24h Le Mans
In honor of its third running, the Classic Grand Tour covered a part of the circuit that was used for the first Grand Prix of the Automobile Club de France (ACF) in 1906, 17 years before the first edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 26 May 1923. In attendance were two legends of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Tom Kristensen and Henri Pescarolo.
- While waiting for the start of the Classic Grand Tour, a very relaxed Tom Kristensen strolled the lawns of the Le Mans Country Club, taking photos of some of the cars that piqued his personal interest.
- Current win record-holder at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Danish driver took a road that was used as a part of the 1906 ACF Grand Prix. He participated in the Classic Grand Tour at the wheel of a Horch Auto Union. Along with Horch, DKW and Wanderer, Audi was one of four constructors grouped under the name Auto Union during the 1930s. Tom Kristensen won seven of his nine victories at the wheel of an Audi.
- Henri Pescarolo arrived late afternoon after the participants had returned to the Le Mans Country Club. It rained all Saturday afternoon, bringing to mind one of the legendary driver's first stunning exploits, remaining on the track at the 1968 24 Hours at night in a torrential downpour with broken windshield wipers.
- While Tom Kristensen holds the record for most wins at Le Mans, Henri Pescarolo holds the one for participations (33). He and Yannick Dalmas are the winningest French drivers at the 24 Hours with four victories each.
- Between gorgeous vintage cars and jaw-dropping modern sports cars, many manufacturers past winners of the 24 Hours were represented: Alfa Romeo, Lagonda, Bugatti, Ferrari, Jaguar, Aston Martin and McLaren.
- There was also a road version of the Ford GT, winner in the LMGTE Pro class at the 2016 edition thanks to Le Mans native Sébastien Bourdais. Four Ford GTs are set to take the start of the 24 Hours on 16 June. Brought from Belgium, the car was decorated in the famous sky blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil and sported the number six, Jacky Ickx's racing number for his first win at Le Mans in 1969. That year, the Belgian driver shared a Ford GT40 with British driver Jackie Oliver.
- A Ford GT40 owned by an ACO Club member was on display at the club's platform, and at another booth was illustrator Archimède, an expert in the 24 Hours and its cars.
- The Montmirail château hosted a lovely luncheon on a grassy plateau offering a magnificent panoramic view of the regional landscapes.
- Six individuals from the ACO's regional committee divided into three pairs provided the time checks, of which there were nine, throughout the race. Nearly 200 signalers were also roadside to guide 2018 Classic Grand Tour participants.
- Five of the time checks took place along the roads originally used by the 1906 ACF Grand Prix: Bouloire, Saint-Calais, Vibraye, La Ferté Bernard and Connerré.
- The storms throughout the afternoon caused a premature return to the Le Mans Country Club. Instead of the expected 4:00 p.m. finish, the participants headed back about 30 minutes early.
- The first ACF Grand Prix was won in 1906 by Ferenc Sziz on the 103-kilometer circuit. He completed the 12 race laps (split over two days, six laps each, for a total distance of 1,238 kilometers) in 12 hours and 14 minutes at an average speed of 101 km/h.
PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), LE MANS COUNTRY CLUB, CLASSIC GRAND TOUR, SATURDAY 10 JUNE 2018. Tom Kristensen prepares to revisit one of the most important moments in the history of French motorsport on the track of the first ACF Grand Prix in 1906.
