le mans 24hr 96 years of Endurance
So Saturday, 17 June at 3 PM the 70th le Mans 24-hr endurance race starts.
le mans 24hr 96 years of Endurance, without a doubt the most important and the most famous race in the world, its history is legendary and its spirit and tenacity. Sadly the most famous racing venues have all had their share of tragedies, as in the early days there was a very cavalier approach to safety, in 1955 83 people were killed and 120 were injured. This sporting tragedy is the most catastrophic accident in motor racing history with debris flying in to the crowd. today it is a professional organised commercial event, that draws people from all over the world.
I have been to the le mans 24hr as Press five times, twice for the regular modern cars of today and three times to the classic Le Mans.
unlike Formula One, the crowd have more access to manufactures and cars and different events going on even as the race has commenced. There are large areas for camping inside the circuit and around the edges of its long track making it an ideal event for families, there’s even a funfair if you need a break from the racing. One of the most exciting parts is watching the cars at night is very strange as the atmosphere completely changes even the noise roaring from the engines seems to be more intense, by the way don’t forget your earmuffs especially if you have kids.
Some people rent accommodation away from the track this is advantageous as if you really need your sleep then this is probably the only way you’re going to get it, although some people aren’t shy of a drink or 2 to help them get their shuteye.
Even though the races 24 hours there are several days in qualifying before so real enthusiasts can stay for a whole week watching and listening to the practice of the most advanced automobiles on the planet.
Now the race itself is broken down into several different categories although they all race at the same time and the same duration, basically it’s the car that can produce the most miles in 24 hours. The other great thing that I love about the race is the fact that there is a standing start in other words the drivers lineup on one side of the track with the cars waiting on the other as soon as the starting gun goes the main race to the cars start their engines. This is fascinating as some cars have trouble starting their engines some cars are caught up in the pack so if you do go to Le Mans make sure you get to see the start of the race. Now the track is blah blah long so there are campsites and watching points in different areas around the track, one of the most famous is the blah blah straight in fact some of the track still uses public roads that of course I closed off during the race. This brings me to how it all started in 1927 some French guys decided to have a series of three races of 24 hours each the winner would be the one that captured the most miles during the three races. Eventually it was changed to just 24 hours.
The Bentley Boys of le mans 24hr
One of the most famous characters of Le Mans was the Bentley boys is in the beginning the main cars Bugatti, Alfa Romeo and Bentley, although Bugatti and Alfa Romeo were just as fast it was Bentley’s reliability that enabled it to win race after race.
Captain Woolf ‘Babe’ Barnato, heir of the Kimberley diamond mines the fastest driver and also the Famous Blue Train Bentley (Story Coming Soon)
J Dudley Benjafield Harley Street physician,
Glen Kidston, ex-naval officer and adventurer
“Sammy” Davis, journalist international playboy
Baron d’Erlanger, banker consistent professional
Frank Clement Bentley employee
Sir Tim Birkin. the silk-scarved, reckless but quick