The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Sports car racing is a form of circuit Auto racing with Automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels Endurance racing is a form of motorsport which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of participants Official Results Did Not Finish Statistics Fastest Lap - #8 Bentley - 939 Distance - 2209 Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Sarthe (saʁt is a French department, named after the Sarthe River. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it is organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and run on a circuit containing closed public roads that are meant not only to test a car and driver's ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24-hour period. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (Automobile Club of the West - referring to the western region of France sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest Automotive group The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race
Contents |
Purpose
At a time when Grand Prix racing was occurring throughout Europe, Le Mans was envisioned as a different test from motorsports at the time. Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894 Instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build the fastest machines of the time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would instead concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build sporty yet reliable cars. This would drive innovation in not only reliable but also fuel-efficient vehicles, since the nature of endurance racing requires as little time to be spent in the pits as possible. Endurance racing is a form of motorsport which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of participants
At the same time, due to the design of Le Mans, a drive would be created for better aerodynamics and stability of cars at high speeds. While this was shared with Grand Prix racing, few tracks in Europe featured straights the length of the Mulsanne. Mulsanne is a commune of the Sarthe département in France. Motor racing Mulsanne is the famous straightaway The fact that the road is public and therefore not maintained to the same quality as some permanent racing circuits also puts more of a strain on parts, causing more emphasis on reliability.
Beginning in the late 1970s, the demand for fuel economy from around the world led the race to adopt a fuel economy formula known as Group C in which competitors were given a set amount of fuel, from which they had to design an engine. Group C was a category of Auto racing, introduced into Sports car racing by the FIA in 1982 along with Group A for touring cars Although Group C was abandoned when teams were able to master the fuel formulas, fuel economy would still be important to some teams as alternative fuel sources would appear in the early 21st century, attempting to overcome time spent during pit stops.
These technological innovations have had a trickle-down effect, with technology used at Le Mans finding its way into production cars several years later. This has also led to faster and more exotic supercars due to manufacturers wishing to develop faster road cars for the purposes of developing them into even faster GT cars. Supercar is a term generally used for a high-end Sports car, whose performance is highly superior to that of its contemporaries
The Race
Cars
The race field has usually consisted of approximately 50 competitors. Each car is required to have no fewer than two seats, although in recent years only the ability to place a seat in the cockpit has been understood but not enforced. No more than two doors are allowed; open cockpit cars do not require doors.
Although all cars compete at the same time, there are separate classes. An overall winner is awarded at the end of the event, while class prizes are given as well.
Classes have varied over the years, but currently there are four. Custom-built Le Mans Prototypes are the top two classes, LMP1 and LMP2, divided by speed, weight, and power output. A Le Mans Prototype (commonly abbreviated as LMP) is a type of custom-built Race car intended for Sports car racing and Endurance racing, most The next two classes are production-based grand tourer classes, also divided by speed, weight, and power output as GT1 and GT2. A grand tourer ( Gran turismo) ( initialised GT) is a high-performance Automobile designed for long-distance driving Although the top class is the most likely winner of the event, lower classes have won on occasion due to better reliability.
Drivers
Originally, there were no rules on the number of drivers in a car or how long they can drive. Although almost all teams used two drivers in the early decades, some Le Mans drivers like Pierre Levegh attempted to run the race themselves, hoping to save time by not having to change drivers, although this was later banned. Pierre Eugène Alfred Bouillin (b 22 December 1905, Paris &ndash d Up until the 1980s there were teams where only two drivers competed, but by the end of the decade it was placed into the rules that at least three drivers were necessary.
By the 1990s, due to the speeds of the cars and the strain it put on drivers, further rules were put in place in order to aid in driver safety. Drivers could not drive more than four hours consecutively, and no one driver could run for more than fourteen hours total. This has reduced driver fatigue during the races.
Unique rules and traditions
Although the 24 Hours of Le Mans was part of the World Sportscar Championship for most of its existence, it has regularly had rules which differed from those used in other series, partially due to the length of the event. World Endurance Championship redirects here For the motorcycle endurance Some rules are for safety reasons, while others are for the purposes of competition.
For many decades, cars were required to run at least an hour into the race before they were allowed to refill fluids for the car, such as oil or coolant, with the exception of fuel. This was an attempt by the ACO to help increase efficiency and reliability. Cars which could not last the first hour without having to replace lost fluids were disqualified.
Another rule that is unique to Le Mans is a requirement for cars to be shut off while they are being refueled in the pits. Based not only the notion that it is safer and less of a fire hazard to do so, this also allows for another test of reliability, because cars have to test their ability to restart many times under race conditions. Another element of this rule is that mechanics are not allowed to work on the car or its tires while it is being refueled, which has led teams to adapt innovative ways in which to decrease the time of these lengthy pit stops. As an exception to this rule, drivers are allowed to get out of the car and be replaced by another driver during refueling.
