The Most Famous Race

Twenty-four hours race in Le Mans, France

The most famous race is the twenty-four hours race in Le Mans, France. In this article you find the words of the speaker as spoken in the Le Mans movie of Steve McQueen and a drawing of the Scalextric Sport track layout.

Famous Le Mans movie

The speaker of the famous Le Mans movie introduced the racetrack with the following words:
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman. On this circuit, the world's most famous motor race is run. Conceived by Charles Faroux and Georges Durand shortly after the First World War. The course was named after the nearest town and the number of hours that man and machines are put to the test. The circuit is 13,469 kilometers, or 8,018 miles. Composed of country roads linked with the main highway nearly all of it is open to traffic 363 days a year.
Along the 3.2-mile Mulsanne straight, the cars reach a maximum speed of excess of 230 miles per hour. The first race was run in 1923. The lap record was 9 minutes 39 seconds. The average speed 66.69 miles per hour. Last year, the lap record was 3 minutes 22 seconds and the average speed 145.508 miles per hour.
The race is open to six classes of cars. From the smallest production models to the largest sports and prototype engines, all classes are competing at the same time on the same circuit. There are 55 cars and 110 drivers representing countries from all over the world. They will drive day and night, through sun and rain. Beneath his racing suit, each driver must wear fireproof underwear capable of withstanding 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of burning gasoline for 15 seconds. His blood type must be indicated on either suit or crash helmet.
Each car has two alternating drivers. No driver may total more than 14 out of the 24 hours. Each driver must have at least one-hour rest between turns at the wheel. No one may drive more than four consecutive hours.

Drivers lined up on the opposite side of the track

For the first time in history of this race, the classic starts with the drivers lined up on the opposite side of the track and running to their cars has been abandoned for reasons of safety. This year, the drivers will be strapped into their seats prior to the start of the race.

Grand Prix of endurance and efficiency

Yellow flags and lights along the circuit indicate an accident or as it is called in the racing world, a shunt. Yellow means danger - no overtaking.
The race will start at 4:00 p.m. Saturday and finishes at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The car covering the greatest distance in 24 hours shall be the winner. In the case of the faster cars, this will be in excess of 3,000 miles. And so, welcome to the most famous motorcar race in the world - the 38th running of the Grand Prix of endurance and efficiency, the 24 hours of Le Mans."

Steve McQueen Le Mans

The words are taken from the movie "Steve McQueen Le Mans", a Cinema Center Films presentation (1971). The movie "Steve McQueen Le Mans" is nowadays available on DVD.

Scalextric Sport Le Mans track

For the Scalextric Sport Le Mans track (as it was at the end of the sixties) you need the following track sections:

24 3 6 12 5 4

C8205 Standard straight C8200 Quarter straight C8207 Half straight C8206 Radius 2 curve 45 C8202 Radius 1 curve 45 C8204 Radius 3 curve 22.5

More information

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