DOME || NEWShas made the decision to race in the “24 Heures du Mans” in 2005 in partnership with Jim Gainer.
Details of the partnership are as presented in the press release from Jim Gainer. DOME has been taking an indirect and somewhat inefficient way of racing by selling our cars to racing teams. Realizing the limitations, we planned to participate in the 2005 race as a fully organized works team.
This of course requires a huge amount of capital spending. Jim Gainer offered to partially bear the cost in return for a chance to share in the excitement when the team wins. We were willing to accept their kindness.
Representative Director Mr. Tanaka has been a friend of mine for 36 years since I (Minoru Hayashi) participated in races with a Group 7 competition car called "Kusabi," which I constructed when I was in my early twenties. Thus I am looking forward to participating in the Le Mans with him.

At first, Jim Gainer asked us about the possibility of placing Jim Gainer's vehicle in the DOME works team as an additional car, as they wanted to race in the Le Mans under the name of Jim Gainer. We studied the possibility of a two-car team and discussed development of a new machine with a closed body. After careful deliberation, we concluded that in order to aim at winning the championship it would be more efficient to concentrate on one vehicle, refining the mature DOME S101 to its maximum.
The reason being that DOME S101 is a commercial-type competition car (a nice-sounding term, isn't it). Implementation of all improvements proven in the wind tunnel on an actual competition car is not necessarily welcome to a racing team, as the team needs to purchase such improvements. This results in a substantial gap between a vehicle with possible improvements as shown in data and the true performance of an actual vehicle. This implies that a substantial performance improvement can be made on an actual existing DOME S101. In addition, by using a DOME S101, it is possible to avoid initial problems commonly found in any new machine. Thus, we concluded that we should use a perfect, ultimate-performance DOME S101.
Furthermore, a major reason to select the DOME S101 hybrid version was a change in the regulations. More specifically, the new regulations provide an exception from weight, restrictor, and other handicaps for vehicles incorporating specified modifications from the 2003 regulations.

DOME cars participated in the Le Mans for 8 years from 1979 to 1986 and 4 years from 2001 to 2004 in a total of 12 races. The team did so poorly in the first several years that its participation was a mystery to all and to achieve a result was out of the question. However, we view this as our growing period. I don't think we were wrong, and we have no regrets. In the last half of the first period, our organization was something like a joint venture with either an automaker or other team and we always ended up trying to instruct beginners on how to race and consequently we were too weak to come anywhere near success.
When we returned to the race in 2001 after 15 years in hiding, participation had become so costly that even major Japanese automakers withdrew after a few years. We were not brave enough to organize a works team for racing. Instead, we returned to the race by placing a machine in a price-capped class as a commercial-type competition car for amateurs.
However, we were frustrated as it was too far removed from our devotion to racing. As four years had passed since our return, we could not conceal our desire to set up a full-fledged organization for meeting the challenge. Jim Gainer's offer came when we were drawing up a reckless plan. Through their offer, we could realize our hope to race in the Le Mans in the ideal manner. Although our full-fledged organization is on a different level from the works teams of major automakers, we are full of anticipation as we will be able to compete in the best condition compared with DOME's past thirteen efforts in the Le Mans race.
The engine Mugen proved itself to be very powerful and tough. We will also be able to make use of the improved performance of tires. The drivers have become increasingly familiar with the course through past experience. In the area of engineering, DOME will launch full-scale efforts. If the result is not as successful as expected despite these improvements, we will not hesitate just to say, "Never-ending Le Mans!"

DOME S101-Hb
The basic model DOME S101 released in 2001 differs significantly from competition cars developed by automakers such as Audi and Bentley, which have a huge budget. DOME S101 is a commercial-type competition car meeting the price cap set by the FIA and as such can participate in other races such as the FIA Sport Car Championship as well as the Le Mans 24-hour race. Since its debut year, this model demonstrating excellent aerodynamic performance and steering characteristics has competed in the top group of cars of automaker teams. It has successively recorded the top speed in Le Mans for four years from 2001 when it first participated in the race. Although the DOME S101 competed favorably in official qualifying races always coming in sixth or better, the best final result so far has been sixth place in last year's race, having fallen behind those automaker teams with enormous budgets and resources.
In the FIA Championship, the DOME S101 has recorded a number of pole positions and wins since its first participation in 2002. It won the championship under the service of Racing for Holland for two consecutive years until 2003 when the FIA Championship ended.

