Canadian-American EduranceKarting Le Mans summary

Canadian-American EnduranceKarting.com Team Takes First Place at LeMans
Former NASCAR Driver Jerry Nadeau's Team Finishes 11th in Class

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (July 17, 2007) -- EnduranceKarting.com can now add "LeMans winner" to its impressive 24 hour racing resume, as its Canadian-American team posted a first-in-class finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans karting event July 7-8 at the Alain Prost Circuit. EnduranceKarting.com's Team USA entries also finished fifth and 11th in their respective classes. It was EnduranceKarting.com's second visit to the famed racing facility.

EnduranceKarting.com's trio of teams carried the same numbers as those used by the American teams in the LeMans sports car event earlier this year. The Can-Am team, which carried No. 64 on its kart, won by 30 seconds over the 2006 winner, Britain's Team A to Z, and finished 12th overall in the 40-kart event. Team 64's members were part of the top two teams in EnduranceKarting.com's 24 Hours of America in January. The team consisted of Kevin Bateman, Kevin Bligan, Jack Beaulieu, Michael Williamson and Jordan Yakiwchuk.

"The team ran an absolute flawless race, and they saved the equipment while running fast lap times," reported Johan Schwartz, EnduranceKarting.com president. "They made immaculate driver changes, and their 15-stop strategy worked well. We are proud of their hard work. They certainly deserved to stand atop the podium."

Team 52, representing the United States, included Charlie Bryant, Jordan Genga, Bill Goodale, Connor Gutterson, Jeff Gutterson and Matt Ostiguy. It finished fifth in class, and Goodale became the first American driver to win the Sportsmanship Award, besting 200 other drivers. Team 52 raced with the added mission of raising $100,000 for RacingforHonor.com. The charity seeks to assist service people returning from war and their families.

After qualifying as the fastest foreign team (fourth), Team 63 experienced a number of problems throughout the race, including a broken hub and sprocket. However, the team rallied to finish 11th in class. Schwartz, Hugo Alcântara, Dan Burke, John Freeman, Zack Skolnick, Glenn Smith and former NASCAR driver Jerry Nadeau were part of that team.

"It is fun to be back in the racing seat again, having a great time and competing in intense battles on the track," Nadeau said. "I look forward to my next EnduranceKarting.com event. The camaraderie of these teams is incredible, and it is a wonderful experience."

-credit: www.EnduranceKarting.com