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62-519: The Lola B2K/10 was a Le Mans Prototype developed in 2000 by Lola Cars International for use in the 24 Hours of Le Mans , American Le Mans Series , Grand American Road Racing Championship , and Sports Racing World Cup . It was a replacement for the previous Lola B98/10 and shared some elements with its smaller variant, the Lola B2K/40 . More an evolution of the B98/10 than an all new car,

124-460: A Rolex Daytona watch. The race is known as a leg of the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring . Shortly after the track opened, on April 5, 1959, a six-hour/1000 kilometer USAC - FIA sports car race was held on the road course. Count Antonio Von Dory and Roberto Mieres won the race in a Porsche , shortened to 560.07 miles (901.35 km) due to darkness. The race used

186-536: A 3.81-mile layout, running counter-clockwise. This event is not considered to be part of the lineage of the eventual 24-hour race. In 1962, a 3-hour sports car race was introduced. Known as the Daytona Continental, it counted towards the FIA 's new International Championship for GT Manufacturers . The first Continental was won by Dan Gurney , driving a 2.7L Coventry Climax -powered Lotus 19 . Gurney

248-434: A 4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8. In seasons 2017 through 2020, the engine produced about 600  bhp . Dallara , Onroak Automotive (Ligier), Oreca and the joint-venture Riley Tech / Multimatic were selected by FIA as the four exclusive chassis constructors, which must be closed-cockpit designs. Before the start of the 2021 season LMP2 cars have been slowed down to ensure the necessary lap time difference between

310-515: A Ferrari 550 Maranello. Konrad Racing moved to concentrating on grand tourer racing, making only a select few appearances with their car. Philip Creighton Motorsport ran the 24 Hours of Daytona only before dropping out. This season, the B2K/10 scored its first victory in GARRC at Phoenix International Raceway for Intersport Racing, followed by a second win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course . By 2002,

372-569: A best finish of second at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course , although Intersport also took a second at Watkins Glen International during a brief appearance in the series. Meanwhile, Konrad Motorsport purchased another chassis, keeping with a Ford powerplant, and run the Sports Racing World Cup late in the season, replacing their B98/10. The car scored points in a single race at the Nürburgring , finishing third. Finally, for

434-419: A career in a non-motorsport related occupation. These type of drivers are typically eligible for IMSA's Jim Trueman and Bob Akin awards, awarded to the top driver who is not a professional at the end of season. These amateur drivers or overage professional drivers (FIA Silver or Bronze are typically for amateur drivers but professional drivers over 55 are automatically classified at this level) are required in

496-640: A competitor of the American Le Mans Series , which, as its name implies, uses the same regulations as the Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Grand Am series, though, is instead closely linked to NASCAR and the original ideas of IMSA and focused on controlled costs and close competition. In order to make sports car racing less expensive than elsewhere, new rules were introduced in 2002. The dedicated Daytona Prototypes (DP) use less expensive materials and technologies and

558-585: A custom engine and bodywork from a major manufacturer. For 2023, the race adopted the LMDh prototype specification, although Le Mans Hypercars were also permitted. The series has also returned to the Grand Touring Prototype name from the 1980's. The Gran Turismo class cars at Daytona are closer to the road versions, similar to the GT3 class elsewhere. For example, the more standard Cup version of

620-416: A match for current competitors. However, the torque of the engine destroyed the diesel-powered B2K/10's gearbox after a mere 35 laps. The team's other, gasoline-powered B2K/10 finished the race, taking 20th place. Following one final appearance by the diesel-powered car at Silverstone Circuit which led to a failure, the final active B2K/10 was retired from competition. The B2K/10 was partially replaced by

682-482: A single open-cockpit class of World Sports Cars equivalent to LMP1. This formula continued up to 1996, with many manufacturers embracing the LMP and WSC classes, including Ferrari , Porsche , and Mazda . In 1997, the first European series based around Le Mans Prototypes was launched, known as the " International Sports Racing Series ". Using classes similar to LMP1/WSC and LMP2, these cars were known as "SR1" and "SR2" by

