Three weeks after the 84th Le Mans 24 Hours, the ACO and Peter Auto teams are taking up a new challenge that involves both the logistics and sporting management of the event. The long Le Mans 24-Hours circuit covering 13,629 km has to be installed again, and all the facilities have to be put in place to welcome the many spectators expected this year. From a sporting point of view the running of each of the races of the different grids has to be assured in the best possible conditions. This year there is a new factor to be taken into account, the introduction of the slow zones to avoid long safety car periods thus making sure that racing predominates while ensuring optimum safety.
Gentlemen drivers from all over the world will be at the wheel of these exceptional cars as well as 10 former Le Mans 24-Hours winners (Pirro, Werner, Pescarolo, Larousse, Hélary, Dumas, Wallace, Lammers, Mass and Van Lennep), plus drivers and well-known figures who have started the Le Mans 24 Hours (Collard, Perrodo, Lagorce, Ayari, David Halliday, Paul Belmondo, etc.), and Pierre Fillon, the ACO President.
Over three days, the inside of the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit will be transformed into an exceptional open-air museum with the presence of 8 500 cars representing 180 clubs and 60 makes. These cars will lap the track during parades on Friday and Saturday morning.
And of course, there is also an action-packed programme of activities: the prestigious Le Mans Heritage Club Concours, which brings together 24 cars that have taken part in the Le Mans 24 Hours between 1923 and today, a homage to the French make Ligier with several JS1s and JS2s on display, a special exhibition put on by the French Federation of Historic Vehicles, The Race Team Transporters, the eagerly-awaited Artcurial
Motorcars auction, Little Big Mans, a race reserved for kids between 6 and 10 , the Drive-in cinema, the activities in the village, etc.
Le Mans Classic in short
Dates: 8-9-10 July 2016
The circuit: Le Mans 24-Hours circuit: 13,629 km
The race
490 cars having taken part in the Le Mans 24 Hours between 1923 and 1981 divided up into 6 grids depending on the period.
Grid 1: 1923 to 1939 - 65 cars
Grid 2: 1949 to 1956 - 75 cars
Grid 3: 1957 to 1961 - 75 cars
Grid 4: 1962 to 1965 - 75 cars
Grid 5: 1966 to 1971 - 75 cars
Grid 6: 1972 to 1981 - 75 cars
New events:
* Group C Racing grid: 1982 to 1993 – 47 cars
* Jaguar Classic Challenge grid: 1950 to 1965 – 59 cars
Group C entry list
Jaguar Classic Challenge entry list
The starting order of the grids hasn’t changed. The first to set off will be Grid 1 and the start of the race will be given on Saturday 9th July at 16:00. A dummy Le Mans-type start will precede the formation lap for grids 1, 2 & 3 on Saturday and for grid 4 on Sunday. As a full 24-Hour event would be too hard on the historic cars, the drivers race – day and night – in three heats per grid in the order 1, 2, 3 etc.
Prices General enclosure: Friday 27€ (ACO members 20€), Sunday 39€ (ACO members 32€), weekend 63€ (ACO members 43€).
Free for youngsters under 16 accompanied by an adult.
Ticket office: www.lemans.org
Information: lemansclassic.com - www.my-aco.com