Sospiri injury prevents racing return

The ex-Formula 3000 champion tried out the Den Bla Avis squad's Panoz LMP Roadster S at Snetterton on Wednesday, but found that his injured shoulder was still not ready for the rigours of an endurance race.

"The shoulder is okay for a few laps," said the Italian, "but after that I had to take some painkillers. The doctors had told me it wouldn't be ready for another couple of months."

Sospiri expects to drive the Den Bla Avis car in the series finale at Kyalami at the end of November, but hopes that he could be ready for the previous round of the championship at Magny-Cours.

The driver injured his shoulder late in 1998 and underwent an operation one year later. His only event since undergoing treatment was last season's Kyalami round of the World Cup, during which he drove only a handful of laps.

Sospiri has been replaced alongside John Nielsen by Panoz test driver Klaus Graf. Another late change to the entry is Jean-Philippe Belloc's arrival at the Durango team. The ORECA Viper team regular takes the place of Soheil Ayari in the Italian squad's GMS-Mader.