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744-461: A third headlight was mounted for better visibility in endurance races . Part of the reasoning behind not creating an intake in the nose was due to the decision to draw all the cooling air for the car from underneath. However, this design suffered from problems due to ambient track temperature, a problem that had similarly plagued the BMW V12 LM in 1998. The large air intake mounted underneath

806-585: A track, the LMP1s were the fastest closed-wheel racing cars used in circuit racing. Le Mans Prototypes are considered a class above production-based grand tourer cars, which compete alongside them in sports car racing . Later, LMP1 designs included hybrid cars that use electric motors to assist acceleration. The Le Mans Prototype LMP1 class has been replaced by Le Mans Hypercars in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and in

868-399: The 12 Hours of Sebring , Taurus Sports Racing set out to bring diesel technology back to the 24 Hours of Le Mans . Besides the normal Judd-powered B2K/10, Taurus added a second chassis powered by a Caterpillar -tuned Volkswagen twin turbocharged V10 engine. First attempting to run the opening Le Mans Endurance Series race at Monza, the team came to Le Mans believing that the diesel be

930-502: The 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans , Rafanelli and Konrad entered their chassis, yet neither car managed to finish. For 2001, there were adjustments in the teams, with Intersport being the only one to remain in the same position as 2000, staying in the American Le Mans Series while running a select number of Grand American Road Racing Championship races.. Champion Racing moved permanently to the GARRC, while Rafanelli bought

992-608: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , FIA World Endurance Championship , IMSA SportsCar Championship , European Le Mans Series , and Asian Le Mans Series . Le Mans Prototypes were created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The technical requirements for an LMP include bodywork covering all mechanical elements of the car. As of 2023, there are two classes within Le Mans Prototypes, designated LMP2 and LMP3 . While not as fast as open-wheel Formula One cars around

1054-520: The Lola B01/60 (MG-Lola EX257) in 2001 before being fully replaced by the Lola B06/10 in 2006. A total of six B2K/10s were constructed in 2000, running competitively until 2004. #HU-01 #HU-02 #HU-03 #HU-04 #HU-05 #HU-06 Le Mans Prototype A Le Mans Prototype ( LMP ) is a type of sports prototype race car used in various races and championships, including

1116-761: The Porsche 996 is used, instead of the usual RS/RSR racing versions. Recent Daytona entries also include BMW M3s and M6s , Porsche 911s , Chevy Camaros and Corvettes , Mazda RX-8s , Pontiac GTO.Rs , and Ferrari F430 Challenges . The Audi R8 and the Ferrari 458 Italia debuted in the 50th anniversary of the race in 2012. From the era of the IMSA GTO and GTU until the 2015 rule changes, spaceframe cars clad in lookalike body panels to compete in GT (the new BMW M6, Chevrolet Camaro, and Mazda RX-8). These rules are similar to

1178-654: The Rolex Sports Car Series chose to use the FIA's SR1 and SR2 formula instead. 1998 saw a great expansion for the ACO's LMP classes. Following the cancellation of the IMSA GT Championship at the end of 1998, the ACO allowed for the creation of the American Le Mans Series. This series used the same class structure as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, meaning it was the first championship to use the LMP name. At

1240-714: The World Sportscar Championship had to offer, older Porsche 962s were allowed entry in Category 3. To further increase the size of the field, small open-cockpit race cars using production road car engines which were raced in small national championships were allowed in Category 4. Later, ACO announced its intentions to completely replace the Group C cars with Le Mans Prototypes . Two classes were created, with LMP1s running large displacement custom-built engines that were usually turbocharged, and LMP2s using

1302-427: The 1968 24 Hours. After the car of Gerhard Mitter had a big crash caused by tire failure in the banking, his teammate Rolf Stommelen supported the car of Vic Elford and Jochen Neerpasch . When the car of the longtime leaders Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann dropped to second due to a technical problem, these two also joined the new leaders while continuing with their car. So Porsche managed to put 5 of 8 drivers on

