BRASELTON, Ga. — Although the 12-car GT1 field for the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be comprised of five different auto marques, many eyes will primarily be on the two that recently turned in the top practice times at Le Mans: Aston Martin and Chevrolet.

Aston Martin's DBR9 vs. Chevrolet's Corvette C6.R is one of the top rivalries in the American Le Mans Series, and it is a showdown that is much anticipated at the Circuit de la Sarthe. A year ago Aston Martin Racing felt it had equal the car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; however, Corvette Racing took the top two class podium spots while Aston Martin Racing's top entry finished third.

"The rivalry between the two teams has always been strong," said Darren Turner, one of four Aston Martin Racing drivers who have been a part of the rivalry in both 2005 and 2006. "Last year they weren't the quicker car out there, but they got the result at the end."

In each of the last two years, Aston Martin Racing has performed well at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring — the toughest endurance race outside of Le Mans. At the 2005 Sebring race Aston Martin Racing won the GT1 class and finished fourth overall. This year the team snared two of the three GT1 podium spots with a runner-up and third-place finish. In the number 009 car, Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy teamed with Jason Bright to finish second in class and fourth overall with a 337-lap performance. Meanwhile, Turner and Tomas Enge were joined by Nicolas Kiesa during a 324-lap run in the number 007 car that garnered a third-place class finish (sixth overall).

At this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans event, Enge and Turner will team with Andrea Piccini, while Lamy and Sarrazin will pair with Stephane Ortelli, a former Le Mans champion (1998) who in his last appearance with the team helped lead Aston Martin Racing to victory at the 2005 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring — the last setback for Corvette Racing.

"We have a big meeting at Le Mans," Sarrazin said. "We can beat them, but it's hard because they are fast. I just hope we'll be faster."

Anchoring the number 007 car is Enge, who earlier this season registered a record fastest GT1 race lap at Sebring with a time of 1:56.573 (114.263 mph). In addition to Ortelli, Lamy will spearhead the number 009 car. At the American Le Mans at Mid-Ohio, Lamy turned in the fastest GT1 race lap with a time of 1:18.873 (103.062 mph).

Qualifying, which is set for June 14-15, will be the next comparative test in this ongoing rivalry. "I really want this win, so I'll be pushing as hard as I can," said Turner. "Winning is the main goal, and the hopes are pretty high."