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FIA World Sports Car Champion Lammers and Le Mans Veteran Goossens To Join Doran-Lista Racing's Theys and Lienhard for Rolex 24 at Daytona

LEBANON, Ohio, Jan. 16 - Doran-Lista Racing announced today that Jan Lammers and Marc Goossens will join Didier Theys and Fredy Lienhard Sr. in the cockpit of the Doran-Lista Racing DORAN JE4 Lexus #27 in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

Lammers is the reigning FIA world sports car champion as both a driver and team manager.  Last month he and his Racing for Holland Dome S101 Judd team received FIA awards for winning the 2003 world sports car championship at a gala in Monte Carlo, Monaco, sharing the spotlight with Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, Peter Solberg and John Bosch, among others.

Like Theys, Lammers has won the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona twice, taking the overall victory in 1988 and 1990.  He has competed in the Rolex 24 eight times.  The native of Zandvoort, The Netherlands also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 in a Jaguar.

Goossens, of Geel, Belgium, will be making his first start in the Rolex 24 but he's competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year since 1996.  He won the Zolder 24 overall twice in a Porsche (1997 and 1998).  He's been competing most recently as a member of the Jim Matthews Riley & Scott program, finishing third in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2002.  He was a member of the Cadillac LMP program in 2001 and 2000.

Theys, a native of Belgium who now resides in Scottsdale, Ariz., won the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in 1998 and 2002 under the direction of legendary team manager Kevin Doran, who is also the manufacturer of the DORAN JE4, the most successful car in the Daytona Prototype class. The Sports Racing Prototype driver champion in 2002, Theys will be making his eleventh consecutive start in the Rolex 24 this year.  He has never driven with Lammers before, but he and Goossens were teammates at Le Mans in 2002 in a Riley & Scott.

Lienhard, who lives in Niederteufen, Switzerland, also has a Rolex 24 overall victory to his credit as part of Doran-Lista Racing's winning effort in 2002. He will be making his fifth start in this twice-around-the-clock enduro.

"I have known Didier, Marc Goossens and Fredy Lienhard for a long time, and I like them very much as people," Lammers said. "This is my first chance to race with them, and I think it's a lovely opportunity."

Lammers has not even seen a DORAN JE4 yet, but he said the car, the team, and his co-drivers' excellent reputations are enough to make him enthusiastic about his chances.

"The Doran name is excellent, and with the people involved it is enough for me to know that it's a good package," he said.  "I'm sure they know what it takes.  The competition is very good but this team has a very serious chance to be there when it matters, which is at the end."

Goossens is optimistic too.

"From what I hear from Didier and what I know about the team, I think it's looking very promising," he said.  "I am happy to join a competitive team like Doran-Lista Racing. I haven't driven at Daytona before, but I attended practice for last year's race before a test I was doing at Sebring myself, and I know what the track will be like.  With my sports car racing and my eight times at Le Mans, and with the CVs [bios] of all my teammates, I think it's going to be a good group of drivers and I hope we have a solid result."

"We wanted mature, competitive drivers for the Rolex," said Theys.  "With this driver line-up; our car; our team; and our sponsor, Lista, I think we have a very good chance of doing very well."

"With the world-class sports car driver line-up we have, the pressure has moved to the team," said team owner/manager Kevin Doran of Lebanon, Ohio.  "We are busy making the best preparations possible and look forward to a fantastic Daytona Rolex 24 Hour race.  I expect Doran Racing and TRD Lexus will provide the machinery for the drivers to make a run for the victory, but with a 24-hour endurance race, you can never be certain."

Doran-Lista Racing is based in Lebanon, Ohio.  Most of its pit crew members reside in the Cincinnati area.

Lista, a Swiss company that has an American branch in Holliston, Mass., is the world-wide leader in the production of modular storage units.

The Doran-Lista DORAN JE4 Lexus uses Goodyear Eagle tires.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona will be broadcast live on the SPEED channel from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31 and from 6 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, well before the Super Bowl kicks off at 6:25 p.m. Feb. 1 on CBS.  All times are Eastern.

 

For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: [email protected]

 
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