Words by Rick Voegelin
Photos courtesy GM Racing
6/15/07
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The immense 13.629-kilometer (8.47-mile) Le Mans track is hallowed ground for motorsports enthusiasts, the site of the world's greatest sports car race. The course has been changed 14 times since its inception in 1923, with lap lengths ranging from 17.2 to 13.4 kilometers. Regardless of its configuration, the legendary La Sarthe circuit has long been regarded as one of the most challenging venues in auto racing. The current track combines narrow country roads with glass-smooth stadium sections. For example, Highway N138 is an unremarkable two-lane road filled with lorries, buses and commuters - but for five magical days in June, it becomes the legendary Mulsanne Straight ("Les Hunaudieres" to the locals). So hang on tight as Olly Gavin takes us for a lap of Le Mans.
"Coming up to the start-finish line, I'm in the top of fifth gear into the first right-hander. That corner can be taken flat out, but feathering the throttle on exit just a little sets up the car to go into the Dunlop chicane.
"Then it's hard on the brakes for the left-hander in the chicane. You must be careful there because the track is off-camber and there is a big curb at the apex. The organizers also install pylons to make sure the drivers don't get too greedy and straight-line the chicane. It's a notoriously slippery section and there's often a lot of gravel dragged onto the track. When you switch back to the right the track falls away to the other direction and the car often feels a little nervous.
"Next it's underneath the bridge and down the hill to the sweeping right-hand corner at the Esses. That corner can usually be taken flat, but you must be mindful of the grass and cones on the inside. Then you want to get the car straight and brake for the left-hander, which is a banked curve and gives you confidence that the grip is going to hold through there. The car can get light and start hopping at the rear in the final part of the Esses, so you must be careful of the wall on the left-hand side.
"Tertre Rouge is different this year, and the changes were a big improvement. The tarmac has a lot of grip and the corner is quite quick now. Last year it was a third-gear corner; now it's a fourth-gear corner and you can really shoot down Mulsanne straight.
"You want to get as clean an exit as possible going onto the Mulsanne straight because it's a long, long drag leading to the first chicane. The roadway is heavily rutted from the trucks that use it every day, and it's like the car falls into a slot. If you want to pass another car, you must go over the crown in the road and drop into the groove in the other lane. You can't straddle the two lanes, so it's a difficult stretch in the dark or when it's wet.
"It's maximum braking for the first chicane at about the 200-meter board, knocking off about 100 mph of speed, but be careful because this braking area can be slippery. Just touch a bit of curb on the right-hand apex, then quickly turn back to the left to squirt off the corner and onto another very long section of straight.
"You're on the Mulsanne straight for such a long time that it's a good opportunity to check the mirrors, look around at the cars ahead and behind, and talk to the team on the radio. I brake for the second chicane at about 150 meters, and I'm very careful of the entry, which is often slippery. I turn back quickly for the right-hander because the car has a tendency to understeer on the slick surface, and take a tight line out of the chicane to avoid the bumps.