At Le Mans there are various traditions that have been seen over the years. One of the longest lasting is the waving of the French tricolor to start the race. The National flag of France (known in French as drapeau tricolore, drapeau français,and in military parlance les couleurs This is usually followed by a fly-over featuring jets trailing red, white and blue smoke. A similar flag tradition is the waving of safety flags during the final lap of the race by track marshals, congratulating the winners and other finishers.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans also saw the first known instance at a major race of a winning driver celebrating by spraying champagne instead of drinking it. Champagne is a Sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle Secondary fermentation of Wine to effect Carbonation. When Dan Gurney won the 1967 race with co-driver A.J. Foyt, the two drivers mounted the victory stand and Gurney was handed a magnum of champagne. Daniel Sexton Gurney (born April 13, 1931) is an American racing driver race car constructor and team owner The 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 35th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 10 and 11, 1967. Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr (born January 16, 1935, in Houston, Texas) is a retired American Automobile racing driver Looking down, he saw Ford CEO Henry Ford II, team owner Carroll Shelby and their wives, as well as several journalists who had predicted disaster for the high-profile duo. Gurney shook the bottle and sprayed everyone nearby, establishing a tradition reenacted in victory celebrations the world over for the past 40 years. Gurney, incidentally, autographed and gave the bottle of champagne to a LIFE magazine photographer, Flip Schulke, who used it as a lamp for many years. He recently returned the bottle to Gurney, who keeps it at his home in California.
Schedule
The first race was held on May 26 and 27 1923 and has since been run annually in June, with exceptions occurring in 1956, when the race was held in July, and 1968, when it was held in September, due to nationwide political turmoils earlier that year (see May 1968). Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place For other events in May 1968 see 1968. The race has been cancelled twice: once in the year 1936 (Great Depression) and from 1940 to 1948 (World War II and its aftermath). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
The race weekend also usually takes place the second weekend of June, with qualifying and practice taking place on the Wednesday and Thursday before the race, following an administrative scrutineering of the cars on Monday and Tuesday. Currently these sessions are held in the evening, with two separate two hour sessions held each night. A day of rest is scheduled on Friday, and includes a parade of all the drivers through the center of the town of Le Mans. Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River.
A test day was also usually held prior to the event, traditionally at the end of April or beginning of May. These test days served as a pre-qualification for the event, with the slowest cars not being allowed to appear again at the proper qualifying. However, with the cost necessary to transport cars to Le Mans and then back to their respective series in between the test and race weeks, the test day was moved to the first weekend of June for 2005. The notion of pre-qualifying was also eliminated in 2000, when all competitors invited to the test would be allowed into the race.
The Le Mans Legend races have also been part of the schedule since 2001, usually running exhibition races during qualifying days, a few hours prior to the sessions for the Le Mans entrants. The Le Mans Legend is a vintage sports car race held during the 24 Hours of Le Mans festivities
Traditionally, the race starts at 16:00 on the Saturday, although in 1968 the race started at 14:00 due to the lateness of the race on the calendar. In both 1984 and 2007, the start time was moved ahead to 15:00 due to the conflicting French General Election. In 2006, the ACO scheduled a 17:00 start time on Saturday, June 17 in order to maximize television coverage in between the FIFA World Cup games. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Discussions are being held that may see the regular start time being moved to 15:00 from 2008 onwards.
Classification
Originally, the race results were actually determined by distance. The car which covered the greatest distance was declared the winner. This is known to have caught out the Ford team in 1966. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 34th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 1966. With a dominant 1-2 lead, the two cars slowed to allow for a photo opportunity at the finish line, with Denny Hulme slightly ahead of Bruce McLaren. A photo op (sometimes written as photo opp) short for photograph opportunity ( photo opportunity) originally referred to an opportunity that resulted in Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme OBE ( 18 June 1936 &ndash 4 October 1992) was a New Zealand car racer the 1967 Early life As an eleven year old McLaren contracted a disease in his hip which left his left leg shorter than the right However, since McLaren's car had actually started much farther back on the grid from Hulme, McLaren's car had actually covered the farthest distance over the 24 hours. With the margin of victory determined to be eight meters, McLaren and co-driver Chris Amon were declared the winners. Early life Chris Amon was born in Bulls, New Zealand as the only child of wealthy sheep-owner Ngaio Amon This distance rule was later changed with the advent of rolling starts, leading to the winner being declared by number of laps.
To be classified in the race results, a car is required to cross the finish line after 24 hours. This has led to dramatic scenes where damaged cars wait in the pits or on the edge of the track close to the finish line for hours, then restart their engines and crawl across the line to be listed amongst the finishers. However, this practice of waiting in the pits was banned in recent years with a requirement that a team complete a set distance within the last hour to be classified.
Another rule put into place by the ACO was the requirement that cars complete 70% of the distance covered by the winner. A car failing to complete this number of laps, even if it finished the race, was not deemed worthy of classification due to the poor reliability or speed.
