Gentlemen, start your engines...

In the old days car manufacturers would build specially designed or heavy modified car to participate in the 24 hours of Le Mans. The cars where called Le Mans Prototypes. Although any car could enter the race, these LMP cars were going for the overall victory. Disaster can strike at any moment, from the first to the last lap as Japanese Toyota racing found out in 2016. Driver Kazuki Nakajima was leading the race with a comfortable lead until 4 minutes from the end the Toyata failed and Porsche took the win.

The 24 hours of Le Mans was first held at the French Le Sarthe road circuit in 1923 by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest. The iconic starting method where drivers ran across the start grid to their cars was abandoned in the 70's for safety reasons as drivers would race the first lap of the race without strapping themselves in.

In 1955 the Le Sarthe circuit saw the worst accident in motorsport history as 82 spectators died when two cars collided on track and where airborne into the crowd.