7th Le Mans Classic starts today

By James Fallon

Motor Shows

04 July 2014 13:43

The increasingly popular biennial vintage car event, Le Mans Classic is upon us, with the action taking place between the 4th and 6th of July at the illustrious circuit in France. 

The event is an opportunity for motorsport enthusiasts to see some of history’s greatest racing cars and also some great drivers. 

Sébastien Loeb, Emanuele Pirro, Andy Wallace and Jean Ragnotti are amongst some of the names in attendance. 

There are four-hundred and fifty entrants, carefully chosen by Peter Auto to give variety and represent certain historical periods in racing. Battles between old rivals – many of which are steeped in racing pedigree, will be replayed on track in this awesome spectacle.

There are six different grids which divide the 650 entrants with each grid representing a particular period in racing. The grids collectively span a 56-year period between 1923 and 1979. The first four grids will start the race in the classic Le Mans herringbone-style and the remaining two will have a flying start. 

There are many other activities throughout the weekend including a concours contest, club meets, the Le Mans heritage club and an event for kids called Little Big Mans. It is a small race on a part of the track where children can drive 3/5 scale replicas of historic Le Mans cars, powered by small internal-combustion engines or electric motors. The start of the race will be signalled by Jamaican sprinter, Yohan Blake.

By James Fallon