Jump to content

Petit Le Mans: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Copyedit
 
(25 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown)
Line 20: Line 20:
}}
}}


⚫
'''Petit Le Mans''' ([[French language|French]] for ''Little Le Mans'') is a [[sports car racing|sports car]] [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance]] race held annually at [[Road Atlanta]] in [[Braselton, Georgia]], United States. The race has been held for a duration of 10 hours since 2014, having previously been held for either {{convert|1,000|mi|km}} or 10 hours, whichever came first.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imsa.com/races/petit-le-mans-7?invalidate-cache=1408747848|website=IMSA.com|access-date=2 October 2014|title=IMSA &#124; TUDOR United SportsCar Championship &#124; Petit le Mans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105816/http://www.imsa.com/races/petit-le-mans-7?invalidate-cache=1408747848|archive-date=2014-10-06|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dagys|first1=John|url=https://twitter.com/sportscar365/status/514970994478690306|website=Twitter.com|access-date=2 October 2014|title=Sportscar365 su Twitter: "#DidYouKnow that the Petit le Mans is no longer a 1,000-mile race? It's 10 hours, not 1,000-mile/10-hour (Whichever came first)."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129081956/https://twitter.com/sportscar365/status/514970994478690306|archive-date=2015-01-29|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to the overall race, teams compete for class victories in different categories, divided into [[Sports prototype|prototypes]] and [[grand tourer]]s.
The '''Petit Le Mans''' ([[French language|French]] for ''little Le Mans'') is a [[sports car racing|sports car]] [[Endurance racing (motorsport)|endurance]] race held annually at [[Road Atlanta]] in [[Braselton, Georgia]], United States. It has often used the rules established for the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] by the [[Automobile Club de l'Ouest]] (ACO), which are slightly modified if necessary, mainly to allow additional cars to compete.


The race was founded by Road Atlanta owner [[Don Panoz]] and first run on October 10, 1998 as part of the [[International Motor Sports Association|IMSA]] season. The [[1999 Petit Le Mans|1999 edition]] was one of the original events of the [[American Le Mans Series]]. The 2010 and 2011 editions were also part of the [[Intercontinental Le Mans Cup]], but the 2012 race for the brand-new [[FIA World Endurance Championship|World Endurance Championship]] was controversially dropped in favour of Bahrain. Since 2014 the race has been one of the crown jewel events of the [[IMSA SportsCar Championship]].
The race was founded by Road Atlanta owner [[Don Panoz]] to bring the rules and spirit of the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] to North America. The success of the [[1998 Petit Le Mans|inaugural event]] in 1998, held as part of the [[IMSA GT Championship|IMSA]] season with a special one-off format, led to the creation of the [[American Le Mans Series]] in 1999 with a similar formula. Petit Le Mans was a flagship event for the ALMS, which became the most prominent top-class sports car racing series during the 2000s. The 2010 and 2011 editions were also part of the [[Intercontinental Le Mans Cup]], the precursor of the [[FIA World Endurance Championship|World Endurance Championship]]. Since 2014 the race has been one of the crown jewel events of the [[IMSA SportsCar Championship]]. Class winners of the event originally received an automatic invitation to the following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, however this was removed in 2012.


