[LM24] Interesting Le Mans 24 Trivia

[Hawkwood]

Just found out what I thought was an interesting piece of LM24 trivia, and wanted to share (for any who didn't already know).

I've been attending since only 2010, and it dawned on me that I've only seen 1 winning driver that isn't a European (Earl Bamber in 2015).

On scrolling back through the winner list on Wiki, I found only 3 winning crews that didn't contain at least 1 European driver.

Just wondered if anyone could name those years, or the winnings crews etc?

Anyone got any other cool trivia that they'd like to share? Like that a Canadian won way back in 1924 and remains the only Canadian victor?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

Just found out what I thought was an interesting piece of LM24 trivia, and wanted to share (for any who didn't already know).

I've been attending since only 2010, and it dawned on me that I've only seen 1 winning driver that isn't a European (Earl Bamber in 2015).

On scrolling back through the winner list on Wiki, I found only 3 winning crews that didn't contain at least 1 European driver.

Just wondered if anyone could name those years, or the winnings crews etc?

Anyone got any other cool trivia that they'd like to share? Like that a Canadian won way back in 1924 and remains the only Canadian victor?

Great idea for a thread!

I'm guessing that 2 of the 3 were Ford GT40s. There was an all New Zealand crew and an all American crew, but I can't remember the years or which way round they were. No idea about the 3rd.

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Great idea for a thread!

I'm guessing that 2 of the 3 were Ford GT40s. There was an all New Zealand crew and an all American crew, but I can't remember the years or which way round they were. No idea about the 3rd.

You could have at least pretended it took longer than 3 minutes to get it right

Yeah, you got 2 of the 3 right. Amon and McLaren in 1966, with Gurney and Foyt the following year.

[Jager]

So the third one was Schuppan (Australia), Holbert (USA) and Haywood (USA) in 1983.

Looking through the results, its also interesting to see that on 25 occasions, the winning drivers shared the same nationality......but the last time it happened was 36 years ago (and not likely to happen next weekend).

[fieldodreams79]

Everyone should read about Foyt's visit to LM with the GT40s. While the car was dominant, Foyt did what AJ always did ( no, not cheat ); he never put a wheel wrong or missed a shift.

But he also called LM "just a little old country road", when describing what type of track it was and asked after winning if he was that year's "rookie of the year", after winning overall.

I do think that was the lone "All American" overall win at LM. Is that accurate?

And Dan Gurney was the first to spray champagne in victory lane that year. Just two great Americans. Dan and AJ.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

I do think that was the lone "All American" overall win at LM. Is that accurate?

As far as I know yes: US-built version of the GT40, US team, US drivers, US tires.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

As far as I know yes: US-built version of the GT40, US team, US drivers, US tires.

Oh! All the way down to the tires! I assume they were Goodyears?

Good stuff, Vic!

[S griffin]

How many celebrities have competed at Le Mans? I can think of 6 so far

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by S griffin

How many celebrities have competed at Le Mans? I can think of 6 so far

James Garner never did Le Mans, did he?

And does Cale Yarborough count as a celebrity?
http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorspo...ocked-le-mans/

On car owner Billy Hagan:

And what does an honest-to-God stock car guy bring across the Atlantic for European wheel-to-wheel competition? Cowboy boots, Cale Yarborough, and a second-gen Camaro, of course.

[Jager]

Originally Posted by S griffin

How many celebrities have competed at Le Mans? I can think of 6 so far

What defines a "celebrity". I found this article which listed 6 celebrities who raced at Le Mans:

https://www.redbull.com/au-en/six-ce...rivers-le-mans

I've no issue with Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Patrick Dempsey, Nick Mason and Eddie Jordan, but personally I wouldn't consider Thatcher a 'celebrity'.

Then, if your going to include champion sportsmen from other fields like Fabien Barthez, then you should probably add Sir Chris Hoy, Luc Alphand and probably many others.

What about Paul Belmondo, who before he raced at Le Mans became famous as the lover of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco ?

I thought there were also a couple of French actors who had raced at Le Mans as well ?

[skycafe]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Oh! All the way down to the tires! I assume they were Goodyears?

Good stuff, Vic!

Yes, Goodyears

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by S griffin

How many celebrities have competed at Le Mans? I can think of 6 so far

So someone famous from outside of motor-racing?

Paul Newman and Patrick Dempsey.
Chris Hoy.
Does Fabien Barthez count? He's famous from football, but had retired from that and become a racing driver before he appeared at Le Mans, so I wouldn't count him really.

Anyone got any advance to Griffin's 6 celebs?

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

So someone famous from outside of motor-racing?

Paul Newman and Patrick Dempsey.
Chris Hoy.
Does Fabien Barthez count? He's famous from football, but had retired from that and become a racing driver before he appeared at Le Mans, so I wouldn't count him really.

Anyone got any advance to Griffin's 6 celebs?

And David Hallyday!

[antonylight]

Jean Claude Killy - 3 times Olympic Skiing Champion raced in 1969
Also Luc Alphand who was World Skiing Champion in 1997 raced more recently

[Truckosaurus]

Amanda Stretton was (and remains) a some what well known TV presenter when she raced at LM.

I think Barthez counts as much as Hoy.

[Akrapovic]

Barthez and Hoy count IMO. I know nothing about football or cycling (can't stand either of them), but I know these names. That makes them pretty famous. Almost house-hold names.

[S griffin]

You've named 4 of the 6 I thought of (Newman, Dempsey, Hoy, Barthez) thanks for naming more I've missed.

[Jager]

What about adventurer Steve Fossett (first person to fly solo non stop around the world in a balloon), Paul Belmondo (lover of Princess Stephane of Monaco) or Mark Thatcher (son of the British Prime Minister) ?

I thought there were also some French actors who had driven at Le Mans, but not being French I don't know who they were.

[PascaLM]

Originally Posted by Jager

What about adventurer Steve Fossett (first person to fly solo non stop around the world in a balloon), Paul Belmondo (lover of Princess Stephane of Monaco) or Mark Thatcher (son of the British Prime Minister) ?

I thought there were also some French actors who had driven at Le Mans, but not being French I don't know who they were.

Paul Belmondo is more known as being the French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo's son.
We can add :
French actor, Jean-Louis Trintignant (Porsche 935 K3 Malardeau, 1980)
Pink Floyd's drummer, Nick Mason (Lola 2l, end of 70's)

[chernaudi]

Steve O'Rouke, Pink Floyd's manager and founder/driver/owner of EMKA Productions team until his death in 2003.

[Hawkwood]

Did Slim Borgudd ever tackle Le Mans? I know he made a dozen or so F1 starts

[skycafe]

Borgudd DNQ in 1987 in C2 car with Volvo Turbo engine

[antonylight]

Going back a long way George Duller raced at LM in 1925/6/7 for Sunbeam & Bentley but retired on each occasion.
Prior to that he had been a successful flat and hurdle jockey in England - he was champion jockey in 1918 and rode in the Grand National and was later a successful trainer
I don't whether Sir Anthony McCoy fancies sports car racing although I believe Richard Dunwoody did try a career in motor racing after he retired from jump racing

[NaBUru38]

Also there's David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of Ruby on Rails.

[Osella]

good trivia on DSC is that the JMW Ferrari was bought as a GT3 car then converted to GTE, as that's cheaper:

As previously noted the new JMW Motorsport Ferrari 488 GTE is actually an upgraded 488 GT3.

The car is though brand new:

“It’s actually cheaper to buy a GT3 car and upgrade it than to buy the car as a 488 GTE. In addition you therefore also have the GT3 kit to convert it back if that is commercially beneficial.”