From a press release issued by QTEL Endurance World Championship: The Qtel World Endurance Championship is starting in less than a month with the traditional 24 Hours of Le Mans, in France. This will be the opening of a six races season, lasting from 6 to 24 Hours, in Europe, Japan and Qatar. Twenty permanent teams will compete to get the highly disputed Qtel Endurance World Championship award in the Formula EWC class, but this year also in the Stocksport World Cup. Amongst all permanent teams, five of them will be the most serious contenders. 2007 World Champion Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is a natural favorite but, as usual in Le Mans, the race might bring its fair share of action and drama. Many teams have put their name on the Bugatti racetrack hall of fame, like Yamaha GMT-94, Kawasaki France or Honda National Motos. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team is back this year with the same winning team : Vincent Philippe, Matthieu Lagrive and Julien da Costa will be riding the number 1 motorcycle. As usual, a second machine will be entered in Le Mans, ridden by 2007 winners Guillaume Dietrich and William Costes. Kawasaki France, third at the 2007 24 Hours, is only coming for victory with the new ZX-10 R and a trio of experienced riders: Gwen Giabbani, Julian Mazuecos and Erwan Nigon. The same applies to the GMT 94 team, who recruited Steve Plater to assist the 2005 winners, Sébastien Gimbert and David Checa. Another top team is Yamaha Austria Racing Team, third of the 2007 Championship. The Austrian team comes with a new line-up. Steve Martin and 2006 Le Mans winner Olivier Four will assist Igor Jerman, long-time pillar of the team. Cyril Brivet and Julien Millet will welcome a new teammate, Hervé Gantner, on the Yamaha Endurance Moto 38. The Endurance Moto team grew up during the winter: they have now a second Yamaha in EWC, named Endurance Moto 74, which will be ridden by Damien Chene, Stéphane Kokes and Jonathan Castanet. Following Warwick Nowland’s move to Maco Moto Racing Team, Phase One Endurance comes with a new Australian-American team, Jason Pridmore, Damian Cudlin and Dave Staton (sic). Bolliger Team Switzerland apparently prefers stability, as they keep long time riders Patric Muff, David Morillon and Horst Saiger. Same for Kawasaki Diablo 666 Bolliger, with James Hutchins and Alexander Cudlin, accompanied by former BSB rider Gary Mason. The Qatar Endurance Racing Team IJT (International Junior Team) will run this season in the Supertock class, with the technical support of the Suzuki Junior Team. Qatari Mashel and Sultan Al-Naimi, and French Anthony Delhalle will be the riders. Running for the Superstock World Cup, the QERT will have to battle with Team LTG 57, best 2007 Superstock, Endurance Moto 45, ABG Performance and newcomers Runner Bike, an Italian team on Kawasaki. Amongst the new 2008 permanent teams is the Spanish team Yamaha Folch Endurance, regular podium settlers of their home race, in Albacete. With experienced riders such as Dani Ribalta and Pedro Lluis Valcaneras Flores, Yamaha Folch Endurance could fight at the top level. Midi Pyrénées Racing MV Agusta is also entering as a permanent team, and they will be the only team riding an European machine. They will have the support of the Italian factory and experienced riders will ride the bike: Sébastien Scarnato, Patrick Piot and Spanish rider Josep Monge. Serious action starts at Le Mans with the first free practice on Thursday, April 17th, followed by the first qualifying and the night practice sessions. Friday, after the second qualifying session, a starting grid made on the average time of the all the riders will give a first insight about the Endurance 2008 hierarchy. 2008 Calendar Dates Country Event April 19/20 France Le Mans 24 H May 10 Spain Albacete 6 H July 27 Japan Suzuka 8 H August 9 Germany Oschersleben 8 H September 13/14 France Bol d’Or 24 H November 8 Qatar Doha/Losail 8 H