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1364-822: The 2015–2019 first-generation ruleset were the Ginetta-Juno P3 , Ligier JS P3 , Norma M30 , ADESS-03 , and the Ave-Riley AR-02. The cars were eligible in a number of series, such as the Asian Le Mans Series, the European Le Mans Series, as well as the V de V Endurance Series and the IMSA Prototype Challenge . A number of championships for the class have also been created, such as the FRD LMP3 series and

1426-632: The 24 Hours of Le Mans from the 2021 season . Non-hybrid LMP1 cars were eligible to be "grandfathered" for two more seasons and compete alongside the new class for the 2021 to 2022 seasons. Starting from the 2023 season of WEC and IMSA SportsCar Championship, Le Mans Hypercars are joined by Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) cars. These two kinds of prototypes will form the top class of endurance racing: Hypercar in WEC and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) in IMSA. Le Mans Prototypes have used various names depending on

1488-510: The B2K/10 saw a resurgence. Intersport concentrated solely on the American Le Mans Series while newcomer Taurus Sports Racing entered the FIA Sportscar Championship with the former Rafanelli car, as well as select ALMS events. Taurus Sports Racing scored the best result of the year, a third at Autodromo Nazionale Monza . Finally, in 2004 the B2K/10 saw its final competition. After a disappointing failure to finish at

1550-417: The B2K/10 shared many design elements, most notably at the front end of the car. The unusual fenders and headlights remained, while the nose had been raised in order to accommodate a higher footbox. However, unlike other prototypes which usually had the nose come to a point to allow for an air intake, the B2K/10's nose merely stopped where the footbox ended, leaving a large vertical protrusion. Inside of this,

1612-451: The B2K/10's design flaws were leaving it farther behind the competition. Intersport continued in both the ALMS and GARRC running two chassis, while Pegasus Racing purchased Champion Racings Porsche -powered B2K/10 for GARRC. These were the only teams racing the B2K/10 for that season, with Intersport having a best result of second at Homestead-Miami Speedway for GARRC. However, for 2003,

1674-818: The British LMP3 Cup. First-generation cars were powered by a 5.0-litre normally-aspirated Nissan VK50 V8 engine , producing 310 kW (420 hp). A 2nd Generation ruleset was introduced for 2020, with new cars introduced: the Ginetta G61-LT-P3 , Ligier JS P320 , Duqueine D-08 , and the ADESS-03 Evo. These cars can be built from its predecessors using an upgrade kit. The new LMP3 prototypes are used in Asian Le Mans Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup , IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge , European Le Mans Series, and Prototype Cup Germany. For

1736-467: The FIA. 1998 saw the creation of another series of Le Mans Prototypes, with the new United States Road Racing Championship attempting to break away from the IMSA GT Championship. To differ from IMSA'S WSC class, the USRRC named their open-cockpit prototypes " Can-Am " in an attempt to resurrect the sportscar championship of the 1970s. However, the USRRC collapsed before the end of 1999, with the series becoming

1798-706: The GTLM class, using LM GTE cars, similar to the WEC. In 2022 the GTLM class was replaced by GTD Pro, using the same cars as GTD. A single GTLM car, the Corvette C8.R, was also permitted to compete in the class with its performance adjusted to the GTD cars. The 2013 race was the first and only year for the GX class. Six cars started in the event. The class consisted of purpose built production Porsche Cayman S and Mazda 6 racecars. Mazda debuted their first diesel racecar there which

1860-692: The Hypercar category, a single aero kit has been made mandatory across the whole season and is limited to the Le Mans specification in the WEC; the ELMS teams have retained the right to switch between the aero kits. LMP3 is an entry-level prototype class intended for introducing young drivers and new teams to endurance racing before they progress to the higher classes of prototype racing, LMP2 and ultimately Hypercar. LMP3 uses closed-cockpit chassis, which can be built by any licensed constructor. Cars eligible for