Le Mans start
The races traditionally begin with what became known as the Le Mans start, in which cars were lined up alongside the pit wall in the order in which they qualified. The starting drivers would stand on the opposite side of the front stretch. When the French flag dropped to signify the start, the drivers would run across the track to their cars, which they would have to enter and start without assistance, before driving away. This became a safety issue in the late 1960s when drivers would ignore their safety harnesses, a recent invention. This led to drivers running the first few laps either improperly harnessed due to attempting to do it while driving or sometimes not even harnessed at all, leading to several deaths when cars were involved in accidents due to the bunched field at the start.
This starting method inspired Porsche to locate the ignition key switch to the left of the steering wheel. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch This allowed the driver to use his left hand to start the engine, and his right hand to put the transmission into gear. This location of the ignition key switch is still found today on all Porsche 911 based models.
Feeling this type of start was unsafe, the 1969 event saw Le Mans rookie Jacky Ickx oppose the method by walking across the track while his competitors ran. The 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 37th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1969. Racing career Jacky Ickx was introduced to the sport when he was taken by his father motoring journalist Jacques Ickx, to races which he covered Although nearly hit by a faster competitor's car while walking, Ickx took the time to fasten his safety belts before pulling away. Sadly, the first lap of that race saw privateer racer John Woolfe killed in an accident, while Ickx would go on to win the race.
The traditional Le Mans practice was altered for 1970. The 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 38th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 13 and 14, 1970. Cars were still lined up along the pit wall, but the drivers were already inside and strapped in. At the dropping of the French tricolor, the drivers would then start their engines and drive away. However, in 1971 this method would be done away with altogether as a rolling start (sometimes known as an Indianapolis start) was introduced, which has been used ever since. A rolling start is one of two modes of initiating or restarting an auto race the other mode is the Standing start. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American
The circuit
The circuit on which the 24 Hours of Le Mans is run is named the Circuit de la Sarthe (Circuit of the Sarthe), after the Sarthe department that Le Mans is within. The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race Sarthe (saʁt is a French department, named after the Sarthe River. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division It consists of both permanent track and public roads that are temporarily closed for the race. Since 1923 the track has been extensively modified, mostly for safety reasons, and currently is 13. 65 km in length. Although it initially entered the town of Le Mans, the track was cut short in order to better protect spectators. Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. This led to the creation of the Dunlop Curve and Tertre Rouge corners before rejoining the old circuit on the Mulsanne. Mulsanne is a commune of the Sarthe département in France. Motor racing Mulsanne is the famous straightaway Another major change was on the Mulsanne itself, when the FIA decreed that it would no longer sanction any circuit which had a straight longer than 2 km. This led to the addition of two chicanes, slowing the high speeds that cars had been capable of reaching on the old five km long straight.
The public sections of the track differ from the permanent circuit, especially in comparison to the Bugatti Circuit which is inside the Circuit de la Sarthe. The Bugatti Circuit is a race track located in Le Mans, France, named after Ettore Bugatti. Due to heavy traffic in the area, the public roads are not as smooth or well kept. They also offer less grip because of the lack of soft tyre rubber laid down from racing cars, though this only affects the first few laps of the race. The roads are closed only within a few hours of the practice sessions and the race, before being opened again almost as soon as the race is finished. Workers have to assemble and dismantle safety barriers every year for the public sections.
History
- For a list of individual race reports, see Category:24 Hours of Le Mans races.
1923-1939
The 24 Hours of Le Mans was first run on May 26 and 27, 1923, through public roads around Le Mans. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Originally planned to be a three year event awarded the Rudge Whitworth Triennial Cup, with a winner being declared by the car which could go the farthest distance over three consecutive 24 Hour races, this idea was abandoned in 1928 and overall winners were declared for each single year depending on who covered the farthest distance by the time 24 hours were up. The early races were dominated by French, British, and Italian drivers, teams, and cars, with Bugatti, Bentley, and Alfa Romeo being the dominant marques. Bugatti was founded in Molsheim, France, as a manufacturer of high performance automobiles by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian Bentley Motors Limited is an English manufacturer of luxury Automobiles and Grand Tourers Bentley Motors was founded in England Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA is an Italian Automaker founded in 1910 Innovations in car design began appearing at the track in the late 1930s, with Bugatti and Alfa Romeo running highly aerodynamic bodywork in order to run down the Mulsannes Straight at faster speeds. In 1936 the race was cancelled due to general strikes in France, then with the outbreak of World War II in late 1939, the race went on a ten year hiatus while France reconstructed itself. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
1949-1969
Following the reconstruction of the circuit facilities, the race was resumed in 1949 with renewed interest from major automobile manufacturers. After the formation of the World Sportscar Championship in 1953, of which Le Mans was a part, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and many others began sending multiple cars backed by their respective factories to compete for overall wins against their competitors. World Endurance Championship redirects here For the motorcycle endurance Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, England. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Unfortunately this fierce competition would also lead to tragedy with an accident during the 1955 race in which the car of Pierre Levegh crashed into the crowd of spectators, killing more than 80 people. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans when a racing car involved in an accident flew into the crowd killing the driver ( Pierre Levegh The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955. Pierre Eugène Alfred Bouillin (b 22 December 1905, Paris &ndash d This led to widespread safety measures being brought into place not only at the circuit, but elsewhere in the motorsports world. However, even though the safety standards improved, so did the speeds of the cars. The move from open-cockpit roadsters to closed-cockpit coupes would help produce speeds over 320 km/h on the Mulsanne. Mulsanne is a commune of the Sarthe département in France. Motor racing Mulsanne is the famous straightaway Race cars of the time were still mostly based on production road cars, but by the end of the 1960s, the Ford Motor Company would enter the picture with their GT40s, taking four straight wins before the era of production-based wins would come to a close. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The Ford GT40 was a high performance Sports car and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans four times in a row from 1966 to 1969 (in 1967 with a different body though