The race is considered one of the most important endurance races in the world and is one of the largest such events in North America, along with the [[24 Hours of Daytona]] and the [[12 Hours of Sebring]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans {{!}} A French connection in the U.S. |url=https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-of-le-mans-and-petit-le-mans-a-french-connection-in-the-u-s-55767 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=24h-lemans.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Sportscar365 |date=2014-10-01 |title=Scrogham (GB Autosport): “I’ve Seen Petit Le Mans Change Over Time” – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/scrogham-gb-autosport-ive-seen-petit-le-mans-change-over-time/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ten (Nine?) Hour Endurance Race – Or Ten Hour Sprint? |url=http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=5FEA0E4B-1143-FDC9-35690FCBF9B25A8B.html |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=archive2.dailysportscar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ILMC/ALMS, Petit Le Mans - Lunchtime Paddock Notes |url=http://archive2.dailysportscar.com/viewArticle.cfm@articleUID=B68D8E06-1143-FDC9-35052351DC295C19.html |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=archive2.dailysportscar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Audi: 'The proof in 10'. |url=https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/audi-the-proof-in-10-5116 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=24h-lemans.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Rinaldo Capello]] holds the record of most race wins, having won in [[2000 Petit Le Mans|2000]], [[2002 Petit Le Mans|2002]], [[2006 Petit Le Mans|2006]], [[2007 Petit Le Mans|2007]] and [[2008 Petit Le Mans|2008]].
⚫
From 1998 until 2013, Petit Le Mans covered a maximum of {{convert|1000|mi|km|-2}} (which is approximately 394 laps) or a maximum of 10 hours, whichever came first; only once, in the rain-stopped 2009 race, had the leading team failed to complete {{convert|1000|mi|km}}. Since 2014, the duration is 10 hours, without distance limitations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imsa.com/races/petit-le-mans-7?invalidate-cache=1408747848|website=IMSA.com|access-date=2 October 2014|title=IMSA &#124; TUDOR United SportsCar Championship &#124; Petit le Mans|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006105816/http://www.imsa.com/races/petit-le-mans-7?invalidate-cache=1408747848|archive-date=2014-10-06|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dagys|first1=John|url=https://twitter.com/sportscar365/status/514970994478690306|website=Twitter.com|access-date=2 October 2014|title=Sportscar365 su Twitter: "#DidYouKnow that the Petit le Mans is no longer a 1,000-mile race? It's 10 hours, not 1,000-mile/10-hour (Whichever came first)."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129081956/https://twitter.com/sportscar365/status/514970994478690306|archive-date=2015-01-29|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to the overall race, teams of two or three drivers per car compete for class victories in different categories, divided into [[Sports prototype|prototypes]] and [[grand tourer]]s. Class winners of the event originally received an automatic invitation to the following year's [[24 Hours of Le Mans]], however this was removed in 2012.

The race is regarded as one of the major endurance races in the world and is among the biggest sports car races in North America alongside the [[24 Hours of Daytona]] and [[12 Hours of Sebring]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans {{!}} A French connection in the U.S. |url=https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-of-le-mans-and-petit-le-mans-a-french-connection-in-the-u-s-55767 |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=24h-lemans.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Rinaldo Capello]] holds the record of most race wins, having won in [[2000 Petit Le Mans|2000]], [[2002 Petit Le Mans|2002]], [[2006 Petit Le Mans|2006]], [[2007 Petit Le Mans|2007]] and [[2008 Petit Le Mans|2008]].


==History==
==History==
[[File:DSC4291 (51950244077).jpg|thumb|left|A [[Cadillac DPi-V.R]] and [[Porsche 911 GT3#991 GT3 R (2019–)|Porsche 911 GT3 R]] competing at the 2021 race]]
[[File:DSC4291 (51950244077).jpg|thumb|left|A [[Cadillac DPi-V.R]] and [[Porsche 911 GT3#991 GT3 R (2019–2023)|Porsche 911 GT3 R]] competing at the 2021 race]]

⚫
The 2009 and 2015 races were shortened due to heavy rains making the track impassable. The 2015 race featured the first time a [[LM GTE|GT]] car won overall against the faster prototypes. Rain created a flooded track the entire race causing multiple cautions and a red flag, allowing GTLM cars to leap-frog the prototypes that were struggling for grip in the conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dagys |first=John |title=Michelin Memories: 2015, Porsche’s Overall Petit Le Mans Triumph – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/michelin-memories-2015-porsches-overall-petit-le-mans-triumph/ |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Nick Tandy, winner of the [[2015 24 Hours of Le Mans]], and co-driver Patrick Pilet took the checkered flag when officials called the race with a little over two hours remaining.
Following the demise of the [[World Sportscar Championship]] in 1992, sports car racing was left without a major worldwide series in which to compete. The [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] remained a remnant, still competed by a large number of sports cars, but mostly on a single race basis. Various sports car leagues had sprung up since the WSC's demise without major success, including the [[International Motor Sports Association]] (IMSA)'s replacement for their GTP series, the Professional SportsCar Racing series. In Europe, two series were also developed, the [[FIA Sportscar Championship]] and the [[FIA GT Championship]], although they were not combined like IMSA's series.

