The 24 hours of Le Mans has been held annually from 1923 near the town of Le Mans in France. It is the world’s oldest active sports car race in the endurance racing category.
The first race was held on 26 and 27 of May 1923 and has run every year apart from 1936 and from 1940 to 1948 because of World War II.
The race is commonly named the ‘Grand Prix of Endurance’, although the 24 hour Le Mans is not just about having a fast car and a it’s drivers ability, it is about being able to produce a car that can complete the race in its entirety without sustaining any mechanical damage whilst also keeping an eye on the cars tyres, fuel and brakes.
The drivers are also put through their paces. At first there were no rules surrounding how many drivers were in a team, with a few drivers in the races history looking to save time by attempting to complete the race as the only driver. It wasn’t until the 1990’s rules were introduced to make the teams have a minimum of three drivers per car, with even more rules introduced around the length of time one driver could be behind the wheel.
This is just a taste of the 24 hour of Le Mans and it’s amazing history, to get a real life experience of the race and take in the amazing atmosphere surrounding a race day, why not take a look at out Le Mans tour by coach and join in the 90th anniversary celebrations.
Photo courtesy of Dave Hamster
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