{"id":89187,"date":"2021-12-17T13:55:46","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T18:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/?p=89187"},"modified":"2021-12-17T13:55:46","modified_gmt":"2021-12-17T18:55:46","slug":"24-heures-du-mans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/vida-vidas\/entretenimento\/24-heures-du-mans\/","title":{"rendered":"24 Heures du Mans"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s article will introduce the reader to one of the world\u2019s greatest automobile endurance races, the 24 Heures Du Mans or simply the iconic \u201cLe Mans\u201d. The very first race was assembled and showcased by the \u201cAutomobile Club De L\u2019Ouest\u201d in France in 1923. The grueling race course measured 17.1 kilometers and weaved through the streets of Le Mans, the course was aptly named Circuit De La Sarthe, in honour of the river with the same namesake. Today, 24 Heures Du Mans remains the world\u2019s oldest and continuously active marathon endurance race. The race is both grueling for machines as it is for humans. Wrongfully, the Le Mans format is commonly associated with Formula 1 and nothing could be farther from the truth. <\/b><\/p>\n

\"24F<\/span>ormula 1 races are mere short sprints in comparison to the Le Mans format\u2026 Virtually a super marathon, a test of skill, mental toughness, physical grit and mechanical reliance and reliability. At its inception the race was merely a proving ground for automobiles of the area, to showcase and highlight their mechanical reliability and subsequent endurance. <\/span><\/p>\n

The original race was held on May 26 and 27, 1923 through the public streets of Le Mans and not on a track, like others at the time. The early years were of course dominated by the French in their own country; however, competition began to mount from primarily the Italians and English. The first race in 1923 was won by French drivers Rene Leonard and Andre Lagache. They both travelled a total of 2,080 KMS in the allotted 24-hour period. Their vehicle of choice was a Chenard and Walcker, 3 litre. The format allows each driver to singly drive the team\u2019s car, while the other rests, sleeps or merely waits on the sidelines for their new shift. <\/span><\/p>\n

The first race included 33 cars and 66 drivers and remarkably a total of 63 actually finished the 24-hour endurance race. Each year the race was held until 1936. Until general labour unrest in France caused it to be cancelled. Further in 1939, the declaration and breakout of WWII, caused the annual race\u2019s suspension and it did not return until 1949. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"24When it eventually did return it did so with a vengeance, with a vast list of newcomer automobile companies. The year marked the very first in which over 100 entries registered, although the governing club had to trim the field by more than 50%. Ferrari claimed its first victory in 1949, after countless years of falling up short to Alfa Romeo, also of Italy. The World Sportscar Championship circuit was formed in 1953, a series of endurance racing events in which Le Mans itself became involved. Le Mans was the perfect stage for highlighting new technologies from the likes of Aston Martin, Mercedes, Jaguar and Ferrari. The first car to reach 300 KPH was a Ferrari 330 LMB in 1963. The 330 LMB was so successful that it triumphed in 6 straight Le Mans races from 1960 to 1965. This feat definitely solidified Ferrari as the premier race car producer in the world, at that time. The European Reign was toppled in 1966, when Ford Motor Company, introduced the GT40, aptly named for being 40\u201d overall in height. Ferrari did not win at all that year and were completely shut out of any podium. As a matter of fact, all three Ford cars claimed gold, silver and bronze. The difference between gold and silver was a mere 8 meters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the next four years, Ford finished in first place. Henry Ford II officially and proudly announced that mighty American engineering had finally been delivered to Europe. <\/span><\/p>\n

As technology and design evolved, cars became faster and speeds skyrocketed. The big screen featured Steve McQueen (A Man\u2019s Man) in the blockbuster \u201cLe Mans\u201d film in 1971. McQueen\u2019s car was the famed Porsche 917 and it actually won two races in a row in the early and an additional two in the late 1970\u2019s. Also, in the late 1970\u2019s the starting rules changed. Drivers no longer had to run to get into their cars, they simply began with a rolling start. It should be noted that Porsche to this day still has the ignition on the left portion of the steering column. This design enabled the driver to start with left hand, clutch with left foot and shift with right hand and brake with right foot, simultaneously if need be. <\/span><\/p>\n

The following form part of the collection: <\/span><\/p>\n