This year the Le Mans 24 hour race takes place on 13th/14th June and is the 77th time the event has been held. This popular event (2008 saw the record attendance of 258,500 people) began in 1923.
The race takes place on the Circuit de la Sarthe circuit which is the longer of the two tracks at Le Mans. As the race uses public roads in part these are closed for the duration of the event.
By its nature it is not only a test of speed but also endurance. The race normally attracts over 50 cars, which are classified into classes. There are currently 4 classes, LM P1/P2 are prototype cars whilst LM GT1/GT2 are production based grand tourers. The sub divisions within the classes are to categorise similar weight and power outputs. The drivers, 3 to a team, take it in turns to race with the necessary pit stops to change over and refuel etc. For many years the race was also a test of fuel economy and efficiency and various rules have existed about the limit on fuel available and the timing of adding additional fuel, oil or water during the race.
Many famous manufacturers have submitted cars over the years and the most successful in terms of overall wins goes to Porsche. Other notable names that have won at Le Mans include Ferrari, Bentley, Ford, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and currently Audi. Tom Kristensen has been the most successful driver with 8 wins. Sadly there have been a number of fatal accidents, the last in a race was in 1986 when Jo Gartner lost control of his Porsche and there was a fatality in 1997 during the practices.
The race is covered by TV and radio, the movie Le Mans starring Steve McQueen was made in 1971 and it has spawned many arcade games.