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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">LE MANS</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">07/11/2001</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Bentleys hopes are dashed</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">No let up on regs</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/bentleylm(1).jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">Bentley’s hopes for a change in regulations to enable the prototype to become more competitive at Le Mans have been dashed. The marque had hoped for an increase in tyre sizes and less of a restriction on the air intakes to bring down the gap between themselves and the open top cars. If the organisers had agreed to the request the door would have been opened for either Bentley, or an independent team, to compete competitively in the ALMS rather than just concentrate on the one race each year at Le Mans.<BR> <BR> America is an extremely important market for Bentley road cars and sales have dropped since September 11th to such an extent that the factory is operating on a three day week. The American Le Mans series would provide an attractive outlet for Bentley should they decide to sell the cars to customer teams, but the racing cars need to have a competitive chance against the current prototype cars to be commercially viable for privateers. At present they would suffer at the hands of the open top prototypes on the American circuits.<BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>