1970-1981
For the new decade, the race took a turn towards more extreme speeds and automotive designs. These extreme speeds led to the replacement of the typical standing Le Mans start with a rolling Indianapolis start. Although production-based cars still raced, they were now in the lower classes while purpose-built sportscars become the norm. The Porsche 917, 935, and 936 were dominant throughout the decade, but a resurgence by French manufacturers Matra-Simca and Renault saw the first victories for the nation since the 1950 race. The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976 as the racing version of the Porsche 930 (911 Turbo prepared for FIA - Group 5 rules (similar to the Porsche The Porsche 936 was a Racing car introduced in 1976 by Porsche as a delayed successor to the Porsche 917, which was retired by the factory after 1971 Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Simca redirects here for other uses of that term see SIMCA (disambiguation. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. This decade is also remembered for strong performances from many privateer constructors, with two scoring the only victories for a privateer. John Wyer's Mirage won in 1975 while Jean Rondeau's self-titled chassis took 1980. John Wyer (b 11 December 1909, Kidderminster, England - d 1989 Scottsdale Arizona, U The Mirage race cars were built by JW Automotive at Slough in England to compete in international sports car races in the colours of the Gulf Oil Corporation The 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 43rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1975. Jean Rondeau ( Le Mans, France, May 13, 1946 - Champagné, France December 27, 1985) was a French race car driver The 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 48th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1980.
1982-1993
The rest of the 1980s was known for the dominance by Porsche under the new Group C race car formula which pushed for fuel efficiency. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Group C was a category of Auto racing, introduced into Sports car racing by the FIA in 1982 along with Group A for touring cars Originally running the effective 956, it was later replaced by the 962. The Porsche 956 was a Group C Sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship. The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form was a Sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 Both chassis were cheap enough for privateers to purchase them en masse, leading to the two chassis winning six years in a row. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz returned to sports car racing while an influx of Japanese manufacturer interest saw prototypes from Nissan and Toyota. Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. However, Mazda's unique rotary-powered 787B would be the only manufacturer to succeed. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. The rotary engine was an early type of internal combustion Aircraft engine in which the Crankshaft remains stationary and the entire Cylinder The Mazda 787 and its derivative 787B were Sports prototype racing cars built by Mazda for use in the World Sportscar Championship For 1992 and 1993, Peugeot entered the sport and dominated the race as the Group C formula and World Sportscar Championship were fading in participation. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. World Endurance Championship redirects here For the motorcycle endurance
The circuit would also undergo one of its most notable changes in 1990, when the 5 km long Mulsanne was modified to include two chicanes in order to stop speeds of upwards of 386 km/h from being reached. The 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 58th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 16 and 17, 1990. Mulsanne is a commune of the Sarthe département in France. Motor racing Mulsanne is the famous straightaway This began a trend by the ACO to continually attempt to slow portions of the track down, although speeds over 320 km/h are still regularly reached at various points on a lap.
1994-1999
Following the demise of the World Sportscar Championship, Le Mans saw a resurgence of production-based grand tourer cars. World Endurance Championship redirects here For the motorcycle endurance A grand tourer ( Gran turismo) ( initialised GT) is a high-performance Automobile designed for long-distance driving Thanks to a loophole in the rules, Porsche was successfully able to convince the ACO that a Dauer 962 Le Mans supercar was a production car, allowing Porsche to race their Porsche 962 for one final time, dominating the field. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch The Dauer 962 Le Mans is a Sports car based on the Porsche 962 racing car. The Porsche 962 (also known as the 962C in its Group C form was a Sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 Although the ACO attempted to close the loop hole for 1995, newcomer McLaren would win the race in their supercar's first appearance thanks to reliability, beating faster yet more trouble prone prototypes. McLaren Automotive (previously McLaren Cars) is an English Automaker established in 1989 with the object of producing road cars based on Formula The trend would continue through the 90s as more exotic supercars were built in order to skirt the ACO's rules regarding production-based race cars, leading to Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Panoz, and Lotus entering the GT categories. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker. Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at Hethel, Norfolk, England. This culminated in the 1999 event, in which these GT cars were faced with the Le Mans Prototypes of BMW, Audi, and Ferrari. The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 67th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 1999. A Le Mans Prototype (commonly abbreviated as LMP) is a type of custom-built Race car intended for Sports car racing and Endurance racing, most ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy BMW would survive with the victory, their first ever. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916
This strong manufacturer influence led the ACO to lending the Le Mans name to a sports car series in the United States in 1999, known as the American Le Mans Series, which competes to this day and serves to qualify teams to enter Le Mans. The American Le Mans Series ( ALMS) is a Sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada.
