"in addition to the premier GT3 Pro class. The series began in 2011 and saw increased involvement in 2012 and 2013. Endurance motor racing has proven a popular subject for depiction in videogames, and on film. The Lee H. Katzin film ""Le Mans"", starring Steve McQueen, used real race footage, and enjoys cult status. The 1986 arcade game ""WEC Le Mans"" was the first to portray endurance racing in a videogame, while ""Gran Turismo 4"" and 5 extended this to a real-time simulation of 24 hour events. In the early days of endurance racing cars and motorcycles raced side by"
"moved back to the Promenade des Anglais because of the low number of spectators on Col d'Èze and to take advantage of funding from the city of Nice. In 1996 and 1997 the final stage was a flat time trial in the streets of Nice, won by Chris Boardman and Viatcheslav Ekimov respectively. From 1998 to 2011, the final stage was a road race – usually on a hilly terrain with the climbs of the Col d'Èze and La Turbie - starting and ending in Nice. In recent years the race often returns to a final Col d'Èze time trial"
"Le Mans Le Mans () is a city in France, on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region. Its inhabitants are called ""Manceaux"" and ""Mancelles"". Since 1923, the city has hosted the internationally famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance sports car race. First mentioned by Claudius Ptolemy, the Roman city ""Vindinium"" was the capital of the Aulerci, a sub tribe of the Aedui."
"followed by the prize-giving ceremony 24 Hours of Le Mans (motorcycle race) The 24 Heures Motos (often called in English the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race) is a motorcycle endurance race held annually since 1978 on the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, Sarthe, France. The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and is part of the Endurance FIM World Championship. When the Bol d'Or moved from Bugatti Circuit to Circuit Paul Ricard at the end of 1977, the ACO created the 24 Heures Moto. The race became one of ""the classics"" of endurance racing along"
"24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. It is considered one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world and has been called the ""Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency"". The event represents one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport; other events being the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and is held on the Circuit de la Sarthe, which"
"moved to the spring, while the Bol d’Or moved to Circuit Paul Ricard In September. 24-hour motorcycle endurance racing has a strong Francophone base, with the three main events held in France (Le Mans & Magny-Cours) and French-speaking Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps), and the most successful teams and riders are French. In 1970, 1971 and 1992 all-British teams of riders won the races. British rider Terry Rymer has had consistent results. In the 1970s the competitors included Phil Read and Neil Tuxworth, who later headed Honda Racing UK. On occasion, the Mead & Tomkinson racing team fielded ""Nessie"", a revolutionary bike with"
"TGV connections to Lille, Marseille, Nantes, Rennes and Brest. Gare du Mans is also a hub for regional trains. Le Mans inaugurated a new light rail system on 17 November 2007. The first French Grand Prix took place on a 64-mile (103 km) circuit based at Le Mans in 1906. Since the 1920s, the city has been best known for its connection with motorsports. There are two official and separate racing tracks at Le Mans, though they share certain portions. The smaller is the Bugatti Circuit (named after Ettore Bugatti, founder of the car company bearing his name), a relatively"
