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Additional historic race at Le Mans 2006



In celebration of the Centenary of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, Motor Racing Legends has announced that this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours weekend (17-18 June 2006) will see not one, but two historic support races.

The historic support race at the Le Mans 24 Hours has become an undoubted jewel in the crown of this world-famous endurance event each June – and one of the world’s greatest historic races. This year, the first ACO Centenary Race will accept entries from Le Mans race cars of the pre-War era (1923 to 1939), while the second chooses the next slot in history, with post-War Le Mans racers up to 1954.

Both ACO Centenary Races will take place on the morning of Saturday 17th June 2006, and are exclusively for actual cars which ran at Le Mans in their day, and genuine sister cars of the same specification. The races, taking place a few hours before the start of the modern 24 Hours, will each be 40 minutes long and for one driver. Both will start with the traditional ‘ear of corn’ formation, in which drivers run across the track to their cars.

The ACO Centenary Races are run by Motor Racing Legends, in partnership with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of Motor Racing Legends, explains how this exciting opportunity has arisen: "Running two historic races on the morning of the Le Mans 24 Hours, as opposed to the single Le Mans Legend race we are best known for organising, is a break with tradition in celebration of the Centenary year of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. While 2006 is not the Centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours (2006 will be the 74th time the modern race has been run), it is 100 years since the formation of the ACO, the Club behind the greatest endurance race in the world.

"The historic support race is always tremendously popular with the 230,000 spectators who flock to the 24 Hour race weekend. This year, they will enjoy an even more exciting spectacle as 100 drivers race on the full 8.5-mile circuit at the wheel of some of the greatest pre- and post-War sports racing cars of all time.

Motor Racing Legends will be exhibiting at the International Historic Motorsport Show (24-26 Feb 2006 at Stoneleigh Park, Nr Coventry, UK). Potential entrants for these races, the Pre-War Sports Car Series, or the brand new historic series the details of which will be released at the Show, should make a point of visiting stand B30.

For further information please contact:

Motor Racing Legends,
Woodbine Farm,
Thorndon,
Eye, Suffolk IP23 7JJ.
Tel/fax +44 (0)1379 678101.
E.mail: [email protected]

www.motorracinglegends.com

Words: Classic Driver
Photos: Motor Racing Legends


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