McNish Predicts Competitive Race

The 1998 winner will drive a Champion Racing Audi R8 with triple Le Mans winners Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro. Yet despite the Audi R8 having won four of the past five Le Mans, the Scot believes this year's race is wide open.

McNish said: "Several cars are capable of victory. The last couple of races in the American Le Mans Series and the first round of the Le Mans Endurance Series prove that Audi will have a fight on its hands."

During practice for the event, McNish's car was eighth quickest in the hands of Biela and Pirro. McNish did not participate because he was racing in DTM at Brno.

He added: "We have a proven car and team package combined with an extremely strong, two-car driver line-up. Audi will race a new car next year at Le Mans and I'd love to give the Audi R8 a final victory at La Sarthe."

If McNish's Champion Racing team do take victory, it would be the first triumph for a privateer US team at Le Mans and the first for an American team since 1967. The team have achieved third place for the past two years.