Prize fund revealed for Le Mans Cup

The new Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup will have a prize fund worth in excess of 300,000 euros its inaugural season in 2016. The winners of the championship, which is made up of five races on the bill of the European Le Mans Series and a support event at the Le Mans 24 Hours, will receive €100,000. The runners-up will win €70,000 and the third-place crew €50,000.

The winning drivers at each of the six races will receive €10,000, while the competitor receiving the fewest penalties over the course of the season will win €40,000. The winning team will also gain an invitation to race at Le Mans in 2017 in the GTE Am class.

Series organizer the Automobile Club de l'Ouest has confirmed that gold-ranked drivers will be permitted to compete. The original idea was that the series would be limited to silver and bronze drivers, although a driver categorised as bronze will be mandatory in each lineup. Only bronzes will be able to participate in qualifying.

Prize money will also be awarded in the ELMS from next season, but the structure has yet to be announced. Entries for the new series, which effectively replaces the GTC class in the ELMS, open on Jan. 11.

The first confirmed entry for the GT3 Cup is an FF Corse Ferrari 488 to be driven by former ELMS GTE champion Johnny Mowlem and gentleman racer Ivor Dunbar.

Originally on Autosport.com