2000-2007
Following the 1999 event, many major automobile manufacturers would pull out of sports car racing due to the costs associated with running the event. Among them, only Audi would remain, easily dominating the race with their R8. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters The Audi R8 is a sports-prototype race car introduced in 2000 for Sports car racing as a redevelopment of their Audi R8R (open top LMP) and Although Panoz, Chrysler, and MG would all briefly attempt to take on Audi, none could match the R8's performance. Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925 MG is a British Sports car brand founded in 1924 MG is best known for two-seat open sports cars but MG also produced saloons and Coupés After three victories in a row, Audi provided engine, team staff and drivers to their corporate partner Bentley, who had returned in 2001, and the factory Bentleys were able to succeed ahead of privateer Audis in 2003. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Bentley Motors Limited is an English manufacturer of luxury Automobiles and Grand Tourers Bentley Motors was founded in England The 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 71st Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 2003. At the end of 2005, after five overall victories for the R8, and six to its V8 turbo engine, Audi took on a new challenge by introducing a Diesel-powered prototype known as the R10 TDI. The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. Although not the first diesel to race, it was the first to achieve victory at Le Mans. This era saw other alternative fuel sources being used, including bio-ethanol, while Peugeot decided to follow Audi's lead and also pursue a Diesel entry in 2007 with their Peugeot 908. Ethanol fuel is Ethanol (ethyl alcohol the same type of Alcohol found in Alcoholic beverages. For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP is a Sports prototype racing car built by the French automobile manufacturer Peugeot to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
A second ACO-backed series was also formed, similar to the American Le Mans Series, but concentrating on Europe. The Le Mans Endurance Series (later shortened to Le Mans Series), would resurrect many well known 1000 km endurance races. The Le Mans Series (LMS is a European Sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest Endurance racing is a form of motorsport which is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of participants This would later be followed by the Asian centered Japan Le Mans Challenge in 2006. The Japan Le Mans Challenge (abbreviated JLMC) was an endurance sportscar series based in Japan built around the 24 Hours of Le Mans that began in
Innovations
Over its lifetime, Le Mans has seen many types of innovations in automotive design in order to counteract some of the difficulties that the circuit and race present. These innovations have either been dictated by rules or have been attempts by manufacturers to outwit the competition. Some of these innovations have made their way into the common automobile and are used nearly every day.
Aerodynamics
One of the keys to Le Mans is top speed, caused by the long straights that dominate the circuit. This has meant that cars have attempted to achieve the maximum speeds possible instead of relying on downforce for the turns. While early competitors cars were street cars with their bodywork removed to reduce weight, innovators like Bugatti developed cars which saw the beginnings of aerodynamics. Bugatti was founded in Molsheim, France, as a manufacturer of high performance automobiles by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian Nicknamed Tanks due to their similarity to a tank, these cars used simple curves to cover all the mechanical elements of the car and increase top speed. Once Le Mans returned after World War II, most manufacturers would adopt closed bodies which were streamlined for better aerodynamics. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This led to a separation from Grand Prix cars, which rarely had large bodywork.
As the years went on, bodywork became larger while at the same time lighter. The larger bodywork was able to provide more downforce for the turns without increasing the drag, allowing cars to maintain the high top speeds. These extended bodyworks would usually concentrate on the rear of the car, usually being termed long tail. The bodywork also began to cover the cockpit for less drag, although open cockpits would come and go over the years as rules varied. Aerodynamics reached its peak in 1989 before the Mulsanne Straight was modified. During the 1988 race, the crew of a W. The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 11 and 12, 1988. M. prototype taped over the engine openings and set a recorded speed of 404 km/h (251 mph) down the Mulsanne in an attempt for some publicity, although the car was nearly undrivable elsewhere on the circuit and the engine was soon destroyed from a lack of cooling. However, for the 1989 event, the Mercedes-Benz C9 reached 399 km/h (248 mph) under qualifying conditions. The 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 57th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 10 and 11, 1989. The Sauber C9 (later named the Mercedes-Benz C9) was a Group C prototype race car introduced in 1987 as a continuation of the partnership between Sauber
Engines
A wide variety of engines have competed at Le Mans, in attempts to not only achieve greater speed but also to have better fuel economy and spend less time in the pits. Engine sizes have also varied greatly, with the smallest engines being a mere 569 cc (Simca Cinq) and the largest upwards of 7986 cc (Chrysler Viper GTS-R). Simca redirects here for other uses of that term see SIMCA (disambiguation. The Chrysler Viper GTS-R (also known as the Dodge Viper GTS-R when raced in North America was a successful racing variant of the Dodge Viper developed Supercharging was an early innovation for increasing output, first being raced in 1929, while turbocharging would not appear until 1974. A supercharger is an air compressor used for Forced induction of an Internal combustion engine. The 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 7th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 15 and 16, 1929. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. The 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 42nd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 15 and 16, 1974.
The first car to enter without an engine run by pistons would be in 1963, when Rover partnered with British Racing Motors to run a gas turbine with mixed success, repeating again in 1965. The 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 31st Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 15 and 16, 1963. The Rover Company was a British Motor vehicle manufacturing company originating in Coventry in 1904 which moved to Solihull after World War II "BRM" redirects here For other uses please see BRM (disambiguation. A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary Engine that extracts energy from a flow of Combustion gas The 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 33rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 19 and 20, 1965. The American Howmet Corporation would attempt to run a turbine again in 1968 with even less success. The 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 36th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on September 28 and 29, 1968. Although the engines offered great power, they were notoriously hot and uneconomical for fuel.
Another non-piston engine that would appear would be a Wankel engine, otherwise known as the rotary engine. The Wankel engine is a type of Internal combustion engine which uses a rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating Run entirely by Mazda since its introduction in 1970, the compact engine would also suffer from fuel economy problems like the turbine had, yet would see the success that the turbine lacked. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. The 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 38th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 13 and 14, 1970. After many years of development, Mazda finally succeeded in being the only winner of the race to not have a piston-powered engine, taking the 1991 event with the 787B. The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 59th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 22 and 23, 1991. The Mazda 787 and its derivative 787B were Sports prototype racing cars built by Mazda for use in the World Sportscar Championship
Alternative fuel sources would also play a part in more normal engine designs, with the first non-gasoline car appearing in 1949. The 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 17th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 25 and 26, 1949. The Delettrez Special would be powered by a diesel motor, while a second diesel would appear in the form of the M. A. P. the following year. Although diesel would appear at other times over the race existence, it would not be until 2006 when a major manufacturer, Audi, would invest in diesels and finally succeed, with the R10. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi.
Ethanol fuel appeared in 1980 in a modified Porsche 911, taking a class win. Ethanol fuel is Ethanol (ethyl alcohol the same type of Alcohol found in Alcoholic beverages. The 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 48th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1980. The Porsche 911 (pronounced as Nine Eleven, Neunelfer is a Sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany The alternative biological fuel source would return again 2003 with Team Nasamax, leading to the ACO deciding that the 2008 event will see all cars running partial mixtures of bio-ethanol fuel. The 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 71st Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 2003. The 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 76th Grand Prix of Endurance taking place on 14 &ndash 15 June 2008 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le
Brakes
With increased speeds around the track, brakes become a key innovation for teams attempting to safely bring their cars down to a slow enough speed to make turns such as Mulsanne Corner. Disc brakes were first seen on a car when the Jaguar C-Type raced at Le Mans in 1953. The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a Wheel. The Jaguar C-Type (also called the Jaguar XK120-C) is a Racing car built by Jaguar and sold from 1951 to 1953 The 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 21st Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 13 and 14, 1953. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR would introduce the concept of an air brake in 1955, using a large opening hood on the rear of the car. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was a sports racing car in 1955. Technical Highlights Despite a misleading name the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR was based neither on the In Aeronautics, air brakes are a type of flight control used on Aircraft to reduce speed during landing The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955.
In the 1980s, anti-lock braking systems would become standard on most Group C cars as a safety measure, ensuring that cars did not lose control while still moving at approximately 320 km/h. An anti-lock braking system, or ABS (from the German, A nti' b' lockier' s' ystem) is a safety system on Motor vehicles Group C was a category of Auto racing, introduced into Sports car racing by the FIA in 1982 along with Group A for touring cars By the late 1990s, reinforced carbon-carbon brakes would be adapted for better stopping power and reliability. Reinforced Carbon-Carbon ( carbon-carbon or RCC) is a Composite material consisting of Carbon fiber reinforcement in a matrix of Graphite
Successful marques and drivers
- For a list of winning drivers, teams, and cars, see List of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners. The 24 Hours of Le Mans ( 24 heures du Mans) is the world's oldest sports car Endurance race and one of the most famous and influential in
Over the years, many manufacturers have managed to take the overall win, while even more have taken class wins. By far the most successful marque in the history of the race is Porsche, with succeeded in taking 16 overall victories, including seven in a row from 1981 to 1987. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Ferrari follows with nine, also including six in a row from 1960 to 1965, while Jaguar has seven wins. Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Bentley, Alfa Romeo, and Ford all managed to win four races in a row, with Bentley recording two other victories in other years as well. Bentley Motors Limited is an English manufacturer of luxury Automobiles and Grand Tourers Bentley Motors was founded in England Alfa Romeo Automobiles SpA is an Italian Automaker founded in 1910 Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Recently the Audi marque has dominated the event, winning in seven of the ten years they have participated. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters The only Japanese marque to win the race so far has been Mazda, although nearly every major Japanese manufacturer has made attempts at the race. ( is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Hiroshima, Japan. Mazda's 1991 victory also saw the only use of a rotary engine, one of Mazda's hallmarks. The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 59th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 22 and 23, 1991. The Wankel engine is a type of Internal combustion engine which uses a rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating
For drivers, two drivers stand apart for their number of victories. Initially Jacky Ickx held the record at six, scoring victories between 1969 and 1982, earning him an honorary citizenship to the town of Le Mans. Racing career Jacky Ickx was introduced to the sport when he was taken by his father motoring journalist Jacques Ickx, to races which he covered The 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 37th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1969. The 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 50th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 19 and 20, 1982. Le Mans (ləmɑ̃ in French) is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. However newcomer Tom Kristensen has been able to quickly eclipse this record with seven wins between 1997 and 2005, including six in a row. Tom Kristensen (born July 7 1967 in Hobro) is a Danish racing driver. The 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1997. The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 18 and 19, 2005. However, it should be noted that three-time winner Woolf Barnato is still the only driver to have won every Le Mans he has participated in, from 1928 to 1930. Joel Woolf Barnato ( 27 September 1895 &ndash 27 July 1948) was a British Financier and racing driver, one of The 1928 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 6th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 16 and 17, 1928. The 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 8th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on 21 June and 22 1930.
Henri Pescarolo has won the race four times, yet currently holds the record for the most Le Mans appearances at 33. Complete Formula One World Championship results ( key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap See also Pescarolo Sport On the other hand, Japan's Yojiro Terada currently holds the record for the most Le Mans starts without a win yet is currently still active as a driver. is a Japanese racing driver from Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. He is known for holding the record for the most participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Accidents
With the high speeds associated with Le Mans, the track has seen a number of accidents, some of which have been fatal to drivers and spectators. This is a list of 24 Hours of Le Mans fatal accidents, which consists of all the drivers who have died during a 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend or in pre-race testing or practice The worst moment in Le Mans history was during the 1955 race in which more than 80 spectators and driver Pierre Levegh were killed. The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12, 1955. Pierre Eugène Alfred Bouillin (b 22 December 1905, Paris &ndash d In the shock following this disaster, many major and minor races were cancelled in 1955, such as the Grand Prix races in Germany and Switzerland, the latter banning motorsport throughout the entire country. The German Grand Prix ( Großer Preis von Deutschland) is an annual automobile race The Swiss Grand Prix was the premier Auto race of Switzerland. This accident brought wide sweeping safety regulations to all motorsports series, for both driver and spectator protection. In 1986 Jo Gartner drove a Porsche 962C and crashed into the barriers on the Mulsanne straight, killing him instantly. Jo Gartner ( January 24, 1954 – June 1, 1986) was a Formula One and Sports car Endurance driver from Austria His accident was the most recent fatality in the race itself, however there was a fatality in 1997 during the practices.
In one of the most recognizable recent accidents, calamity would once again strike Mercedes-Benz, although without fatality. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the The Mercedes-Benz CLRs which competed in 1999 would suffer from aerodynamic instabilities that caused the cars to become airborne in the right conditions. The Mercedes-Benz CLR was a Le Mans Prototype built by Mercedes-Benz for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 67th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 1999. After initially happening at the Le Mans test day, Mercedes claimed they had solved the problem, only to have it occur again at Warm Up hours before the race. Mark Webber was the unlucky driver to flip the car on both occasions. Early career Mark Webber was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, son of Alan the local Motorcycle dealer The final and most damaging accident occurred during the race itself when Peter Dumbreck's CLR became airborne and then proceeded to fly over the safety fencing, landing in the woods several metres away. Peter Dumbreck (born 13 October 1973 in Kirkcaldy) is a racing driver from Scotland No drivers were badly hurt in any of the three accidents, but Mercedes-Benz quickly withdrew their remaining entry and ended their entire sportscar program.
Appearances in media
- See also: Le Mans 24 Hours video games
The 1969 event, known for its close finish, was documented in a short film entitled La Ronde Infernale. A number of video games have been made of Le Mans 24 Hours. The race, the Circuit de la Sarthe, and competing cars have been featured in racing games such as the The 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 37th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 14 and 15, 1969. This was given a limited cinema release but is now available on DVD.
