FOND DU LAC, Wisc. — Mercury Racing is offering real-time web coverage of the 39th annual 24 Hours of Rouen, the legendary French endurance powerboat race held annually April 30-May 1. The Mercury Racing 24 Hours of Rouen web site, which went live April 24, URL is http://mercuryracing-rouen24.com. The site may also be accessed via a link from the Mercury Marine website home page, www.mercurymarine.com.

Mercury Racing made history in 1999, being the first ever to bring the 24-hour event live to race fans worldwide over the Internet.

The 2002 24 Hours of Rouen web site will again feature hourly real-time race updates and photography as well as a Mercury team entry list, race history and final results. Site visitors are encouraged to e-mail Mercury Racing team members during the race with questions or well wishes. The event begins 9:00 a.m. (CDT) Tuesday, April 30.

Rouen tests both man and machine as boats run non-stop, with the exception of fuel stops and driver exchanges, for 24 hours. Mercury has powered more first-place finishers at Rouen than any other engine builder.

Mercury debuted low-emissions technology at the 1997 Rouen race, with stock 200-horsepower OptiMax outboard-powered boats finishing fourth & fifth overall, behind only Mercury race power, and ahead of all other competitive outboards. A race version of the OptiMax 200XS outboard debuted in Rouen in 1999, powering the multi-national team of Amaury Jousseaume of France, Kay Marshall of Australia, and Richard Hearn of the United States, to third place overall.