And so to Le Mans

And so to Le Mans

ohs these reports were written, only a month remained before the highlight of thc endurance racing year: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This year the French arc emphasising durability and fuel economy, and have drastically rewritten the regulations to that effect. No car may car, more than 120 litres of petrol, refuelling stops will take more than two minutes a times, and no team may replace an engine, gearbox. or more than one turbocharger from the start of timed practice on Thursday — on pain of exclusion. For British fans, the big question must be whether Alain de Cadences team can at last achieve their dearest ambition: to win Co Mans. With the relatively economical DFV in long distance tune, they must have their best chance ever of defeating the hordes of Porsches, a bevy of

Ferrari 512 Boxers, and a handful of rival DIN propelled Gp 6 cars, including thc lbec from Britain, Nick Faure’s Lola. the ACR of Switzerland, and the Rondeaus from France. Fastest cars in the race should be the Turbo Porsches. The quicker 935s include a Dick Barbour entry for John Fitzpatrick, Brian Redman and the Californian owner-driver himself, a full team of Kremer K3s (one of which triumphed last year), and a Ione Gelo entry. Jacky Ickx is out for a record fifth victory in the race, sharing a privately prepared Porsche 908:80 Turbo with its cntrant. Reinhold Joest. But the turbo cars am heavy on fuel, and will have to lap very rapidly indeed to make up time lost in the pits this year. Can tho British De Cadenet outpace and outlast the Porsches? We will only know that at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 15th. — J.C.T.