[[Don Panoz]], owner of the [[Road Atlanta]] racing course, collaborated with the organizers of the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]], the [[Automobile Club de l'Ouest]] (ACO), to form a new sports car endurance race at the track for 1998, called Petit Le Mans (French for ''little Le Mans''). The event would adopt the ACO's rules, and in addition to agreeing to lend the Le Mans name out to Panoz, the ACO offered class winners automatic invitations to the following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race would be similar to the [[12 Hours of Sebring]], in that it did not run a full 24 hours like Le Mans. Instead, the race would be 10 hours or {{convert|1000|mi|km}}, whichever came first. IMSA agreed to let the race be the season finale of their series with a special one-off format, featuring competitors from Le Mans. However, IMSA and Le Mans ran slightly different formulas for their competitors, thus forcing the organizers to create seven different classes: LMP1, LMGT1, and LMGT2 for the ACO-compliant cars, and WSC, GT1, GT2, and GT3 for IMSA's competitors. Even though both organizers used the GT1 and GT2 names the classes were not actually the same, which is why the ACO classes are preceded by LM.

If Petit Le Mans proved to be successful, the ACO would look into developing a series around the same formula. The inaugural event in 1998 attracted 31 entries, including that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Porsche factory team. A satisfactory number of spectators attended the event, while overall honors for the race were contested between the factory [[Porsche 911 GT1]]-98 and [[Porsche LMP1-98|LMP1-98]] cars as well as multiple [[Ferrari 333 SP]]s and [[Panoz Esperante GTR-1]]s. Before the race had finished, an agreement was made for Panoz to establish the [[American Le Mans Series]] in 1999 with the support of the ACO, replacing the [[IMSA GT Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=David |title=Memorable Moments of Motul Petit Le Mans |url=https://www.imsa.com/news/2022/09/22/memorable-moments-of-motul-petit-le-mans/ |website=imsa.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Don Panoz on defying convention, and the Abruzzi race car |url=https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a16424/don-panoz/ |website=Road and Track}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-11 |title=Das Petit Le Mans ist inzwischen ein echter Klassiker / IMSA - SPEEDWEEK.com |url=https://www.speedweek.com/imsa/news/150304/Das-Petit-Le-Mans-ist-inzwischen-ein-echter-Klassiker.html |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=www.speedweek.com |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Breslauer |first=Ken |date=2017-10-04 |title=BRESLAUER: A Look Back at the First Petit Le Mans – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/breslauer-a-look-back-at-the-first-petit-le-mans/ |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=sportscar365.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

⚫
The 2009 and 2015 races were shortened due to heavy rains making the track impassable. The 2015 race featured the first time a [[LM GTE|GT]] car won overall against the faster prototypes. Rain created a flooded track the entire race causing multiple cautions and a red flag, allowing GTLM cars to leap-frog the prototypes that were struggling for grip in the conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dagys |first=John |title=Michelin Memories: 2015, Porsche's Overall Petit Le Mans Triumph – Sportscar365 |url=https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/michelin-memories-2015-porsches-overall-petit-le-mans-triumph/ |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=sportscar365.com |date=20 January 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref> Nick Tandy, winner of the [[2015 24 Hours of Le Mans]], and co-driver Patrick Pilet took the checkered flag when officials called the race with a little over two hours remaining.