The technical rules of the FIA and ACO were unified in 2004 and the vehicle regulations were renewed. At present there are three types of LMP 1 vehicles allowed to participate in the Le Mans 24-hour race: a vehicle conforming to the 2004 LMP 1 vehicle regulations (the new regulations), a vehicle conforming to the 2003 LMP 900 and LMP 675 vehicle regulations (2003 vehicle with no modifications) but handicapped as described below, and a hybrid vehicle that conforms to the 2003 LMP 900 and LMP 675 vehicle regulations except for a prescribed modification which is exempt from the handicaps.

Vehicles authorized and produced by the end of 2003 (old model vehicles) are allowed to participate in the race until the end of 2005. However, old model vehicles are handicapped such that they cannot enjoy any advantage over performance-restricted new vehicles. Three restrictions were implemented this year: 200-mm reduction of rear wing width, 10-liter reduction in fuel tank capacity, and one-class decrease of the diameter of the air-intake restrictor. Next year, a substantial decline in competitiveness is expected due to additional handicaps of a 50-kg weight penalty on the minimum weight of the old model of 900 kg in the LMP 1 class and 5% reduction in the diameter of the air-intake restrictor.
After due deliberation on these conditions, DOME decided to adopt a hybrid system rather than the handicaps, relying on our forte of aerodynamic technology to compensate for performance degradation caused by the 2004 regulations.
Regarding the hybrid vehicle requirements, major changes are the use of a symmetrical body shape and the incorporation of a stepped floor in place of the conventional flat bottom. These modifications have been implemented in response to the 2004 regulations that insist on a return to the style of the original two-seater sports car, and to ensure safety a restriction on the performance of vehicles that are becoming increasingly faster year by year.
Hybridization causes a 10% increase or more in aerodynamic drag. However, we anticipate an increase in total competitiveness by gaining a 20% increase or so in down force, which should achieve performance improvements to such an extent that we should mark a better time than this year's pole position time.

DOME S101-Hb, targeted for completion and shakedown next February, is scheduled to undergo a 500-km or so test drive and demonstration tests in Spa-Franchorchamps on May 8, before participating in the Le Mans.

Jim Gainer's Press Release
Jim Gainer Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that in partnership with DOME || NEWSthe company will race in the “24 Heures du Mans” in 2005.

Jim Gainer Co., Ltd. (founded October 1, 2004) has raced in the JGTC with a Ferrari F360 (a vehicle designed to JGTC specifications; the development of which was undertaken by DOME) as a private racing team, Team Gainer. Recently, however, we made the decision to acquire corporate status due to our business expansion.
Although Jim Gainer Co., Ltd. has been established as a corporation specializing in motor sports as a core activity, we are not overly concerned with making financial profits from motor sports. Rather, we wish to operate our business in order to enjoy motor sports in a sophisticated manner.

At present, Jim Gainer has two Ferrari F360's participating in the GT-300 of the JGTC. In 2005, in partnership with DOME, the company will, in addition, race in the “24 Heures du Mans.” We initially studied the possibility of a two-car arrangement for racing, placing Jim Gainer's DOME S101 in the DOME works team, in part as cooperation in DOME's original project of racing in the Le Mans. After considering various factors, we concluded that it would be better to concentrate on one vehicle. In practice, we decided to race by sharing the ownership of the DOME racing team. Consequently, the DOME works team, which is very familiar with the Le Mans, will take care of race operations, and we can race with the latest vehicle exerting the best performance.

Participation in the Le Mans 24-hour race has been our ultimate dream since the time of Team Gainer. We have sincerely wanted to participate in the 2005 race to commemorate the establishment of our corporation. The representative director Mr. Hayashi of DOME has been a friend of our representative director Mr. Tanaka for nearly 40 years. They have an extremely close relationship built on trust, as indicated by the subcontract development of the Ferrari F360 designed for the JGTC.
We are very excited and realize that we cannot miss this good opportunity, as we have had no partners but DOME in mind. Our hope is to witness a memorable scene of our machine crossing the finishing line at the 24th hour and experience all the excitement that goes with it. We are truly looking forward to the Le Mans next June, remembering the phrase that makes our hearts dance: "Meet the challenge of racing in the Le Mans 24-hour race."

FerrariF360JGTC

http://www.ferrari.ne.jp/jimgainer