The 24 Hours of Le Mans: An Entire Race Covered in Just 4 Press Releases

Paying Attention: For over a decade, I have worked at/with/for Risi Competizione, the top American Ferrari racing team. This year, they went, again, to race in France, at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, a race they have won three times (1998, 2007, 2008) in two different models of Ferrari race cars (333SP and F430GTC). As a part of the media coverage the team produces, they do a series of press releases, four in total, on race day. These releases are preceded by a series of pre-race releases that cover the race, team expectations, and, most interestingly, a look at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from an Engineer’s perspective. The race was held one week ago, and the team finished second, officially a minute and change behind the winning Ford GT; unofficially 10 seconds behind the winner (the difference between official and unofficial is the difference between end-of-race administrative penalties put on both teams by the ACO, the organizing body of the race, and the official timing of the race). Below, the story of one race team’s 24 hours at the most famous endurance race in the world; told in four press releases, each released at six hour intervals (first 6 hours, 12 hours in, 18 hours into the race and a final report). The reporting for Le Mans was produced by Barbara Burns, who is the season Public Relations Representative for Risi Competizione and by British Press Agent Anne Bradshaw, a legend in racing public relations, who stepped up and in to assist Barbara when a personal situation required Barbara’s presence elsewhere. Most remarkable is the way the PR pros handed off one of the toughest intercontinental assignments in sports seamlessly. The whole story is amazing, and it’s below for your enjoyment and education. One race, four press releases, and a lot of unanticipated drama(isn’t that always the way it is with sports)?
 
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