24h Le Mans
This year, as many as five teams (eight cars) participating in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the American endurance racing championship, will take the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two among them, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team USA and Scuderia Corsa, will even attempt to clinch a second class win in a row.
In 2016, the American national anthem, the "Star-Spangled Banner," was played twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans podium as a result of Ford's victory in LMGTE Pro, 50 years to the day after it first overall win, and the win for Scuderia Corsa's Ferrari in LMGTE Am. The two teams, which earned an automatic invitation thanks to their 2016 trophy, will take the start on June 17th with two cars each.
As soon as the round at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin came to an end, Ford traveled from southwest U.S. to the north to Elkhart Lake and the famous Road America circuit, often compared to Spa-Francorchamps. For two days, the four drivers in the IMSA championship took turns at the wheel of the Ford GT in order to prep for Le Mans and to test the Michelin tires to be used at the 24 Hours.
As the two Ford GTs returned to the workshops in Indianapolis before crossing the Atlantic last week to head for Le Mans, the Corvette Racing team, winner at Le Mans in 2015, hit the same Wisconsin track for a two-day testing session with the six drivers who will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans: Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, eight class wins between them, and Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler with seven class victories and three overall wins.
Though Corvette Racing will take the start for the 18th time in a row, Keating Motorsports will be making its debut in the LMP2 class with the Multimatic-Riley Mk.30, fresh off its first laps at the Road Atlanta circuit, host of Petit Le Mans. Afterwards, Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Ricky Taylor then headed for the NOLA Motorsport Park in Louisiana before traveling north to Watkins Glen. Having not participated in competition before Le Mans, the Riley (one car set to take the start at Le Mans) has been worked extensively these past few weeks.
Next, the eight cars will take part in Test Day on June 4th, two weeks before the 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Photo: Corvette Racing (fifth in LMGTE Pro in 2016) will take the start at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 18th consecutive time this coming June.
