2011 Petit Le Mans

LM GTE Am

LARBRE COMPETITION (Corvette C6.R) 1st 2011 Le Mans 24 Hours
IMSA PERFORMANCE MATMUT (Porsche 911 GT3 RSR) 1st 2011 Le Mans Series
AF CORSE (Ferrari 458) 2nd 2011 Le Mans Series
KROHN RACING (Ferrari F430 GT) 1st 2011 Petit Le Mans