The Jaguar XJ13 exhibited in the Village

The Jaguar XJ 13 was the prototype that Jaguar could have fielded to take on Ford and Ferrari in 1966. The only one ever built, this must-see model takes pride of place in front of the marque’s stand in the heart of the Village next to the 1988 winning XJR9 LM. British racer Andy Wallace and flying Dutchman Jan Lammers, two of the drivers that contributed to Jaguar’s 1988 win over Porsche, are here for the three days. Lammers is running in the Group C race and Wallace will be taking care of the 1955 winning D-Type in Grid 3 and also the Jaguar Classic Challenge.

Romain Dumas’ Porsche lacking pure speed

Lined up in a Group C Porsche 962 by his former team manager Manfred Freisinger who launched Dumas’ Le Mans career in 2001, the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans winner is here first and foremost for the pure pleasure of racing while nonetheless keeping a close eye on his lap times after the morning’s free practice session. An analysis of the splits of his 4:06 lap, putting the #28 Porsche 962 C in sixth position, shows that his engine is misfiring somewhat on the straight. He will finally be the only driver of the #28 because, according to the Porsche works driver, Freisinger’s corpulence prevents him from getting behind the wheel! The #23 Nissan R90 CK is quickest in 3:56 ahead of a Gebhardt C91 and a Peugeot 905 within a second of each other. Of the 42 cars on the revised entry list, 34 have recorded a significant time.

Vintage models getting a little hot under the collar

The fine cars on show may shine like a button, but some are suffering from the heat. Several of the competitors that were out on the track in the early part of the afternoon, when the sun was high in the sky, were brought to a standstill. Since the start of the classic car season, it is not uncommon to lose almost half of the grid between the start and the end of the event. Fortunately with up to 75 cars on each grid and drivers who know how to give their machines a breather when necessary, the crowds will not be disappointed. The cars will breathe a little easier in the cooler night air for the night practice sessions.

Michelin – a new sponsor for Le Mans Classic

Michelin, the tyre supplier to every winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1998, now produces tyres for historic vehicles. Several of the Grid 1 cars are therefore shod with Michelin tyres which have the same structures and tread patterns as in their heyday. A fitting service is available for the teams along the straight preceding the entrance to the pit lane. Michelin is already a supplier to historic rally cars and is looking to extend its range.

The Pescarolo-Beltoise team is back in action... with Julien Beltoise

An emblematic and highly respected figure of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Henri Pescarolo returned to the track where he enjoyed so much success at the wheel of the Inaltéra that he shared with Jean-Pierre Beltoise at the beginning of the Rondeau adventure in 1976. Julien Beltoise has taken the place of his late father in the Inaltéra alongside the four-time Le Mans winner.

Sunny weather brings out the crowds!

The circuit is buzzing and the café and restaurant terraces are doing a roaring trade. Bumper crowds are already present in the pre-grid area where spectators can get up close to the cars before they hit the track, and in the village where outlets and entertainment rival for the visitors’ attention. A successful warm-up lap for the eighth Le Mans Classic which will go on late into the early hours of Saturday morning. The night practice session for Grid 6 is scheduled for 3.00am.

A display of 8000 Club cars with 1800 on parade

By starting proceedings on Friday morning, Le Mans Classic now offers clubs significant track time for parades on Friday and Saturday, while adding Group C and Jaguar Classic Challenge races to the general schedule. Patrick Peter, co-organiser of the event with the ACO, hailed the initial support of the clubs that has helped Le Mans Classic achieve the notoriety it enjoys today. As for the Group C cars that raced in the eighties, an even larger grid is expected for the ninth edition in 2018.

Fast and Furious and Rush at the drive-in movie

The fine weather is also conducive to a drive-in movie. American sixties-style open-air cinema sessions are scheduled in Car Park 12. The movie-goers turn up in their vehicles and watch the film from the comfort of their car seat.  Fast and Furious is first up at 22:10, followed by Rush – the story of the James Hunt/Niki Lauda rivalry – at 00:07. The drive-in movie theatre will be open on Saurday night too, showing Back to the Future at 22:10 and finally the superb documentary The Man and Le Mans, for the first time at the circuit. Featuring exclusive original documents, this film depicts the adventure experienced by Steve McQueen in making his movie Le Mans.

 

Photo: Le Mans, Circuit des 24 Heures, France, Friday 8 July 2016: from left to right, and from bottom to top:

This Porsche 936 is expected to be a leading light in Grid 6 and revive memories of the Porsche-Renault rivalry of 1977 and ’78 against the Alpine Renault A443.

The Porsche 962 C driven by Romain Dumas is not quite firing on all cylinders.

The two Gulf Mirages from 1973 and 1974 entered in Grid 6.

Despite not pulling up any trees at Le Mans in its heyday, this Ferrari-engined Lancia LC 2 is still a major attraction in the Group C grid.