Sunday
Jun082025
HISTORY. PASSION. PRESSURE. AND HONOR.
Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 09:43AM SPECIAL EDITOR'S NOTE: We're thrilled to announce the debut of Peter's first work of fiction, "St. Michael of Birmingham." Make no mistake, it doesn't resemble anything you've read from him before. In fact, it is quite a dramatic departure. It is mystical. It is sexy. It is funny. It's moving. And it is a flat-out wild ride unlike anything you've experienced. Having said that, it is definitely not for everyone, but then, it is from PMD, so that probably shouldn't come as a surprise! Check it out on Amazon Kindle here. -WG
Editor's Note: This week, Peter reflects on next weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the most prestigious endurance road race in the world. In On The Table, we preview the astonishing Porsche 963 RSP, the most incredible "one-off" in recent memory. Our AE Song of the Week is "Wasted Time" by the Eagles. In Fumes, we have the next installment of Peter's riveting new series, The Great Races. This week, Peter takes us back to Riverside International Raceway for three pivotal races in the annals of the Shelby American Cobra. A 3-Hour race in the Fall of 1962, an SCCA "A" and "B" Production showdown in February 1963, and a special 1-Hour GT race in the Fall of 1963. These races would establish the reputation of the Shelby American Cobra - and send Zora Arkus-Duntov back to the drawing board. And in The Line, we'll have MotoGP results from the GoPro Grand Prix of Aragon. We're on it! -WG
By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most prestigious endurance road race in the world and, along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco, one of three greatest racing events that exist. Nothing prepares you for the majestic power of Le Mans. When you first step off the train in that postcard town in the French countryside, you can feel the presence of the race immediately. And when you first see the track in person and realize that some of the surrounding roads make up the actual Circuit de la Sarthe, the entire history of the place begins to come into focus. (You can watch a stunning lap on the old, pre-chicane circuit from 1983 with Derek Bell driving a Porsche 956 here. 240+mph on the Mulsanne. Incredible. -WG)
Though Le Mans is relatively glass smooth compared to the venerable Sebring circuit here in the U.S. - which is so crushingly rough it rivals the streets in the Motor City - the French circuit is, nonetheless, the toughest endurance test in the world. Why? First of all, the drivers run flat-out for well over 85 percent of each lap, which, though exhilarating and the essence of what driving a race car is all about, is tremendously taxing mentally. And though there are three drivers per car, it takes its inevitable toll. If you've ever had the privilege of attending the race, the sheer speed of Le Mans - especially at night - is a sight one soon won't forget.
And because of the prestige of Le Mans, and the fact that it is the biggest road racing event in the world, there's an intense pressure that comes with it. This pressure permeates the garage area throughout practice, qualifying and the race itself. The participating auto manufacturers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to win. Let me reiterate that. To win. To place or show is nice, but ultimately that doesn't count for much in the Big Picture. Winning at Le Mans is absolutely everything to these manufacturers, and they expect nothing less. And every driver and team member carries that pressure on their shoulders.
But then again this is part and parcel of the Le Mans experience. Ask the drivers and teams who have been fortunate to win there and they will speak in reverential tones, saying it's unlike any other feeling in the world. Ask the members of Corvette Racing - or other Americans who have had the opportunity to win there - what it feels like to be representing the United States when they play our country's National Anthem after victory at Le Mans. And they will shake their heads and almost tear up, quietly saying something like, "It's simply indescribable."
This weekend's race will be a feast for racing enthusiasts, especially in the top Hypercar prototype class, where the high-powered monsters - and mind-boggling technical wonders - from Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota battle for supremacy and the bragging rights that go along with winning the most prestigious road race in the world. And it will be a flat-out Battle for the Ages in the LMP2 and LMGT3 classes as well.
When watching this weekend, it is important to remember that a team can be riding high and, in the lead, right up until the last few moments of the race, and then something can happen to derail any hopes of winning. The ugly reality? Though no one comes to lose, Le Mans can be particularly cruel.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is about history, passion, pressure and honor.
