Panoz was founded as Panoz Auto Development in 1989. Don Panoz, the founder’s father, was instrumental in the company's early development.
From 1997, Panoz cars began competing in racing series globally. In 2006, a Panoz Esperante GTLM won the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and also secured victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring)), finishing on the podium at the 2006 Petit Le Mans. In 2018, Team Panoz Racing won the Manufacturer's Championship in the Pirelli GTS class with the Panoz Avezzano.
In 2007, Panoz contracted Prototype Technology Group to campaign the GTLM class in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and at Le Mans. Don Panoz created the American Le Mans Series in 1999, and also owned the International Motor Sports Association, the organization that sanctioned the ALMS. The ALMS had a partnership with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to allow teams to compete under the same regulations.
Panoz also provided chassis for IndyCar, including the G-Force GF05 and GF09, and for the Champ Car World Series with the Panoz DP01, which was the final chassis used in that series before unification with other American open-wheel racing.
The Panoz group previously owned Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, and operated Sebring International Raceway-international-raceway) in Sebring, Florida. They also previously owned Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, which was sold in 2011. These tracks hosted the American Le Mans Series, now the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, alongside other top-level auto and motorcycle racing series.
The Panoz Racing School offered driver training at Road Atlanta and Sebring International Raceway-international-raceway), using purpose-built Panoz GT-RA cars. Graduates were eligible for an SCCA regional racing license, and instruction was also available for customers using their own road cars. The Panoz Racing Series was a one-make series featuring the Panoz School cars and more powerful Panoz GTS models, designed to provide an affordable racing environment for amateurs.
In 2012, Panoz Motor Sports Group was sold to NASCAR, including the American Le Mans Series, Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway-international-raceway), and Panoz Racing Schools. Mosport International Raceway was sold separately to a Canadian consortium led by Ron Fellows and Carlo Fidani. Despite this sale, Élan Motorsports, and Panoz, LLC. remain owned by the Panoz family, continuing to build and design both street) and race cars. Élan Motorsports has acquired other manufacturers, including Van Diemen and G-Force Technologies, and builds cars for championships including the Indy Racing League, Champ Car World Series, and American Le Mans Series.
Gallery · 3 related images