"24 Hours of Le Mans (motorcycle race) The 24 Heures Motos (often called in English the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race) is a motorcycle endurance race held annually since 1978 on the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, Sarthe, France. The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and is part of the Endurance FIM World Championship. When the Bol d'Or moved from Bugatti Circuit to Circuit Paul Ricard at the end of 1977, the ACO created the 24 Heures Moto. The race became one of ""the classics"" of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of"
"Circuit de Lédenon Circuit de Lédenon is a motor racing circuit located next to the town of Lédenon, Gard, France, about 25 km northeast of Nîmes. It hosts a round of the FFSA GT Championship since 1999. In 1970, two motor sport enthusiasts, Jean-Claude and Sylvie Bondurand, decided to build a circuit in the town of Lédenon. The circuit was approved for use on June 16, 1973. The first notable races at the circuit were not held until 1977, when Super Touring and Formula Renault events were held. The track has been in use continuously since then, hosting a variety"
"of Le Mans endurance race is a 24-hour race around the Circuit de la Sarthe. The inaugural race was held 26–27 May 1923, and attracted many drivers, mostly French. There were two foreign competitors in the first race, Frank Clement and Canadian John Duff, the latter winning the 1924 competition in his personal car, a Bentley 3 Litre. ""Made with precision and the finest material,"" and with recent success, the luxurious Bentley cars attracted attention. After two years without success, Bentley convened a group of wealthy British men, ""united by their love of insouciance, elegant tailoring, and a need for"
"Circuit de Charade The Circuit de Charade, also known as Circuit Louis Rosier and Circuit Clermont-Ferrand, is a motorsport race track in Saint-Genès-Champanelle near Clermont-Ferrand, France. The circuit, built around the base of an extinct volcano, was known for its challenging layout which favored the most skillful drivers and motorcyclists. It hosted the French Grand Prix four times and the French motorcycle Grand Prix ten times. There had been local interest in motorsport racing beginning with proposals in 1908 for a race on a street circuit, although the proposals were never enacted. Efforts were renewed after the Second World War"
"the village of Èze, part of the municipality of Nice. Sean Kelly won the Col d'Èze time trial five times in his seven-year dominance. In 1996, the finish was moved back to the Promenade des Anglais because of the low number of spectators on Col d'Eze and to take advantage of funding from the city of Nice. From 1998 to 2011, the final stage was a road race – usually on a hilly terrain with the climbs of the Col d'Èze and La Turbie - starting and ending in Nice. In recent years the race often returns to a final"
"to the traditional format, starting in Yvelines, west of Paris, before moving south. The key stages were the summit finish to the Col de la Croix de Chaubouret in France's Massif Central on stage 4 and the concluding time trial on Col d'Eze. The 2016 edition included dirt road sectors in the first stage of the race and a passage on the lower slopes of Mont Ventoux in the fifth stage. Until 1962, the race began in the city of Paris. Since 1963, organizers have usually preferred to start in smaller towns and suburbs on the outskirts of Paris or"
"Embrunman The Embrunman is a long distance triathlon held on August 15 each year around Embrun in the Hautes-Alpes, France. It is an equivalent triathlon consisting of a swim of 3.8 km, a 186 km cycle ride and running a marathon (42.2 km), but is not affiliated with the World Triathlon Corporation which owns the brand Ironman, so is not promoted as such. The French newspaper ""Le Dauphiné libéré"" described it in 2012 as the hardest triathlon in the world. The men's record time for the event is 9 h 34 m 10 s by the Frenchman Hervé Faure on"
"clocked at 407 km/h. The Le Mans race results in Bugatti and La Sarthe circuit. Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Comprising private, race-specific sections of track in addition to public roads which remain accessible most of the year, its present configuration is long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world."