1922-540: The LMP regulations, as the ACO once again split the open-cockpit LMP class. The two new classes became known as "LMP900" and "LMP675", with the numbers denoting the minimum weight requirements (in kilograms) for each class. The LMP900s were to be more powerful and faster in top speed, but also heavier and more cumbersome. The LMP675s were to be smaller and more nimble, yet lack the top speed of the larger class. Both classes were intended to be able to compete for overall wins. Audi , Chrysler , Cadillac , and Panoz opted to use

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1984-596: The LMP2 and a new class—Hypercar. In the original version of the new ruleset, revealed in November 2020, only the power of the Gibson engine has been reduced—to 560 bhp. Right before the start of the season, the cars were further weakened, by trimming an additional 20 bhp to a total of 540 bhp. The minimum weight of the cars has also been increased by 20 kg and has been set at 950 kg. Furthermore, mirroring

2046-515: The LMP900 formula, while MG were the only major manufacturer to attempt the LMP675 class. The LMGTP class also continued, with Bentley being the only manufacturer to build a closed-cockpit prototype after the regulation changes in 2000. In 2017, in order to limit the costs, FIA introduced a new set of LMP2 regulations, which will be locked in through 2020, aiming for a significant power increase, to

2108-465: The car for a specific number of hours. Most often, the fourth driver in all classes is a Daytona-only professional driver of renown that most often has won a major professional championship, such as Scott Dixon , Jeff Gordon , Fernando Alonso , Shane van Gisbergen and Kyle Busch . Unlike the Le Mans event, the Daytona race is conducted entirely over a closed course within the speedway arena without

2170-541: The car's simple aerodynamics reduce the development and testing costs. The DPs began racing in 2003 with six cars in the race. Specialist chassis makers like Riley , Dallara , and Lola provide the DP cars for the teams and the engines are branded under the names of major car companies like Cadillac , Lexus , Ford , BMW , and Porsche . 2017 saw the introduction of the DPi prototypes. These cars were based on LMP2 chassis with

2232-477: The center of the podium, plus Jo Schlesser and Joe Buzzetta finishing in third place, with only Mitter being left out. Lola finished 1–2 in the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona. The winning car was the Penske Lola T70 -Chevrolet of Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons . Few spectators witnessed the achievement as Motor Sport reported: "The Daytona 24-Hour race draws a very small crowd, as can be seen from

2294-513: The classic 1000 km distance of races at Nürburgring , Spa and Monza . The distance amounted to roughly half of the distance the 24 Hours of Le Mans winners covered at the time, and was similar in length to the 12 Hours of Sebring , which was also held in Florida in March. Starting in 1966, the Daytona race was extended to the same 24-hour length as Le Mans. The first 24 Hour event in 1966

2356-516: The closing hours and Rafanelli dropping out early on. While Rafanelli and Champion remained in the American Le Mans Series , they were later joined by Intersport Racing, who added a Judd-powered B2K/10 alongside their B98/10 for a two-car team. Rafanelli took the best result of the season, a third at Charlotte Motor Speedway . Creighton Motorsports went to the Grand American Road Racing Championship , scoring

2418-535: The empty stands in the background." 1970 saw the race with drivers strapped into their cars, and at the start, drove away. Since 1971, races begin with rolling starts. In 1972, because of an FIA rule, the race was shortened to six hours, while the energy crisis led to the cancellation altogether in 1974. The Sports Car Club of America sanctioning was replaced by the International Motor Sports Association in 1975. In 1982

2480-413: The finish line one last time in order to finish after the 24 hours and be listed with a finishing distance, rather than dismissed with DNF (did not finish). This was the case in the initial 1962 Daytona Continental (then 3 hours), in which Dan Gurney 's Lotus 19 had established a lengthy lead when the engine failed with just minutes remaining. Gurney stopped the car at the top of the banking, just short of

2542-447: The finish line. When the three hours had elapsed, Gurney simply cranked the steering wheel to the left (toward the bottom of the banking) and let gravity pull the car across the line, to not only salvage a finishing position, but actually win the race. This led to the international rule requiring a car to cross the line under its own power in order to be classified. In 1964, the event was expanded to 2,000 km (1,240 mi), doubling

