Texoma Living Well Magazine September/October 2016

123,000 Spectators Celebrate History Of 24 Hours! 8th Edition Of Le Mans Classic Story and photos by Lewis Schucart E LE MANS, France — very two years, a very special event takes place on a historically acclaimed track about two hours west of Paris. The eighth running this summer brought classic sport cars together, the model years ranging from 1923 to 1981. an event other than the annual running of the 24 Hours of LeMans with contemporary sport cars and prototypes, thus allowing 1,000 car owners and gentleman drivers to experience what it must have been to race these cars on this circuit. LeMans Classic is a biennial vintage sports car event held on the grounds of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It began in 2002 and runs every two years in July on the full 13.65 kilometer (8.5 miles) circuit—also used for the annual modern day 24 Hours of Le Mans. The biennial event consists of a series of races for cars which have competed at the 24 Hours of LeMans or for similar cars of the same model and vintage. Only cars built from 1979 and earlier are allowed, with all cars being broken into seven different eras. To compete in the races a driver must own an international competition license, meaning the drivers are of a professional level. The LeMans Classic event of 2002 was the first time since 1923 that the full 24-hour circuit—part of which are public roads the rest of the year—was closed specifically for Car shows and auctions are also hosted on the Bugatti Circuit grounds, with various car clubs gathering to show off their nearly 8,500 of vintage and collector cars. A couple of historic sport cars pass under the famous Dunlop Tire bridge in the late afternoon. 26 TEXOMA AREA Living Well Magazine | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

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