LG Motorsports' Riley-Corvette will live on in the hands of Atlas eFX Team FS in 2011. (Photo: John Dagys)
After a failed attempt at bringing the new Panoz Abruzzi to Europe, Atlas eFX Team FS has focused its efforts around another American-built car for its attack on the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
The German squad confirmed Friday that it has purchased Lou Gigliotti’s Riley-Corvette C6 for the seven-round global sportscar championship, which kicks off at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.
After competing in two partial American Le Mans Series seasons with the Riley Technologies-built entry, Gigliotti parked his GT2 contender in favor of a GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT program in 2010.
Now, one year later, the car will have the chance to race on the global stage for the first time.
"The car sits today in the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.," Gigliotti explained. "We will be going up there to get the car next week. The European team will work out of my shop in Dallas to get set for the Twelve Hours of Sebring.
“They will also use my transporter and equipment so they won't have to ship theirs over. Then they'll leave for Europe to compete in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup for the entire season."
In addition to LG Motorsports providing support for the team’s debut at Sebring, one of Giglotti’s drivers, Tomy Drissi, will also be part of Atlas’ program. The Trans-Am ace will pilot the V8-powered beast at Sebring and Petit Le Mans, plus make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut.
Belgian Stephane Lemeret will contest the entire seven-round global championship, with a third pilot yet to be determined.
Atlas is no stranger to Le Mans competition, having campaigned a Saleen S7R in the European-based Le Mans Series last year. Initial plans had the mid-engined supercar to contest the three-round ILMC, but the car was destroyed in accident at the Hungaroring prior to the season-opener.
With the demise of GT1, the team had explored the possibility of campaigning a Panoz Abruzzi and Creation CA07, but both programs reportedly fell through.
The team's new entry into the GTE ranks marks the second Corvette for the ILMC, with Larbre Competition having confirmed its participation with a Pratt & Miller-built ZR1-based C6.R late last year.
