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. 

 

   

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

  

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