The race became a major motion picture in 1971 when Steve McQueen released his simply titled Le Mans, starring McQueen as a driver in the 1970 event for the Gulf Porsche team. Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24 1930 – November 7 1980 was an American movie Actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool" Le Mans is a 1971 action film directed by Lee H Katzin. Starring Steve McQueen, it features footage from the actual 1970 24 Hours of Le The 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 38th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 13 and 14, 1970. Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Likened to other motorsports films such as Grand Prix for Formula One racing and Winning for the Indianapolis 500, Le Mans is the best known film to center on sports car racing. Grand Prix is an action film released in 1966. It was directed by John Frankenheimer with music by Maurice Jarre. Winning is a 1969 American Motion picture starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American It was filmed during the race using modified racing cars carrying cameras, as well as purchased Porsche 917s, Ferrari 512s and Lola T70s for action shots made after the race. The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. This article is about the 1969-1971 race car For road cars designated 512 BB / 512 BBi and 512 TR / F512M see Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer and The Lola T70 was built for Sports car racing, popular in the mid to late 1960's The Porsche 908 which served as a camera car in the race actually finished, yet was so far behind the winners due to lengthy reel changes during pit stops that it was not classified in the results. The Porsche 908 was a Racing car from Porsche, introduced from 1967 in the Porsche 906 / Porsche 907 / Porsche 910 series of models
A modern film not centering on Le Mans yet featuring events from the 2002 race was Michel Valliant, about a French comic book motorsports hero. The 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 70th Grand Prix of Endurance and took place on June 15 and 16, 2002. Michel Valliant (Need for Speed is a French 2003 movie starring Sagamore Stévenin and Diane Kruger. Again using two camera cars to tape action during the race, the French film was not as widely accepted as Le Mans had been. The 1974 TV show The Goodies also featured an episode entitled The Race, involving a comedic trio attempting to run Le Mans. This article discusses The Goodies comedy television series For information about the formation of The Goodies group and for information The Race is an episode of the British Comedy television series The Goodies.
The race has also been used for several video games over the years, some of which have allowed players to compete for the full 24 hours. Although most used the Le Mans name itself, the PlayStation 2 game Gran Turismo 4 also included the Circuit de la Sarthe and allowed players to run the full 24 hour races with or without the chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight. Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) is a racing Video game for Sony PlayStation 2 which is published by The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race
Coverage
Motors TV have covered the Le Mans 24 Hours in the entirety since 2006. Motors TV is a television channel dedicated to news documentaries and coverage of Motorsport and Automobiles, and to a lesser extent Motorbikes, This has included coverage of the scrutineering, qualifying, driver parade, warm up and the whole race. In the United States, Speed Channel airs partial live coverage through a combination of coverage from the French host broadcaster and their own pit reporting crew. Speed, sometimes still referred to as the Speed Channel, is a cable and satellite Television channel broadcast to various parts of North In 2008, Motors TV will no longer have television rights for the race, while Eurosport secured a multi-year deal to show the entire race including the qualifying and the motorcycle race. Eurosport is the largest European sports Satellite and cable network available in 54 countries and broadcasting in 20 different languages Every hour of the 2008 race will be broadcast but only partly on the main channel, while Eurosport 2 broadcasts the rest of the segments. Eurosport 2 is a second channel of the three channels ( Eurosport, Eurosport 2 and Eurosport News) of the Eurosport. Also live streaming video coverage will be provided on Eurosport's web page.
The race is also broadcast on radio by Radio Le Mans. Broadcast from the circuit for the full 24 hours as well as before and after, it offers fans at the race the ability to listen to commentary through radio. Radio Le Mans is also broadcast through internet radio on their website, or on the GlobeCast Radio channel on Sky Digital. Internet radio (also known as web radio, net radio, streaming radio and e-radio) is an audio Broadcasting service transmitted via Sky Digital is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting 's digital Satellite television service transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28
Vintage racing
Since 2001, the ACO has allowed the Le Mans Legend event to participate on the full Circuit de la Sarthe during the 24 Hours week. The Le Mans Legend is a vintage sports car race held during the 24 Hours of Le Mans festivities The Le Mans Legend is a vintage sports car race held during the 24 Hours of Le Mans festivities The Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a non-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race These exhibition races involve classic cars which had previously run at Le Mans or similar to ones that had. Each year, a set era of cars is allowed to participate, with the era changing from year to year. Though mostly amateur drivers, some famous drivers have appeared to race cars they had previously run, such as Stirling Moss. Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss OBE (born September 17, 1929 in London) is a retired racing driver from England.
Starting in 2002, the Le Mans Classic has taken place on the full 13 km circuit in July, as a biannual event. The Le Mans Classic is a biennial vintage sports car event held on the grounds of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The races take places over a full 24 hour day/night cycle, with starts on set times allowing cars from the same era to compete at the same time. A team typically consists of a car in each class, and the team with the most points accumulated over five or six classes declared the overall winner. The classes are based on the era in which the cars would have competed, the exact class requirements are re-evaluated for every event since for every event the age for the youngest entries is shifted by 2 years. Although the format of the first event saw 5 classes doing more short races, later events have seen 6 classes do less but longer races. With the upcoming 2008 event probably allowing early Group C contenders, this format could see yet another revision with either more classes or classes spanning longer periods in time. Drivers are also required to have an FIA International Competition license to participate. This event also includes a large concours and auction.
See also
References
- Le Mans 1965 in Automobile Historique nº48 May 2005 (in French)
- 24 heures du Mans 1973 in Automobile Historique nº49 June/July 2005 (in French)
External links
- Le Mans official site
- Radio Le Mans - Le Mans history
- Les24heuresduMans — History of the 24 hours of Le Mans (French)
- Racing Sports Cars — historical photos and results
- 24 Hours in Le Mans - Life at a Racing Track — German TV-Documentation
- Le Mans The Legend - Luis Santos
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic