So this weekend is pretty big for me. It’s race season and the mother of them all is here. People ask what type of racing I’m into and sometimes it’s hard to explain because it’s not NASCAR, Formula 1 or Indy racing.
I’m into this little thing called the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Essentially, it’s an international auto sports race held in Le Mans, France.
There are four categories of cars that compete: LMP-1, LMP-2, GTE Pro and LM GTE. The cars that I love are the LMP — which stands for Le Mans Prototype — cars, so you see how the race is kind of a big deal. Put simply, they are the race cars you see that are fully covered in pretty cool-looking bodywork. They have different specifications and requirements but generally have custom-built engines for racing.
There are now many different championships that run LMP cars, but it was Le Mans that started it all. The GT class stands for Grand Touring, which basically means that the cars are derived from current production models. You can read the full descriptions of each class on the 24 Hour website: 24h-lemans.com/en/race/category_2_2_1742.html.
Le Mans is just like any other sporting event. There are different levels of winning. Of course, there is taking the No. 1 pole position at Le Mans, but then there is also winning within your class or championship.
The 24-hour race is the cornerstone of the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is an international autosports championship. It is the 83rd running of the race with 56 cars competing at the famous Circuit de la Sarthe. For the full entry list, visit: 24h-lemans.com/live/en/.
I’m extremely excited for the 24 Hours this year because Nissan has a new LMP-1 car. Nissan was prominent in the circuit during the 1990s but it ultimately withdrew from much motorsports racing after the mid-90s.
Since 2001, Nissan has been supplying engines for multiple prototype cars that have competed in Le Mans, but this is the first year the company itself has entered Le Mans since 1999.
The new Nissan has been on the lips of everyone in the automotive world for a variety of reasons. Not only is it Nissan’s highly anticipated return to Le Mans, but it is the first front-wheel-drive car to ever compete in the LMP-1 class. The GTR LM Nismo is a front-engined, 3.0-liter, V-6 twin turbo with an electric drive system that gives it more than 1,250 horsepower. It is based on the production model GTR. For a full gallery with diagrams of the beast: motorauthority.com/news/1098321_nissan-finalizes-specs-for-gt-r-lm-nismo-ahead-of-2015-le-mans-race.
Last week Nissan turned even more heads when it unveiled a throwback livery inspired by its famous R90CK. The 1990 red, white and blue prototype had one of the fastest lap times in Le Mans history. The car and its original driver Mark Blundell will both be present at the 24 Hours.
Unfortunately, the 24 Hours of Le Mans never seems to make it to broadcast channels. The race can be seen with a subscription to Fox Sports GO live-streaming website and app or on Fox Sports 1 and 2. The race starts streaming at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and lasts until Sunday.
For the full schedule, visit foxsports.com/motor/story/24-hours-le-mans-tv-schedule-060415.
You can track the race at #LM24 and see my commentary @erikacanfijn on Twitter.
Erika Canfijn is a UF public relations senior. Her column appears on Thursdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 6/11/15]
