A total of 71 entries have been received for the 55 remaining spaces on the Le Mans 24 Hours grid.
Le Mans organizer the Automobile Club de l'Ouest has announced that it has received 41 applications for the LMP1 and P2 classes and 30 for the two GTE divisions, Pro and Am. It will reveal the chosen 55 Le Mans entries, along with the World Endurance Championship grid, on February 1.
An ACO statement read: "This remarkable figure sweeps aside the fears that hover over motorsport because of the current economic situation. The most extraordinary fact is that these 71 entries are of top-class quality."
There are a total of 16 so-called guaranteed entries based on results achieved last year at Le Mans, in the World Endurance Championship, the American Le Mans Series and the European Le Mans Series. These include two Audi LMP1 entries for winning Le Mans in 2012 and the Michelin Green X Challenge environmental award.
All cars accepted for the WEC gain an entry for Le Mans, which is a double-points round of the championship.
The 56th spot on the Le Mans grid, reserved for an experimental car, will be taken this year by the GreenGT H2 hydrogen-electric hybrid prototype.