Road to Le Mans explained

Race Title:Road to Le Mans
Track Map:File:Circuit de la Sarthe track map.svg
Series Long:Michelin Le Mans Cup
Series Short:MLMC
Venue:Circuit de la Sarthe
First Race:2016
First Series Race:2016
Duration:2x 55 Minutes
Most Wins Team: DKR Engineering

The Road to Le Mans is a sports car race held annually at the Circuit de la Sarthe, in Le Mans, France. It serves as a support event for the main race, the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race was first run in 2016, as a one-hour event, forming part of the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup, in its inaugural season.[1]

History

The race was announced on 13 November 2015, a support race for LMP3 cars, competing in series sanctioned by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, and GT3 cars competing in the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup. It would by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest with the collaboration of Le Mans Endurance Management (promoter of the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup Series)[2] It was announced to be a non-championship race for the LMP3 cars, while all full-season entrants of the GT3 Le Mans Cup would receive automatic invitations to the race. For the inaugural race in 2016, a total of 39 cars were entered, with 22 LMP3 and 17 GT3 cars. [3] The race was the first time that GT3 and LMP3 cars had competed on the full Circuit de la Sarthe.[4]

In 2017, the race was announced to be returning on the Le Mans support calendar, albeit with a number of changes. The event was expanded to comprise 2x 55 minute long races, with up to 46 cars competing, instead of 42 in the previous year.[5]

Race Winners

YearRaceDriversTeamCarDriversTeamCarDuration/Distance
LMP3GT3
2016 Alexandre Cougnaud
Thomas Laurent
DC RacingLigier JS P3 Aleksey Basov
Viktor Shaytar
SMP RacingFerrari 488 GT313 laps
20171 Sean Rayhall
John Falb
United AutosportsLigier JS P3 Ahmad Al Harthy
Tom Jackson
TF SportAston Martin V12 Vantage GT313 laps
2 Alexander Toril
Jean Glorieux
DKR EngineeringNorma M30 Ahmad Al Harthy
Tom Jackson
TF SportAston Martin V12 Vantage GT313 laps
20181 Mikkel Jensen
Kay Van Berio
EuroInternationalLigier JS P3 Piergiuseppe Perazzini
Marco Cioci
AF CorseFerrari 488 GT313 laps
2 Michael Benham
Duncan Tappy
Lanan RacingNorma M30 Christoph Ulrich
Maurizio Mediani
Spirit of RaceFerrari 488 GT312 laps
20191 Adrian Chila
Nicolas Schatz
GraffNorma M30 Mikkel Mac
Fabien Lavergne
Luzich RacingFerrari 488 GT311 laps
2 François Kirmann
Laurents Hörr
DKR EngineeringNorma M30 Mikkel Mac
Fabien Lavergne
Luzich RacingFerrari 488 GT314 laps
20201 Jean Glorieux
Laurents Hörr
DKR EngineeringDuqueine M30 - D08 Andrea Caldarelli
Hiroshi Hamaguchi
Orange1 FFF Racing TeamLamborghini Huracán GT313 laps
2 Edouard Cauhaupé
Nicolas Maulini
Cool RacingLigier JS P320 Andrea Caldarelli
Hiroshi Hamaguchi
Orange1 FFF Racing TeamLamborghini Huracán GT312 laps
20211 Anthony Wells
Colin Noble
Nielsen RacingLigier JS P320 Rory Penttinen
Logan Sargeant
Iron LynxFerrari 488 GT3 Evo 202012 laps
2 Moritz Kranz
Ugo de Wilde
Mühlner MotorsportDuqueine M30 - D08 Julien Andlauer
Nicolas Leutwiler
Porsche 911 GT3 R13 laps
20221 Tom Dillmann
Alexander Mattschull
Racing Spirit of LemanLigier JS P320 Emanuele Busnelli
Fabio Babini
EbimotorsPorsche 911 GT3 R12 laps
2 Michael Benham
Duncan Tappy
Cool RacingLigier JS P320 Kasper H. Jensen
Kristian Poulsen
GMB MotorsportHonda NSX GT3 Evo2211 laps
20231 Manuel Espírito Santo
Martin Rich
Team VirageLigier JS P320 Max Hesse
Tim Whale
Team WRTBMW M4 GT311 laps
2 Luis Sanjaun
David Droux
Cool RacingLigier JS P320 Jérôme Policand
Valentino Rossi
Team WRT11 laps

References

  1. Web site: ACO Launches Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup for 2016 – Sportscar365. Dagys. John. sportscar365.com. en-US. 2019-07-17.
  2. Web site: Road to Le Mans as a curtain-raiser to the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours. www.europeanlemansseries.com. 2019-07-17.
  3. Web site: Entry List For The Road To Le Mans Race Revealed – dailysportscar.com. www.dailysportscar.com. 2019-07-17.
  4. Web site: 39 Cars on Road to Le Mans Entry List – Sportscar365. Kilshaw. Jake. sportscar365.com. en-US. 2019-07-17.
  5. Web site: Updated Road to Le Mans Format Revealed; Extra Race Added – Sportscar365. Kilshaw. Jake. sportscar365.com. en-US. 2019-07-17.

__FORCETOC__