Paying Attention: This Saturday, the 18th of June, the world’s most famous and longest running endurance race, The 24 Hours of Le Mans, takes place at Circuit Le Sarthe in Le Mans, France. The race has been run since 1923 and is considered one of the three “must-see” automobile races, the other two being the Monte Carlo Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500. Le Mans is a tough race and a tough ticket: only the very best sports car racing teams from around the world are invited to attend. The entry fee is $50,000 and is non-refundable.
If you want to know what it takes to run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (besides the approximate $500,000-$1,500,000 budget required to run the car for the weeks long event), here’s the bottom line: the official rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
If you’re looking for a less technical interpretation of the rules, this excellent presentation by the FIA(Federation Internationale de L’Automobile, the international ruling body of sports car racing), will provide you with an entertaining overview of the race.
This is the first in a series of posts about the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There’s more to come (for at least the next 24 Hours).
The Fine Print: Image courtesy of Getty Images. We thank them for their generosity in sharing.