It's a curious sight once someone opens the door of the ACO Pôle Mécanique! First off, entire tables are covered in moto helmets. Then in the adjoining warehouse, there are several dozen scooters, perfectly lined up. "We have about sixty, explains Philippe Coutant, ACO Pôle Mécanique manager. Our teams use them to get around the circuit easily during the 24 Hours of Le Mans." A little farther, the ACO's imposing podium truck is parked, taking up half of a car park with its sizeable trailer. Elsewhere, there are cars from the driving school: eight invaluable Pescaroloa prototypes, as many Porsches and exactly 172 karts.

"At Le Mans we really have all kinds of vehicles. Seven or eight trucks, des pick-ups, tractors, Manitous, driving school motos." Not to mention the 40 some-odd small cars with engines that help teach school children road safety education. And there are also ambulances as one the ACO's many activities is to train their drivers. "The ambulances and drivers must be able to deploy quickly, at any time and with a heavily loaded vehicle, says Coutant. It takes some learning!" At another car park, a surprising find: far from gleaming prototypes, a sad army of old, dented cars. It's astonishing to see them at an ACO car park! "They are utilized to train drivers of V.I.P.s. We teach them how to get through a car that is in their way!"

The manager of the Pôle Mécanique handles all of the above and more, which of course requires up-keep, with seven carefully selected mechanics. During driving courses and other events, the team gets some help: "Youth from the nearby Autosport Académy come to give us some support, and for the motos of the students at the Lycée Sud du Mans, mentored by Damien Saulnier, who in addition to his duties as professor is also an ACO driving school instructor." For the duration of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the number of vehicles is increased: "We already have 150 cars, but we rent 150 more, as well as seven tow trucks and 25 Manitous!" Figures which speak volumes about the scale of the event.

Photo: Philippe Coutant (at right with a sweater draped on his shoulders) and the team of mechanics in the ACO Pôle Mécanique surround one of the eight Pescarolo prototypes from the driving school.