{{clear}}
{{clear}}
Line 145: Line 150:
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Meyer Shank Racing|Michael Shank Racing]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Meyer Shank Racing|Michael Shank Racing]]
| [[Ligier JS P2]]-[[Honda]]
| [[Ligier JS P2]]-[[Honda]]
| rowspan=7|[[IMSA SportsCar Championship]]
| rowspan="9" |[[IMSA SportsCar Championship]]
|-
|-
! [[2017 Petit Le Mans|2017]]
! [[2017 Petit Le Mans|2017]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Ryan Dalziel]]<br>{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Brendon Hartley]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Scott Sharp]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Ryan Dalziel]]<br>{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Brendon Hartley]]<br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[Scott Sharp]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Extreme Speed Motorsports|Tequila Patron ESM]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Extreme Speed Motorsports|Tequila Patron ESM]]
| [[Ligier JS P217|Nissan Onroak DPi]]
| [[Ligier Nissan DPi|Nissan Onroak DPi]]
|-
|-
! [[2018 Petit Le Mans|2018]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://results.imsa.com/Results/18_2018/22_Road%20Atlanta/01_IMSA%20WeatherTech%20SportsCar%20Championship/201810131105_Race/10_Hour%2010/03_Results_Race_Official.PDF|title=Official Race Results|date=2018-10-15|website=[[International Motor Sports Association]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209053606/http://results.imsa.com/Results/18_2018/22_Road%20Atlanta/01_IMSA%20WeatherTech%20SportsCar%20Championship/201810131105_Race/10_Hour%2010/03_Results_Race_Official.PDF|archive-date=2018-12-09|access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref>
! [[2018 Petit Le Mans|2018]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://results.imsa.com/Results/18_2018/22_Road%20Atlanta/01_IMSA%20WeatherTech%20SportsCar%20Championship/201810131105_Race/10_Hour%2010/03_Results_Race_Official.PDF|title=Official Race Results|date=2018-10-15|website=[[International Motor Sports Association]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209053606/http://results.imsa.com/Results/18_2018/22_Road%20Atlanta/01_IMSA%20WeatherTech%20SportsCar%20Championship/201810131105_Race/10_Hour%2010/03_Results_Race_Official.PDF|archive-date=2018-12-09|access-date=2018-12-09}}</ref>
Line 178: Line 183:
|-
|-
! [[2023 Petit Le Mans|2023]]
! [[2023 Petit Le Mans|2023]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Tom Blomqvist]]<br />{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Hélio Castroneves]]<br />{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Colin Braun]]
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Tom Blomqvist]]<br />{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Hélio Castroneves]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Colin Braun]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Meyer Shank Racing]] w/ [[Curb Agajanian Performance Group|Curb-Agajanian]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Meyer Shank Racing]] w/ [[Curb Agajanian Performance Group|Curb-Agajanian]]
| [[Acura ARX-05]]
| [[Acura ARX-06]]
⚫
|-
![[2024 Petit Le Mans|2024]]
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]]<br />{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Scott Dixon]]<br />{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Renger van der Zande]]
⚫
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chip Ganassi Racing|Cadillac Racing]]
|[[Cadillac V-Series.R]]
|}
|}


Line 192: Line 202:
|2||{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Allan McNish]]||4||2000, 2006–2008
|2||{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Allan McNish]]||4||2000, 2006–2008
|-
|-
|rowspan=3|3||{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Emanuele Pirro]]||rowspan=3|3||2001, 2005, 2008
| rowspan="4" |3||{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Emanuele Pirro]]|| rowspan="4" |3||2001, 2005, 2008
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Franck Montagny]]||2009–2011
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Franck Montagny]]||2009–2011
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphane Sarrazin]]||2009–2011
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphane Sarrazin]]
|2009–2011
|-
|-
|rowspan=5|6||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[JJ Lehto]]||rowspan=5|2||2003–2004
|{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Renger van der Zande]]||2018, 2020, 2024
⚫
|-
| rowspan="9" |7||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[JJ Lehto]]|| rowspan="9" |2||2003–2004
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Frank Biela]]||2001, 2005
|{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Frank Biela]]||2001, 2005
Line 207: Line 220:
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jordan Taylor (racing driver)|Jordan Taylor]]||2014, 2018
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jordan Taylor (racing driver)|Jordan Taylor]]||2014, 2018
⚫
|-
⚫
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Oliver Jarvis]]
|2021–2022
⚫
|-
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Tom Blomqvist]]||2022–2023
⚫
|-
⚫
|{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Hélio Castroneves]]
|2022–2023
|-
|{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Scott Dixon]]||2020, 2024
|}
|}


Line 218: Line 241:
|2000–2008
|2000–2008
|-
|-
!2
⚫
!rowspan=2|2
⚫
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Peugeot]]
⚫
|rowspan=2|3
⚫
|2009–2011
⚫
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Cadillac]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Cadillac]]
|4
|2018–2020
|2018–2020, 2024
|-
|-
!3
!3
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Peugeot]]
|3
⚫
|2009–2011
|-
⚫
!rowspan=2|4
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Lola Cars|Lola]]
⚫
|rowspan=2|2
⚫
|2
|2012–2013
|2012–2013
|-
|-
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Acura]]
⚫
!rowspan=8|4
|2022–2023
|-
⚫
!rowspan=7|6
|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Ferrari]]
|{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Ferrari]]
|rowspan=8|1
| rowspan="7" |1
|1998
|1998
|-
|-
Line 253: Line 281:
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Mazda]]
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Mazda]]
|2021
|2021
⚫
|-
⚫
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Acura]]
|2022
⚫
|-
|}
|}


