Panoz is an American manufacturer of luxury sports automobiles founded in 1989 as Panoz Auto Development by Dan Panoz, son of Don Panoz (1935 – 2018). The company has also been extensively involved in professional racing, and designs, engineers and builds its own race cars (including chassis and components). Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, the Panoz Esperante, and the Panoz Avezzano and the Panoz Abruzzi.
Panoz and racing
Since 1997, Panoz cars have competed in racing series around the world. Team Panoz Racing race the Panoz Avezzano in the Pirelli GTS class, and in 2018 won the Manufacturer's Championship. In addition to Le Mans series (Now European Le Mans series) wins, an Esperante GTLM won the GT2 class at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the same year, won the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring and was on the podium at the endurance season finale, 2006 Petit Le Mans. For the 2007 American Le Mans season, Panoz contracted longtime BMW Motorsport partner Prototype Technology Group to campaign the GTLM in the ALMS and Le Mans. Panoz has also provided IndyCar with the G-Force GF05 and GF09; and the Champ Car World Series with their final race car, the Panoz DP01 which was the final chassis used under Champ Car until the unification of the American open wheel racing series.
Road cars
Panoz (AIV) roadster Panoz Esperante Panoz Esperante GT Panoz Esperante GTLM Panoz Esperante JRD (tuned By JRD) Panoz Abruzzi Panoz Avezzano
Race cars YearCarCategory1997Panoz Esperante GTR-1Group GT11999Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-SLMP9002000G-Force GF05IndyCar2001Panoz LMP07LMP9002002Panoz LMP01 EvoLMP9002003G-Force GF09IndyCarPanoz Esperante GT-LMGT22004G-Force GF09BIndyCar2005Panoz GF09CIndyCar2007Panoz DP01Champ Car2008Panoz DP09Superleague Formula2011Panoz AbruzziLM GTE2017Panoz Avezzano GT4SRO GT4
Racing record
24 Hours of Le Mans Year Entrant No. Car Drivers Class Laps 1997 DAMS 52 Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Éric Bernard Jean-Christophe Boullion Franck Lagorce LMGT1 149 DNF DNF David Price Racing 54 Butch Leitzinger Andy Wallace James Weaver 236 DNF DNF 55 David Brabham Harry "Doc" Bundy Perry McCarthy 145 DNF DNF 1998 DAMS Panoz Motorsports 44 Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Éric Bernard Johnny O'Connell Christophe Tinseau LMGT1 236 DNF DNF Panoz Motorsports 45 David Brabham Jamie Davies Andy Wallace 335 7th 7th 1999 Panoz Motorsports 11 Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S Max Angelelli Jan Magnussen Johnny O'Connell LMP900 324 11th 9th 12 Éric Bernard David Brabham Butch Leitzinger 337 7th 6th 2000 Panoz Motorsports 11 Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S Mario Andretti David Brabham Jan Magnussen LMP900 315 15th 8th 12 Hiroki Katoh Johnny O'Connell Pierre-Henri Raphanel 342 5th 5th 2001 Panoz Motor Sports 11 Panoz LMP07 Jamie Davies Gary Formato Klaus Graf LMP900 86 DNF DNF 12 David Brabham Franck Lagorce Jan Magnussen 85 DNF DNF 2002 Panoz Motor Sports 11 Panoz LMP01 Evo David Brabham Bryan Herta Jan Magnussen LMP900 90 DNF DNF 12 Bill Auberlen David Donohue Gunnar Jeannette 230 DNF DNF 2003 JML Team Panoz 11 Panoz LMP01 Evo Olivier Beretta Gunnar Jeannette Max Papis LMP900 360 5th 3rd 12 Benjamin Leuenberger Scott Maxwell David Saelens 233 DNF DNF 2004 Panoz Motor Sports Larbre Compétition 11 Panoz GTP Roland Bervillé Jean-Luc Blanchemain Patrick Bourdais LMP1 54 DNF DNF 2005 Panoz Motor Sports 77 Panoz Esperante GT-LM Bill Auberlen Robin Liddell Scott Maxwell LMGT2 27 DNF DNF 78 Patrick Bourdais Marino Franchitti Bryan Sellers 185 DNF DNF 2006 Multimatic Motorsport Team Panoz 77 Panoz Esperante GT-LM Gunnar Jeannette Scott Maxwell Tommy Milner LMGT2 34 DNF DNF Team LNT 81 Richard Dean Tom Kimber-Smith Lawrence Tomlinson 321 15th 1st 2006 Team LNT 81 Panoz Esperante GT-LM Tom Kimber-Smith Tommy Milner Danny Watts LMGT2 60 DNF DNF 82 Rob Bell Richard Dean Lawrence Tomlinson 308 23rd 5th
Panoz Motor Sports Group
Panoz Motor Sports Group was sold to NASCAR in 2012. The assets of the sale included the American Le Mans Series, Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway and Panoz Racing Schools. Mosport International Raceway was sold separately to a Canadian consortium led by Ron Fellows and Carlo Fidani.
Panoz, LLC., is an automotive manufacturer that builds and designs street cars and race cars. Élan Motorsports is a company that builds and designs race cars too. Both these two companies are still owned by the Panoz family.
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created by Don Panoz in 1999. Panoz also owned the International Motor Sports Association, the organization that sanctions the ALMS. It held its inaugural event, the 1998 Petit Le Mans as part of the Professional Sportscar Racing series. The ALMS has a partnership with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to allow teams to compete to the same regulations. In 2012, the ALMS was sold to NASCAR and then in 2014, the series merged with the Rolex Sports Car Series to form United SportsCar Racing.
Circuits The Panoz group previously owned Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, United States as well as previously operated Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, United States. They also previously owned Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada but was sold in 2011. The tracks hosted the American Le Mans Series, now the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, in addition to other top-level auto and motorcycle racing series.
Élan Motorsport Technologies
Élan Motorsports is a company that designs and builds race cars, from top-level professional racing cars through to amateur race cars. The company is owned by the Panoz family. Élan acquired other manufacturers, including famous Formula Ford builders Van Diemen and Indy Racing League constructor G-Force Technologies. Élan-built cars have raced in the Indy Racing League, Champ Car World Series, American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and other championships.
Panoz Racing School and series
The Panoz Racing School was a driver training school previously operated at Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway. Students learned racing techniques in purpose-built Panoz GT-RA cars. Following completion of the course, students were eligible for an SCCA regional racing license. The school also included programs where customers could receive instruction in their own road cars.
The Panoz Racing Series was a one-make series made up of the Panoz School cars, as well as the more powerful Panoz GTS models. The series was designed for amateurs to learn racing in a low-cost environment.
References
External links Panoz, LLC Panoz Racing School Panoz at the 24 hours of Le Mans In-depth article about one man's experience at the Panoz Racing School, driving the Panoz GT-RA