Lola B2K/10 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-419: The first three B2K/10s were delivered to customers, with Team Rafanelli receiving a Judd -powered chassis, Philip Creighton Motorsport a Ford -powered chassis, and Champion Racing a Porsche -powered chassis. While Creighton Motorsport's chassis was not quite ready, the other two teams made their debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring . However, neither car finished, with Champion suffering a suspension failure in

2666-491: The old GTO specification, but with more restrictions. The intent of spaceframe cars is to allow teams to save money, especially after crashes, where teams can rebuild the cars for the next race at a much lower cost, or even redevelop cars, instead of having to write off an entire car after a crash or at the end of a year. Starting in 2014 the GT Daytona class was restricted exclusively to Group GT3 cars. Alongside this came

2728-604: The race continued on as part of the IMSA GT Championship instead of WSC . In 2014 , the race saw a dramatic crash involving Memo Gidley who was driving the pole-sitter DP and Matteo Malucelli, an amateur driver in a Ferrari 458 of the GTD category that has never won a race in North American Endurance . At the time of the impact, Malucelli was driving at less than 30 mph and keeping on the track while cars were passing him at 150 mph. Memo, who

2790-496: The race, became the first women's teams to finish an international-standard 24-hour race. After having lost in 1966 at Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans to the Fords, the Ferrari P series prototypes staged a 1–2–3 side-by-side parade finish at the banked finish line in 1967. The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 road car was given the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona in celebration of this victory. Porsche repeated this show in their 1–2–3 win in

2852-399: The range of 150 horsepower (which is expected to lead to a four-second decrease in lap time at Le Mans). Gibson Technology is the exclusive engine supplier for LMP2, producing a four-litre normally-aspirated V8. Biofuels , specifically petrol with 10% ethanol and biodiesel ( BTL ), are allowed in both LMP1 and LMP2 categories. The fuel tank size and minimum weight for non-hybrid cars

2914-422: The rollbar of the B98/10 could also be removed, although not all cars did this. If removed, the intakes were relocated to small nacelles to the side of the cockpit, allowing for a cleaner flow of air to the rear wing from underneath the rollbar. The sides were radically changed, with large openings between the sidepod and cockpit allowing air over the nose to escape out the side of the car. The radiator intakes on

2976-446: The same time, the ACO greatly altered their LMP classes. The smaller LMP2 class were briefly eliminated, while a new class of closed-cockpit prototypes was allowed in, known as "LMGTP" (Le Mans grand touring prototype). These cars were evolutions of production-based road cars that the ACO considered too advanced and too fast to fall under the GT class regulations, forcing the ACO to promote them as prototypes. In 2000, changes were made to

3038-475: The second generation, engines were upgraded to the 5.6-litre Nissan VK56 , increasing horsepower to 340 kW (455 hp). For 2025, the engines used in the class are set to be replaced with the twin-turbocharged 3.4-litre Toyota V35A , bringing about a power increase to 350 kW (470 hp). LMPC ( Le Mans Prototype Challenge ) was an earlier entry level class, introduced in 2009, consisting of competitors running identical Oreca FLM09 cars. The class

3100-470: The series in which they compete. The FIA 's equivalent cars were referred to as Sports Racers (SR) or Sports Racing Prototypes (SRP). The American IMSA GT Championship termed their cars World Sports Cars (WSC), while the short-lived United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) used the classic Can-Am (CA) name for their prototypes. Since 2004, most series have switched to referring to these cars as Le Mans Prototypes . The American Le Mans Series ,

3162-537: The side, which were partially fed from the air channeled away from the nose, were also larger than those on the B98/10. Lola remained with the same engine as the B98/10s, a Roush Racing -designed Ford 6.0 Litre V8. However, as before, a wide variety of other engines were chosen by teams for use, including the Judd GV4 V10 and a Porsche twin-turbocharged Flat-6 . Only six B2K/10s were built. In early 2000,