Line 264: Line 288:
!Years
!Years
|-
|-
! rowspan="5" |1
! rowspan="6" |1
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Peugeot Sport]] [[Total S.A.|Total]]
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Peugeot Sport]] [[Total S.A.|Total]]
| rowspan="5" |3
| rowspan="6" |3
|2009–2011
|2009–2011
|-
|-
Line 281: Line 305:
|2014, 2018, 2020
|2014, 2018, 2020
|-
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Meyer Shank Racing]]
! rowspan="2" |2
|2016, 2022–2023
|-
!7
|{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Rebellion Racing]]
|{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Rebellion Racing]]
|2
| rowspan="2" |2
|2012–2013
|2012–2013
⚫
|-
⚫
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Meyer Shank Racing]]
|2016, 2022
|}
|}


Latest revision as of 20:19, 26 December 2024

Petit Le Mans
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
VenueRoad Atlanta
Corporate sponsorMotul
First race1998
First USCC race2014
Laps394
Duration1998–2013:
1,000 miles (1,600 km) or 10 hours[a]
2014–present:
10 hours
Most wins (driver)Rinaldo Capello (5)
Most wins (team)Audi Sport North America (6)
Most wins (manufacturer)Audi (9)

Petit Le Mans (French for Little Le Mans) is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, United States. The race has been held for a duration of 10 hours since 2014, having previously been held for either 1,000 miles (1,600 km) or 10 hours, whichever came first.[1][2] In addition to the overall race, teams compete for class victories in different categories, divided into prototypes and grand tourers.

The race was founded by Road Atlanta owner Don Panoz to bring the rules and spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to North America. The success of the inaugural event in 1998, held as part of the IMSA season with a special one-off format, led to the creation of the American Le Mans Series in 1999 with a similar formula. Petit Le Mans was a flagship event for the ALMS, which became the most prominent top-class sports car racing series during the 2000s. The 2010 and 2011 editions were also part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, the precursor of the World Endurance Championship. Since 2014 the race has been one of the crown jewel events of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Class winners of the event originally received an automatic invitation to the following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, however this was removed in 2012.

The race is considered one of the most important endurance races in the world and is one of the largest such events in North America, along with the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.[3][4][5][6][7] Rinaldo Capello holds the record of most race wins, having won in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

History

[edit]
A Cadillac DPi-V.R and Porsche 911 GT3 R competing at the 2021 race

Following the demise of the World Sportscar Championship in 1992, sports car racing was left without a major worldwide series in which to compete. The 24 Hours of Le Mans remained a remnant, still competed by a large number of sports cars, but mostly on a single race basis. Various sports car leagues had sprung up since the WSC's demise without major success, including the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)'s replacement for their GTP series, the Professional SportsCar Racing series. In Europe, two series were also developed, the FIA Sportscar Championship and the FIA GT Championship, although they were not combined like IMSA's series.

Don Panoz, owner of the Road Atlanta racing course, collaborated with the organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), to form a new sports car endurance race at the track for 1998, called Petit Le Mans (French for little Le Mans). The event would adopt the ACO's rules, and in addition to agreeing to lend the Le Mans name out to Panoz, the ACO offered class winners automatic invitations to the following year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race would be similar to the 12 Hours of Sebring, in that it did not run a full 24 hours like Le Mans. Instead, the race would be 10 hours or 1,000 miles (1,600 km), whichever came first. IMSA agreed to let the race be the season finale of their series with a special one-off format, featuring competitors from Le Mans. However, IMSA and Le Mans ran slightly different formulas for their competitors, thus forcing the organizers to create seven different classes: LMP1, LMGT1, and LMGT2 for the ACO-compliant cars, and WSC, GT1, GT2, and GT3 for IMSA's competitors. Even though both organizers used the GT1 and GT2 names the classes were not actually the same, which is why the ACO classes are preceded by LM.

