SportsCar Championship—dubbed LMDh for “Le Mans Daytona hybrid”. The realignment of the Hypercar class created a compelling rule set, drawing interest from all sorts of manufacturers – Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac and more all fielded entries this year. This was the kick-start the top class needed after 20-plus years of domination by just three manufacturers, from Audi (2000-02, 2004-08, 2010-14) to Porsche (2015-17) to Toyota (2018-22). The fact that this revitalization coincided with the 100th anniversary of the race just made things all the more interesting. For race fans of a certain demographic, the 1971 film Le Mans made an indelible imprint on the mind. Starring the uncontested King of Cool, Steve McQueen, the film captured the drama of racing for 24 straight hours, deep into the French countryside and deeper into the night. A more recent film, Ford v Ferrari from 2019, reignited interest in the classic endurance race, propelling it back into the headlines when the action on track was at a relative low point. Without a doubt, spectating at Le Mans is an absolute necessity for the true motorsports enthusiast. The stands opposite the garages still resemble how they looked in the McQueen masterwork. The tunnel that leads from that side of the track to the infield is a graffiti-infused
concrete bunker; many people still don’t know about it because the entrance is completely unmarked. The stands above the garages are old school as well; hard plastic seats arranged in rows that are positioned at a dizzying angle of elevation. A race facility built in 2023 would never look like this—and that’s precisely the point. Then, there’s the track itself: Over 13 kilometres of tarmac that encompasses a modern Grand Prix track linked to public roads that skirt farmers’ fields. Prior to the introduction of a series of chicanes in 1990, top speeds along the Mulsanne Straight hit a stratospheric 400 km/h. That’s insane. This year, the incredible legacy of the race and the strength of the revamped Hypercar class drew a record crowd. Estimates place the number of fans at more than 325,000 for the weekend. The campgrounds were filled to capacity with motorhomes and tents; the local airport across the street from the track was chock- a-block with helicopters and private jets. For this writer, it was the fifth chance to watch one of the great spectacles in racing. Each of the past visits has been memorable in its own right. There were the early years where we endeavoured to stay awake the entire night, before admitting defeat in the wee small hours. On other occasions, we attempted to view the entire length of the
Above image is of the Privateer Entry Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 referenced on page 21.
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