"from their cars, ran across the track, jumped into their cars and started them to begin the race. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a large accident during the race that killed eighty-four spectators. The city is home to Le Mans Sarthe Basket, 2006 Champion of the LNB Pro A, France's top professional basketball division. The team plays its home games at the Antarès, which served as one of the host arenas of the FIBA EuroBasket 1999. Le Mans was the birthplace of: Notable residents include: Died in Le Mans: Le Mans is twinned with: The culinary specialty of Le"
"a 4-week break between Grand Prix's as the Dutch Grand Prix was cancelled due to safety issues with the Zandvoort circuit. So the next Grand Prix was in France at the dauntingly challenging 5.1 mile Charade circuit – which was made of closed-off public roads located in hills surrounding an extinct volcano above the large central French town of Clermont-Ferrand. The circuit's twisty, undulating and sometimes fast nature provided a considerable challenge, and the circuit had been lined with more Armco and had a few more safety features. New Zealander Chris Amon took pole with his new Matra MS120D, eight-tenths"
"in Belgium Ypres Westhoek Rally) in 1981, French Rally Championship 2nd in 1982. In 1982 and 1983 911 SC 3-litre, 315 hp for Michel Teilhol (French Rally Championship 1st in Division 2). Louis Meznarie Louis Meznarie (January 14, 1930) is a former French engine expert and a team owner entrant to 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was born in Saintry-sur-Seine (Essonne), France, to migrant parents from Yugoslavia. As a child, he was fond of mechanical games, tinkering with bicycle parts to make them faster. At thirteen, he joined a workshop and got NSU Quickly, a bicycle with an auxiliary"
"editions finished on the ""Quai des États-Unis"" (Quay of the United States), before moving to the illustrious Promenade des Anglais (Promenade of the English) in 1946. From 1969 to 1995 the race finished with a time trial up the Col d'Èze, except in 1977 when landslides had blocked the road. The Col d'Èze is a 9 km climb, starting from Nice and climbing to 507 m altitude. It is named after the village of Èze, part of the municipality of Nice. Sean Kelly won the Col d'Èze time trial five times in his seven-year dominance. In 1996, the finish was"
"was born in the city in 1623. A racing circuit, the Charade Circuit, close to the city, using closed-off public roads held the French Grand Prix in 1965, 1969, 1970 and 1972. It was a daunting circuit, with such harsh elevation changes that caused some drivers to be ill as they drove. Winners included Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart (twice), and Jochen Rindt. Clermont-Ferrand has some experience in hosting major international sports tournaments such as the FIBA EuroBasket 1999. The city is also host to a rugby union club competing at international level, ASM Clermont Auvergne, as well as Clermont Foot"
"capacity has been able to equal or improve on this record. The record attempt took place at the Montlhéry oval track, a concrete track just outside Paris with a very uneven road surface and poor track lighting. A team of six French riders were accompanied by ""Motor Cycling"" journalist Bruce Main-Smith, who achieved the best lap time of 107 mph despite the poor lighting conditions. After securing the 12-hour record at more than , the team went on to complete the 24-hour endurance record attempt. Stopping only to change riders and refuel (from a bucket using a funnel), the Venom"
"Sarthe, Le Mans, France. At a time when Grand Prix motor racing was the dominant form of motorsport throughout Europe, Le Mans was designed to present a different test. Instead of focusing on the ability of a car company to build the fastest machines, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would instead concentrate on the ability of manufacturers to build sporty yet reliable cars. This encouraged innovation in producing reliable and fuel-efficient vehicles, because endurance racing requires cars that last and spend as little time in the pits as possible. At the same time, the layout of the track necessitated"
"Frentzen to claim a surprising victory in his Jordan. Although the Bol d'Or 24-hour motorcycle endurance race was held at Magny Cours for several years, it never quite matched the cachet of the Le Mans event; the Bol D'Or has since returned to the more popular Bugatti circuit at Le Mans. World Superbike Tom Sykes Magny-Cours Lap Record. Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some 250 km (160 miles) from Paris and 240 km (150 miles) from Lyon. It staged the Formula"
"accident during practice for the 1000 km de Paris at Montlhéry. The track is relatively flat, with difference in elevation between its highest and lowest points. It is raced clockwise and consists of two long straights, the long start-finish straight named after Nogaro-born motorcycle constructor Claude Fior and the almost parallel aerodrome straight, linked by sections of several slow corners. Events hosted by the circuit have included: Circuit Paul Armagnac Circuit Paul Armagnac also known as Circuit de Nogaro is a motorsport race track near Nogaro in southwestern France. The race circuit opened on 3 October 1960 as the first"
"France's former coal-mining region. However, this is not how this race earned the name ""l'enfer du Nord"", or ""Hell of the North"". The term was used to describe the route of the race after World War I. Organisers and journalists set off from Paris in 1919 to see how much of the route had survived four years of shelling and trench warfare. ""Procycling"" reported: They knew little of the permanent effects of the war. Nine million had died and France lost more than any. But, as elsewhere, news was scant. Who even knew if there was still a road to"
"Paris and 1000 km of Monza races, on Linas-Montlhéry, Magny-Cours, Nogaro, Reims and Zolder circuits. After graduating from French engineer school (""Ecole technique de constructions aéronautiques et de construction automobile"", ESTACA today), he had opened shops for additional equipments for Minis. He died on July 1985, in a road accident in the French department of Yonne where he came from. Jean-Louis Marnat Jean-Louis Marnat (born August 7, 1935, death July 15, 1985) was a French rally and race driver. He started his career in 6 hours of Saint-Cloud, near Paris, and wins the ""Tourism"" category with a Renault Dauphine Gordini"
"Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Comprising private, race-specific sections of track in addition to public roads which remain accessible most of the year, its present configuration is long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world. Capacity of the race stadium, where the short ""Bugatti Circuit"" is situated, is 100,000. The"
"2015 24 Hours of Le Mans The 83rd 24 Hours of Le Mans () was an automobile endurance event held from 10 to 14 June 2015 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France. It was the 83rd running of the 24 Hour race organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest as well as the third round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship. A test day was held two weeks prior to the race on 31 May. A record-breaking 263,500 people attended the event. The No. 18 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Neel Jani, Romain Dumas, and Marc Lieb"
"500cc world championship. Today Marc is known for being the principal architect of the Moto-Tour, a seven-day competitive rally that crosses huge swaths of France. Marc Fontan Marc Fontan (born 20 October 1956) is a French former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Born in Canet-en-Roussillon, Pyrénées-Orientales, Fontan teamed up with Herve Moineau in 1980 to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They went on to win the 1980 FIM Endurance World Championship. He was crowned French champion on October 1981, and the following weekend took part in the final round of the British championship at Brands Hatch, however"
"than 2,500 starters. It is one race during a week-long festival based around Chamonix in France. The races have strict entry and qualification requirements attained by accumulating enough race points through qualifying trail races over the previous two-year period. In 2016 and 2017, 42% and 34% of runners did not finish the UTMB race. While the best runners complete the loop in slightly more than 20 hours, most runners take 32 to 46 hours to reach the finish line. Most runners will have to run through two nights in order to complete the race. Since 2006, a second race Courmayeur"
"Renault Sport. The Renault Eurocup has run with various models under differing names since 1976. The V de V Challenge Monoplace is a championship for open wheel racing cars. The V de V Challenge Endurance Proto is an endurance championship for prototype sports racing cars. The V de V Challenge Endurance GT Tourisme LMP3 is an endurance championship for GT sport cars and touring cars. The 24 Hours of Le Mans Moto is a motorcycle endurance race held annually since 1978 on the Bugatti Circuit. The 1000 km of Le Mans was a motorcycle endurance race held annually on the"
"of ""Le Circuit Européen"" (Tour of Europe) air race. He was still within sight of the reportedly 'up to 1 million' spectators at the take-off in Vincennes. Lemartin was born in the commune of Dunes in the Department of Tarn-et-Garonne in south west France. From the moment of his birth he was known as Léon, but his forenames (Théodore, Clovis, Edmond) honoured both his father and both of his grandfathers. When he graduated in 1902 and required authorisations to work he discovered a mistake on his birth certificate, that his family name of 'Le Martin' had been written 'Lemartin', but"
"Circuit Paul Armagnac Circuit Paul Armagnac also known as Circuit de Nogaro is a motorsport race track near Nogaro in southwestern France. The race circuit opened on 3 October 1960 as the first purpose-built race circuit in France. Initially long it was expanded in 1973 and 1989 to its current length. In 2007 the circuit was modernized including a new control tower, a new pitlane and widening the track to . The circuit is named after Paul Armagnac, a Nogaro-born racing driver of the 1950s and 1960s. He raced D.B. sportscars and was killed on 21 October 1962 in an"