If Petit Le Mans proved to be successful, the ACO would look into developing a series around the same formula. The inaugural event in 1998 attracted 31 entries, including that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Porsche factory team. A satisfactory number of spectators attended the event, while overall honors for the race were contested between the factory Porsche 911 GT1-98 and LMP1-98 cars as well as multiple Ferrari 333 SPs and Panoz Esperante GTR-1s. Before the race had finished, an agreement was made for Panoz to establish the American Le Mans Series in 1999 with the support of the ACO, replacing the IMSA GT Championship.[8][9][10][11]

The 2009 and 2015 races were shortened due to heavy rains making the track impassable. The 2015 race featured the first time a GT car won overall against the faster prototypes. Rain created a flooded track the entire race causing multiple cautions and a red flag, allowing GTLM cars to leap-frog the prototypes that were struggling for grip in the conditions.[12] Nick Tandy, winner of the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, and co-driver Patrick Pilet took the checkered flag when officials called the race with a little over two hours remaining.

Overall winners

[edit]
Year Drivers Team Chassis-Engine Championship(s)
1998 Belgium Eric van de Poele
South Africa Wayne Taylor
France Emmanuel Collard 		United States Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP Professional SportsCar Racing Championship
1999 Australia David Brabham
France Éric Bernard
United Kingdom Andy Wallace 		United States Panoz Motor Sports Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S-Ford American Le Mans Series
2000 United Kingdom Allan McNish
Italy Rinaldo Capello
Italy Michele Alboreto 		Germany Audi Sport North America Audi R8
2001 Germany Frank Biela
Italy Emanuele Pirro 		Germany Audi Sport North America Audi R8 American Le Mans Series
European Le Mans Series
2002 Denmark Tom Kristensen
Italy Rinaldo Capello 		Germany Audi Sport North America Audi R8 American Le Mans Series
2003 Finland JJ Lehto
United Kingdom Johnny Herbert 		United States ADT Champion Racing Audi R8
2004 Germany Marco Werner
Finland JJ Lehto 		United States ADT Champion Racing Audi R8
2005 Germany Frank Biela
Italy Emanuele Pirro 		United States ADT Champion Racing Audi R8
2006 Italy Rinaldo Capello
United Kingdom Allan McNish 		United States Audi Sport North America Audi R10 TDI
2007 United Kingdom Allan McNish
Italy Rinaldo Capello 		United States Audi Sport North America Audi R10 TDI
2008 United Kingdom Allan McNish
Italy Rinaldo Capello
Italy Emanuele Pirro 		United States Audi Sport North America Audi R10 TDI
2009 France Franck Montagny
France Stéphane Sarrazin 		France Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
2010 France Franck Montagny
France Stéphane Sarrazin
Portugal Pedro Lamy 		France Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP American Le Mans Series
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
2011 France Franck Montagny
France Stéphane Sarrazin
Austria Alexander Wurz 		France Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908
2012 Switzerland Neel Jani
France Nicolas Prost
Italy Andrea Belicchi 		Switzerland Rebellion Racing Lola B12/60-Toyota American Le Mans Series
European Le Mans Series
2013 Switzerland Neel Jani
France Nicolas Prost
Germany Nick Heidfeld 		Switzerland Rebellion Racing Lola B12/60-Toyota American Le Mans Series
2014 United States Jordan Taylor
United States Ricky Taylor
Italy Max Angelelli 		United States Wayne Taylor Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP United SportsCar Championship
2015 United Kingdom Nick Tandy
France Patrick Pilet
Austria Richard Lietz 		United States Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR
2016 United States John Pew
Brazil Oswaldo Negri Jr.
France Olivier Pla 		United States Michael Shank Racing Ligier JS P2-Honda IMSA SportsCar Championship
2017 United Kingdom Ryan Dalziel
New Zealand Brendon Hartley
United States Scott Sharp 		United States Tequila Patron ESM Nissan Onroak DPi
2018[13] United States Ryan Hunter-Reay
United States Jordan Taylor
Netherlands Renger van der Zande 		United States Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R
2019 Brazil Felipe Nasr
Brazil Pipo Derani
United States Eric Curran 		United States Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R
2020 Australia Ryan Briscoe
New Zealand Scott Dixon
Netherlands Renger van der Zande 		United States Konica Minolta Cadillac Cadillac DPi-V.R
2021 United States Jonathan Bomarito
United Kingdom Oliver Jarvis
United Kingdom Harry Tincknell 		Canada Mazda Motorsports Mazda RT24-P
2022 United Kingdom Tom Blomqvist
Brazil Hélio Castroneves
United Kingdom Oliver Jarvis 		United States Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-05
2023 United Kingdom Tom Blomqvist
Brazil Hélio Castroneves
United States Colin Braun 		United States Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06
2024 France Sébastien Bourdais
New Zealand Scott Dixon
Netherlands Renger van der Zande 		United States Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R

