LE MANS THE NEXT CENTURY

As the legendary heavyweights race celebrates its 100th anniversary, like Ferrari, Porsche and BMW return to light up the grid

- NICOLAS STECHER

This year the 24 Hours of Le Mans, arguably the most famous race in all of motorsports, celebrates its 100th Anniversary. In that century the endurance crucible forged epic rivalries, created legends and defined destinies for nearly every marque worth mentioning. Eras like the famed Ford vs. Ferrari battles of the late 1960s and the Porsche vs. Audi vs. Toyota world wars of the 2010s are almost mythic in racing lore, beloved by fans worldwide.

And while the race-and endurance sports car racing in general has suffered in the past years as major manufacturers fled the series things are about to turn around in a major way. Call it coincidence or destiny, but just as the 24 Hours of Le Mans celebrates its centenary the fields of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) are about to experience an explosion arguably unlike any we've seen since the 1980s.

IMSA and its European counterpart, FIA, have agreed on terms that will allow cars that qualify for one series to cross the pond-so cars in the WEC can also race in IMSA, and vice versa. Perhaps most importantly, they can all race at Le Mans, to the delight of rabid race fans across the planet. The reason for this rush is fairly simple: regulators have implemented extensive rule changes designed to lower the bar of entry for both racing series, making them vastly more affordable and their tech more transferable to the street.

LMH vs LMDh