The 24 Hours of LeMans - Tucson News Now

The 80th running of the 24 Hours of LeMans took place June 16-17.

Endurance sports car racing is by far the biggest test of man and machine in the world of motor racing. The current distance record for this event was set in 2010 at 3,360 miles. That is more than six Daytona 500 races over a single twenty-four hour period! Porsche has sixteen wins to lead all manufacturers and Tom Kristensen leads drivers with eight wins.

The tradition of winning drivers spraying champagne was begun at LeMans in 1967 by an American, Dan Gurney. Gurney won with co-driver A.J. Foyt and spotted Henry Ford IV and car-owner Carroll Shelby below the victory podium so decided to spray the lot with bubbles. Thus began the tradition of "wasting" good champagne!