Who doesn't love a good sports car race? The thrill, the display of impeccable speed of cars and every feeling that comes with it is simply incomparable. Generally, sports car races held annually with the most popular car races in the world being the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, The 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as a few others.
Granting more focus on the 24 hours of Le Mans, this unique sports car race often called the 'Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency' is an endurance type of sports car race. It is particularly peculiar because its basis for a win is determined by the most distance covered by a car.
This is quite different from other races where the winner is decided by the shortest time used to finish. As popular as it is, Here are 15 things most people don't know about the 24 Hours of Le Mans:
15 The World’s Best-Known Automobile Race
The Le Mans race first started on the 26th and 27th of May 1923 and has been held ever since and had its last recorded race in 2019. The routes run through the specialized roads of Le Mans, in France. The 24 hours of Le Mans stands as the best known sports race with exceptions of the other two legs of the Triple Crown of Motorsports, that is, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.
14 Qualifying In The Traditional Sense Didn’t Start Until 1963
Up until 1962, the race had traditionally started with what was coined the 'Le Mans start'. It usually involves all the competiting cars lining up according to their engine capacities, that is , from the largest to the smallest. However this tradition changed when a Ferrari 330 TRI driven by Pedro Rodriguez and Roger Penske had set a new time record and was to take pole position.
13 Mazda Is The Only Japanese Manufacturer To Win
In 1991, the Japanese automobile manufacturer had created the Mazda 787B which had a 2.6 liter rotary engine. A derivative of the previous Mazada 787 with new specs. It was with this sports car that Johnny Hebert, Bertrand Gatchot and Volker Weidler made history in two ways. Mazda became the only Japanese car maunfacturer to win the race and the 787B was the only car with a rotary engine ever to win.
12 Klaus Ludwig And Henri Pescarolo Was The Last Two-Man Crew To Win
The Porsche manufacturer had a two-man crew who brought home victory for the car brand in 1984. With the Joest Racing Porsche 956, Klaus Ludwig and Henri Pescarolo became the last two man crew to win the Le Mans with a total of 4,900 km distance covered. From then on, only three-men crews were allowed, each driving a total of nothing more than 14 hours.
11 Michele Alboreto Was The last Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix Winner To Triumph At Le Mans
Michele Alboreto made history being the last Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix winner to bag the first place for Porsche in 1997. He entered the competition again in 1999 and 2000, driving for the Audi sport team but came in second and third respectively.
10 The First Motorsport Event Where Someone Sprayed Champagne At The Podium
Dan Gurney and A.J Foyt partnered up, driving for Ford and won the 1967 Le Mans race. Not only did the driver make history by pioneering the present customary celebration of champagne pouring, but the team was also the first American team to win the Le Mans with an American car.
9 The 2010-Winning Audi R15-Plus Of Timo Bernhard Covered The Longest Distance In The Race - 3,362 Miles
The three-man team consisting of German racer, Timo Bernhard together with Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller came in first place driving for the Audi Joest team. The Audi R-15 Plus, which was used to secure the victory, was made in 2010 with a 5.5 liter V10 turbodiesel engine and covered a total of 3,362 miles, making history as the furthest distance reached since 1971.
8 Frenchman Henri Pescarolo Has The Most Starts
This French racer, Henri Pescarolo had won the Le Mans a total of 4 times (in 1972, 1973,1974 and 1984) he brought the first three wins for the Matra team and the last for Porsche. The Frenchman had also entered and took part in the 24 hours of le mans 33 times within 1966-2009. Talk about persistence!
7 The Last Time A Team With Only British Drivers Won Was In 1957
In 1957, Englishman Jack Brabham partnered with another English racer, Ian Raby for the 25th running of the 24 hours of le mans. The race held on the 22nd and 23rd of June 1957 with the British duo winning the race driving for the British manufacturer, Jaguar. A historic British victory.
6 The Famous ‘Le Mans Start’, Where Drivers Ran Across The Track, Last Occurred In 1969
The traditional 'Le Mans start' had involved the competing cars lining up on the track while the racers had to run to their cars and start the race when the french flag was waved.
This tradition evolved in 1970 as a result of safety concerns. Though the cars were still lined up, Drivers were required to be already strapped in and ready inside their cars before the start of the race.
5 The 1968 Race Was Postponed Until September Due To The French Workers’ Strike
The 36th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was originally planned to hold on the 15th and 16th of June of 1968. Protests and general unrest had given reason for a shift in date to the 28th and 29th of September 1968. Pedro Rodriguez and Lucien Bianchi, in the J.W. Automotive Gulf-Oil Ford GT40, came in first in that Edition.
4 The Most Successful Marque Is Porsche, With 19 Wins
The Porsche automobile manufacturer has successfully made history so far having 19 wins. The Audi car brand, Bentley, Jaguar, and the Ferrari manufactures are the remaining four brands with the most wins in the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency
3 Jean Rondeau Is The Only Driver To Win The Race In A Car Bearing His Own Name
Jean Rondeau, together with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud bagged first place in 1980 in a car bearing his last name, The Rondeau M379B. He won the race with Jaussaud after a hard battle with the Porsche 908 driven by Jacky Ickx and Reinhold Joest.
2 Appropriately, 24 Manufacturers Have Won The Le Mans 24 Hours
So far, the following car brands have won the 24 hours le mans from start till date, They are, namely: Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Chenard & Walcker, Delahaye, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Lagonda, La Lorraine, Matra, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes, Mirage, Peugeot, Porsche, Renault, Rondeau, Sauber-Mercedes, and Talbot.
1 Anne-Charlotte Verney Is The Most-Capped Lady Racer At Le Mans
This was one remarkable female racer who had entered and partook in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 10 times between 1974-1983. Her highest position ever attained in the race was 6th, with her remaining two American teammates Ralph Kent-Cooke and Bob Garretson driving for Porsche brand in a Porsche 935 race car.