One For The Ages

Torrid temperatures, raw emotions and unbelievable drama made this writer’s first trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans even more memorable than he expected.

- Jeremy Chua

LONG before I learnt about the fearsome Nurburgring in Germany, I had already heard about the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This race, which is part of the FIA’s World Endurance Championship (WEC), takes place every June at the Circuit de la Sarthe in France

To some folks, racing for 24 hours straight is sheer insanity. To fans, it is a brilliant demonstration of what engineering, teamwork, tenacity and perseverance can achieve.

Yes, the Nurburgring circuit is at least 100 times more challenging, and to race there for 24 hours is infinitely more difficult.

But there is something so mythical about Le Mans that it seems like winning this race is more important than winning any other event on the WEC calendar.

Many manufacturers are strongly associated with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota have all taken part in this event.

But one cannot talk about Le Mans without mentioning Porsche. Porsche and Le Mans are so entwined because the German carmaker has notched up the most overall wins at this 24-hour race.

I came across my first Porsche racecar when I was eight years old. It was a white Martiniliveried remote control car. I was too young then to realise what the toy symbolised.

When I arrived at Le Mans airport on the Friday morning of the race weekend, I was gripped by a feeling that I was in a very special place, and that this year’s race would be even more exciting than last year’s.

From a distance, I could see the grandstands, which flanked the circuit’s main straight. There was a palpable tension and an inexplicable sense of excitement in the air.