Cadillac extends Lehto's programme

The Finn's programme with the Northstar prototype has been expanded from just the major three long-distance races (Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans) to include appearances at the sprint events at Mosport (August 18) and Laguna Seca (September 22).

Former Le Mans winner Lehto, who joined Cadillac this year, will be teamed up with Italian Caddy regular Max Angelelli in the second LMP02 for those two events, replacing South African-born veteran Wayne Taylor.

At Cadillac's other sprint race appearance of 2002 - next weekend's inaugural Washington GP - Frenchman Christophe Tinseau will be the driver to take Taylor's place alongside Angelelli. His compatriots Emmanuel Collard and Eric Bernard continue to share the other car.

In a statement Taylor, 45, who is also part of the three-man management of the 3GR team which runs the Cadillac programme, said he has stood down from regular driving duties so that all five other Cadillac drivers get race mileage under their belts before they all team up again at Petit Le Mans on October 12.

Taylor, who has wins at the Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans Series classics, will continue to undertake testing duties.

The move to give Lehto more races is an obvious one because he is regarded as among the very top echelon of sportscar drivers around today. Cadillac had previously blocked a move two weeks ago by Audi privateer team Champion Racing to sign up Lehto for the rest of the ALMS.