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3224-434: The smaller displacement production-based engines. Both classes were required to have open cockpits. However, LMP1 cars that year were just former Group C cars, some still with closed cockpits ( Toyota 94C-V , Courage C32 , Kremer K8 Spyder , Porsche 962C GTI , ALD C289 and Alpa LM). At the same time, the IMSA GT Championship announced the end of their closed cockpit GTP and Lights classes, deciding as well to replace them with

3286-463: The stadium lights are turned on only to a level of 20%, similar to the stadium lighting setup at Le Mans, with brighter lights around the pit straight, and decent lighting similar to street lights around the circuit. After several ownership changes at IMSA which changed the direction the organization followed, it was decided by the 1990s that the Daytona event would align with the Grand-Am series,

3348-532: The successor to the IMSA GT Championship and the predecessor of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, officially referred to the cars simply as Prototypes (P1, P2, or PC). An LMP is commonly referred to as a Le Mans car in the media. The first use of what would become Le Mans Prototypes was at the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans . In an attempt to increase the number of entrants beyond the small field of Group C competitors that

3410-417: The use of any public streets. Most parts of the steep banking are included, interrupted with a chicane on the back straight and a sweeping, fast infield section which includes two hairpins. Unlike Le Mans, the race is held in wintertime, when nights are at their longest. There are lights installed around the circuit for night racing, although the infield section is still not as well-lit as the main oval. However,

3472-446: Was subject to adjustment to reduce the difference in performance between hybrid and non-hybrid cars. There were no limits on the number of cylinders for any type of engine. Bodywork was required to cover all mechanical elements of the car, so that they couldn't be visible when the car is viewed directly from the front, side, or top. The LMP1 cars were generally the most powerful, with higher straight-line speeds. The LMP1 category

3534-423: Was a factory Porsche driver at the time, but the 1600-cc Porsche 718 was considered too small and slow for what amounted to a sprint race on a very fast course. In the past, a car had to cross the finish line after 24 hours to be classified, which led to dramatic scenes where damaged cars waited in the pits or on the edge of the track close to the finish line for hours, then restarted their engines and crawled across

3596-655: Was dropped in European Le Mans Series in 2014 . As the cost of running an LMPC team was found to be comparable to that for an LMP2 team, the class was dropped after the 2017 season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. 24 Hours of Daytona The race has borne the names of several sponsors over the years. Since 1992, the Rolex Watch Company has been the title sponsor of the race, replacing Sunbank , which replaced Pepsi in 1984. Winning drivers of all classes receive

3658-429: Was retired at the end of the 2020 season, replaced by a new top class of the endurance racing: Hypercar . From 2017, in order to limit the costs, FIA introduced a new set of regulations, which will be locked in through 2025. The rules allow a significant power increase (150 horsepower) which is expected to lead to a four-second decrease in lap time at Le Mans. Gibson Technology is the exclusive engine supplier, producing

3720-649: Was side by side to another car couldn't have seen him and impacted front first. The race was subsequently red-flagged. Both drivers survived. The regular teams were expanded to three drivers in the 1970s. Nowadays, four drivers compete typically because of the longer night driving. In the professional-based DPi Prototype and ACO GTE classes, all four drivers are usually professionals. In the ACO LMP2 and SRO Group GT3-based classes, many of these additional drivers are known as "amateur drivers," under current FIA specifications. Amateur drivers are sportsman drivers that have built

3782-464: Was the first time a diesel fuel racecar ever started at the Daytona 24. Throughout the race the Caymans were dominant, while all three Mazdas suffered premature engine failure and retired from the race. By a 9 lap lead, the #16 Napleton Porsche Cayman, driven by David Donohue , was the GX winner. Porsche has the most overall victories of any manufacturer with 23, scored by various models, including

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3844-484: Was won by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby driving a Ford Mk. II . Motor Sport reported: "For their first 24-hour race the basic organization was good, but the various officials in many cases were out of touch, childish and lacked the professional touch which one now finds at Watkins Glen ." 1966 also saw Suzy Dietrich enter the 24 Hours event, driving a Sunbeam Alpine with Janet Guthrie and Donna Mae Mims . The trio finished 32nd and, along with another women's team in

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