Statistics

[edit]

Multiple wins by driver

[edit]
Rank Driver Wins Years
1 Italy Rinaldo Capello 5 2000, 2002, 2006–2008
2 United Kingdom Allan McNish 4 2000, 2006–2008
3 Italy Emanuele Pirro 3 2001, 2005, 2008
France Franck Montagny 2009–2011
France Stéphane Sarrazin 2009–2011
Netherlands Renger van der Zande 2018, 2020, 2024
7 Finland JJ Lehto 2 2003–2004
Germany Frank Biela 2001, 2005
Switzerland Neel Jani 2012–2013
France Nicolas Prost 2012–2013
United States Jordan Taylor 2014, 2018
United Kingdom Oliver Jarvis 2021–2022
United Kingdom Tom Blomqvist 2022–2023
Brazil Hélio Castroneves 2022–2023
New Zealand Scott Dixon 2020, 2024

Wins by manufacturer

[edit]
Rank Manufacturer Wins Years
1 Germany Audi 9 2000–2008
2 United States Cadillac 4 2018–2020, 2024
3 France Peugeot 3 2009–2011
4 United Kingdom Lola 2 2012–2013
Japan Acura 2022–2023
6 Italy Ferrari 1 1998
United States Panoz 1999
United States Chevrolet 2014
Germany Porsche 2015
Japan Honda 2016
Japan Nissan 2017
Japan Mazda 2021

Multiple wins by team

[edit]
Rank Maker Wins Years
1 France Peugeot Sport Total 3 2009–2011
Germany Audi Sport North America 2000–2002
United States Audi Sport North America 2006–2008
United States ADT Champion Racing 2003–2005
United States Wayne Taylor Racing 2014, 2018, 2020
United States Meyer Shank Racing 2016, 2022–2023
7 Switzerland Rebellion Racing 2 2012–2013

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ From 1998 to 2013, the race was held for whichever of the two durations came first.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "IMSA | TUDOR United SportsCar Championship | Petit le Mans". IMSA.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  2. ^ Dagys, John. "Sportscar365 su Twitter: "#DidYouKnow that the Petit le Mans is no longer a 1,000-mile race? It's 10 hours, not 1,000-mile/10-hour (Whichever came first)."". Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 2015-01-29. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  3. ^ "24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans | A French connection in the U.S." 24h-lemans.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  4. ^ Staff, Sportscar365 (2014-10-01). "Scrogham (GB Autosport): "I've Seen Petit Le Mans Change Over Time" – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2024-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "Ten (Nine?) Hour Endurance Race – Or Ten Hour Sprint?". archive2.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  6. ^ "ILMC/ALMS, Petit Le Mans - Lunchtime Paddock Notes". archive2.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  7. ^ "Audi: 'The proof in 10'". 24h-lemans.com. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  8. ^ Phillips, David. "Memorable Moments of Motul Petit Le Mans". imsa.com.
  9. ^ "Don Panoz on defying convention, and the Abruzzi race car". Road and Track.
  10. ^ "Das Petit Le Mans ist inzwischen ein echter Klassiker / IMSA - SPEEDWEEK.com". www.speedweek.com (in German). 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  11. ^ Breslauer, Ken (2017-10-04). "BRESLAUER: A Look Back at the First Petit Le Mans – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  12. ^ Dagys, John (20 January 2018). "Michelin Memories: 2015, Porsche's Overall Petit Le Mans Triumph – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  13. ^ "Official Race Results" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association. 2018-10-15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2018-12-09.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Petit Le Mans.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Petit_Le_Mans&oldid=1265409521"