The Team Penske name will return to Le Mans for the first time since 1971, albeit virtually, as the storied team will be among the 50-strong grid for the virtual Le Mans 24 Hours next month.
Penske will run a sole entry in the all-Oreca 07 LMP2 class and will be joined by household endurance names such as Toyota Gazoo Racing, ByKolles Racing and Signatech Alpine.
Team owner Roger Penske has already indicated his intention for a return to the real-life Le Mans as early as 2022 with the introduction of the LMDh platform which is eligible to race alongside the Le Mans Hypercars
There is a single car for double F1 champion and two-time winner of the French classic Fernando Alonso’s sim racing team on the entry list, with the possibility the 38-year-old could line up on the grid himself come to the June date.
Current privateer LMP1 outfit Rebellion Racing will enter four cars in the virtual race in partnership with Williams Esports. The Swiss squad has confirmed it will cease its World Endurance Championship operations after this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Representing the sim racing entries will be spearhead team – Team Redline.
Redline are little stranger to the realm of virtual endurance racing, triumphing at last year’s iRacing 24 Hours of Spa with Formula 1 duo Max Verstappen and Lando Norris behind the wheel.
20 GTE entries will make up the rest of the grid, with the field comprised of virtual machinery from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche and Corvette.
Each team are mandated to run a minimum of two professional racing drivers and no more than a pair of sim racers.
A full driver lineup is set to be revealed over the coming weeks, and with how successfully Supercars Penske star Scott McLaughlin has gelled with sim-racing across the past two months then there is every chance the 26-year-old could make his virtual Le Mans debut.
The race, which is slated to be staged on June 13/14, will be broadcast live globally across various platforms including being free on official social media outlets.