And there's simply nothing else like it.
That's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
Though Le Mans is relatively glass smooth compared to the venerable Sebring circuit here in the U.S. - which is so crushingly rough it rivals the streets in the Motor City - the French circuit is, nonetheless, the toughest endurance test in the world. Why? First of all, the drivers run flat-out for well over 85 percent of each lap, which, though exhilarating and the essence of what driving a race car is all about, is tremendously taxing mentally. And though there are three drivers per car, it takes its inevitable toll. If you've ever had the privilege of attending the race, the sheer speed of Le Mans - especially at night - is a sight one soon won't forget.
And because of the prestige of Le Mans, and the fact that it is the biggest road racing event in the world, there's an intense pressure that comes with it. This pressure permeates the garage area throughout practice, qualifying and the race itself. The participating auto manufacturers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to win. Let me reiterate that. To win. To place or show is nice, but ultimately that doesn't count for much in the Big Picture. Winning at Le Mans is absolutely everything to these manufacturers, and they expect nothing less. And every driver and team member carries that pressure on their shoulders.
But then again this is part and parcel of the Le Mans experience. Ask the drivers and teams who have been fortunate to win there and they will speak in reverential tones, saying it's unlike any other feeling in the world. Ask the members of Corvette Racing - or other Americans who have had the opportunity to win there - what it feels like to be representing the United States when they play our country's National Anthem after victory at Le Mans. And they will shake their heads and almost tear up, quietly saying something like, "It's simply indescribable."
This weekend's race will be a feast for racing enthusiasts, especially in the top Hypercar prototype class, where the high-powered monsters - and mind-boggling technical wonders - from Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota battle for supremacy and the bragging rights that go along with winning the most prestigious road race in the world. And it will be a flat-out Battle for the Ages in the LMP2 and LMGT3 classes as well.
When watching this weekend, it is important to remember that a team can be riding high and, in the lead, right up until the last few moments of the race, and then something can happen to derail any hopes of winning. The ugly reality? Though no one comes to lose, Le Mans can be particularly cruel.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is about history, passion, pressure and honor.
And there's simply nothing else like it.
That's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
Practice and qualifying take place Wednesday and Thursday, including mandatory night running. Here's the weekend television schedule for the race:
MotorTrend Group will exclusively broadcast the 24 HOURS OF LE MANS endurance race’s 100th anniversary in the U.S. and Canada. Fans will be able to watch the action of the world’s most prestigious road racing event on MotorTrend TV and MotorTrend+ beginning Saturday, June 10 at 9:00 AM EDT / 6:00 AM PDT. MotorTrend, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Eurosport, will show every hour and angle of this milestone race. Additionally, MotorTrend+ is the streaming home to a dynamic multi-camera racing experience that provides viewers with unique, in-depth coverage of the 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. The MotorTrend+ viewing experience encompasses 16 feeds for on-board cameras for the Corvette, Toyota, Porsche, Ferrari, Alpine, Aston Martin, Ligier and Glickenhaus race teams, as well as seven scoring, and two aerial feeds.
MotorTrend Group will exclusively broadcast the 24 HOURS OF LE MANS endurance race’s 100th anniversary in the U.S. and Canada. Fans will be able to watch the action of the world’s most prestigious road racing event on MotorTrend TV and MotorTrend+ beginning Saturday, June 10 at 9:00 AM EDT / 6:00 AM PDT. MotorTrend, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Eurosport, will show every hour and angle of this milestone race. Additionally, MotorTrend+ is the streaming home to a dynamic multi-camera racing experience that provides viewers with unique, in-depth coverage of the 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. The MotorTrend+ viewing experience encompasses 16 feeds for on-board cameras for the Corvette, Toyota, Porsche, Ferrari, Alpine, Aston Martin, Ligier and Glickenhaus race teams, as well as seven scoring, and two aerial feeds.
Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG