The 24 Heures Motos (often called in English the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race) is a motorcycle endurance race held annually since 1978 on the Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans, Sarthe, France. The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and is part of the Endurance FIM World Championship.
 | |
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| FIM Endurance World Championship | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Circuit Bugatti |
| Location | 47°56′30″N 0°13′30″E / 47.94167°N 0.22500°E |
| First race | 1978 |
| Last race | 2023 |
| Duration | 24 hours |
| Most wins (driver) |  Alex Vieira (5) Grégory Leblanc (5) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) |  Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda (14) |
History edit
When the Bol d'Or moved from Bugatti Circuit to Circuit Paul Ricard at the end of 1977, the ACO created the 24 Heures Moto.[1] The race became one of "the classics" of endurance racing along with the 24 Hours of Liège, the 8 Hours Of Suzuka, and the Bol d'Or.
At the end of 2001, the three 24 Hour classic races (Le Mans, Liège and the Bol d'Or) withdrew from the Endurance World Championship to create the Master of Endurance. Le Mans returned to the Endurance FIM World Championship in 2006.
Race weekend format edit
- Thursday
Free practice sessions, 1st qualifying practice sessions (in groups) and night practice sessions
- Friday
2nd qualifying practice sessions (in groups), superpole
- Saturday
Warm-up session. 3.00 PM Le Mans start. NOTE: The traditional Le Mans start, abolished in 1970 for automobiles, is still used for motorcycles.
- Sunday
3.00 pm, finish of the race followed by the prize-giving ceremony
Winners edit
By manufacturer edit
| Wins | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 15 | Suzuki
|
| 14 | Kawasaki
|
| Honda
| |
| 4 | Yamaha
|
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "22 and 23 April 1978" (in French). Lemans.org. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-25.