Aston Martin Vulcan to make race debut on Le Mans 24 Hours support bill

Three of the seven-litre V12 cars are expected to compete in the Aston Martin Festival race on Saturday morning ahead of the start of the World Endurance Championship blue riband event.

The 820bhp Vulcan was not designed to conform with the regulations of any category, but the 25 cars were delivered to their customers fully race prepared and they will run in the invitation class of the one-make event.

Aston Martin Racing president David King said: "We've been running the track day programme with our customers for a while now and there is a small element wanting to race them.

"The cars are built to a full-race specification in terms of safety, so we are happy to give them that chance."

The identity of the drivers of the Vulcans will be revealed with the publication of the entry list for the third running of the Festival event, which is understood to be imminent.

The Vulcan was expected to make its competitive debut in July 2016, featuring in a 90-minute Aston Martin Owners Club AMR Challenge race at Snetterton. Back then, club director Roger Bennington planned to run "one or two", however none entered.

Aston Martin Racing managing director John Gaw is also scheduled to compete in the V12 Vantage GT3 car the Prodrive-run factory team fielded in last weekend's Nurburgring 24 Hours.

The former British GT Championship regular will share the car with owner Jan Struve, who entered DBR9s in the FIA GT1 world championship before teaming up with the factory Aston Martin Racing squad to run in the WEC.

Other Aston Martins in the invitation class are likely to include a first-generation Vantage GTE and a DBR9 GT1 car.

The main categories are reserved for GT3 and GT4 machinery respectively.

The Aston Martin Festival race, which includes a mandatory pitstop, starts at 10.15am on the Saturday of the Le Mans 24 Hours weekend.