Since its first edition in 2002, the Le Mans Classic has become the biggest and most exclusive vintage race in the world. Held on the big 24 Hours track, Le Mans Classic is a once in a lifetime experience. Stay with us at a 16th century Chateau and enjoy full access track-side privileges. Exclusive Team Packages are available for a limited time. Don’t miss out on this dream opportunity for racing fans – Spots are going fast, reserve yours today!
It's back to the track of its glory days. During the 24 Hours of Le Mans of 1997, this very Chrysler Viper (yes, it was a Chrysler in Europe and a Dodge in the USA), was the only works car that finished the famous race. Driven by Justin Bell (GB), Pierre Yver (France) and John Morton (USA), chassis number C3 was defending the MOPAR colors in La Sarthe. It has now found a spot in the Le Mans 24 Hours museum. However, it will not rest still, as it is scheduled to run again on the big track during the coming Le Mans Classic!
TC Motorsports announces today that it will provide technical support for a private entry in the 24 Heures du Mans at the historic Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France June 16-17, 2012. Endurance racing is in TC Motorsports' blood, having successfully run long distance races across North America in GRAND-AM Continental Tire Challenge, NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and countless other races ranging from 4-12 hours at the regional level. TC Motorsports celebrates 10 years in the high performance sports car business this year, and going to Le Mans is one of the best anniversary gifts possible. A decade of hard work has finally paid off! Going to Le Mans rides on the heels of a successful Formula 1 test program by TC Motorsports in 2011. Carlo Sparacio, Team Principal of TC Motorsports, explains their involvement at Le Mans: "We have been selected as an engine supplier for a privateer team from the United States who will campaign a DeltaWing Le Mans sportscar. The engine will be our successful F1 V8 engine derived from mating two 1.6L Mazda Miata engines together, along with some updates to meet ACO rules to run diesel fuel. We've made some small changes to run biodiesel at Le Mans. The biodiesel will be "huile de frites" sourced locally in France. The engine will make about 300 BHP. We have 4.5 hours on the engine in a test cell in Mooresville, NC and it has been extremely reliable so far. I think we have a winner." The team is currently in negotiations to bring on the American Heart Association as the primary sponsor of the car. Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (makers of CRESTOR) and Paula Deen Enterprises, LLC have already been secured as technical advisors for the fuel delivery and filtration system. The team is looking forward to the challenge of running the new engine at Le Mans in June. Team Principal Taryn Sparacio said, "We're looking forward to a great race. Needless to say, we'll have a lot of great food to eat during the race like French fries, fish and chips, doughnuts, lumpia, fried chicken, etc. And, if the engine doesn't make it to the checkered flag, we'll have lots of cooking oil to take home."
The GreenGT H2 is the first prototype electric/hydrogen competition car. The GreenGT H2 project was selected in June 2011 by the French Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), as an innovative project. GreenGT was invited to participate on the June 3rd Test Day of the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours event. As the autonomy of lithium/ion batteries was found to be inapropriate for endurance racing, hydrogen very quickly became the prefered option.
Stanislas de Sadeleer and Christian Traber participated in the first Edition of the « Grand-Prix de Dakar Historic » on de Saleleer’s BMW M1 Procar which took place on the « Baobabs Race Track », 60km south of Dakar. It was a first but great experience to drive this car on the African Continent. Except for a race in Kyalami in 1979, it is the first time ever a BMW M1 Procar raced on the African Continent.
She was all smiles as she got out of her sizzling Doran Ford GT. And she had good reason to smile, because she became the first women to be on a Le Mans 24 Hours podium since 1931! Andrea Robertson, mother of one and grandmother of three, and her husband David, associated to driving instructor David Murry finished their first (and probably last) Le Mans 24 Hours with flying colors as 26th overall and 3rd in GTE AM class!
These pictures are from Adrien Paviot of Com'On Racing Agency. I'll let the excellent shots speak for themselves as you can see our progress to a Top Ten finish! Shake and Bake!
During Patrick Peter's soon to happen and promissing Dix Mille Tours event, the Classic Endurance Races will exceptionally be held as the Grand Prix de Gstaad on October 8-9-10! The Swiss Alps ski resort does not keep its love story with dream cars secret. Asides the Gstaad Classic Audemars Piguet, prestigious historic bi-annual rally (next edition from 31 August to 4 September 2011), there is also the Gstaad Automobile Club (GAC). Many members of this club of a happy few successfully race at major European events. Hence the GAC has decided to create the Grand Prix de Gstaad for the two CER racing grids at the Dix Mille Tours on the French Paul Ricard circuit.
After that Group C dominated the prestigious Nordschleife for the last 1000 km race in 1983 and that the Le Mans Series had their last outing there on the modern Grand Prix track in 2009, the greatest thing in the 50 year old history of the ADAC 1000 km race happened last week-end when FHR promoter Kai von Schauroth reunited the Nordschleife and Grand Prix track for the 2010 race! And what a race it was! While the first three hours were in the dry, with best lap times in the low 10 minute region, pouring rain and some fog marked the final four hours of the race.
Here is what Dick Pierson said about that little NASCAR film:
You need to go to the 4:50 to 4:56 or so, you will see a No. 41 car, that is Hershel McGriff out of Portland having a pit stop. But the real interesting part for you is - you will notice there is a guy holding up a gas fill can and at 4:55 he turns with his face directly into the camera. That is "Duck" Collins - the guy that was the brain behind the Oly Charger that ran Le Mans in 1976. We built the car is his garage at his home in NE Portland. He worked for Hershel off and on for awhile and went to Le Mans with the car.
