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  [4455]=>
  string(4) "4455"
  [4430]=>
  string(4) "4430"
  [4177]=>
  string(4) "4177"
  [4141]=>
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  [4112]=>
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}
Championship card
FIA WEC 24 hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most famous and extreme sports car endurance race, held annually on the Sarathe track, not far from the French town Le Mans. It is one of the main race in the worldwide Championship FIA WEC.

Some of the most famous drivers and most recognized car brands are present on this race. Tom Kristensen has won the race 9 times and is the absolute leading champion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx, Norman Graham Hill, A.J. Foyt and Jochen Ridt are top racing drivers of the race as well.

Does the race last 24 hours?

Yes, the race starts at 15:00 local time and without any break lasts until the same time of the next day. The winner is the team of drivers, which reached the highest tally of number of laps over 24 hours straight (in case of equality, the winner is the first to finish).

Is it only one driver and one car for the whole race?

According to the rules of the race, no single driver can run for more than 4 hours without a stop and 14 hours in total. One team consists of three drivers, who drive the same car. Drivers change each other during pit stops so a driver can rest, eat and even sleep a little bit. However, there is only one car per team that can be used during the race. It is a real endurance testing of some of the world’s premier racing vehicles. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a competition not only for the drivers, but also for mechanics and engineers. They change tires, refuel the car and even fix it – it may take quite a lot of time, but for most teams finishing without a win is also a great achievement. Accident or breakdown of the car means the elimination of the team from the competition.

A little bit more about the race

The first race was held on 26 and 27 May 1923 and has been run for every year since.

The race is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and is held on the Circuit de la Sarthe, which contains a mix of closed public roadways and dedicated sections of racing tracks. Although all cars compete at the same time, there are separate classes. A prize is awarded to the winner of each class, and to the overall winner. The number of classes has varied over the years, but there are now four. Custom-built Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) are the top two classes, LMP1 and LMP2, divided by speed, weight, and power output. From 2011, the next two classes are production-based grand tourer (GT) classes, GT Endurance Pro and GT Endurance AM.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a part of the World Endurance Championship, a FIA-governed series that hold races between six and 24 hours long in different parts of the world during the year. It is also known as the leg of the informal Triple Crown of Motorsport and the Triple Crown of endurance racing.

Today, there are many other similar sports car races such as: the American Le Mans Series, the Le Mans Classic, a race for vintage Le Mans race cars from previous years held on the Circuit de la Sarthe, a motorcycle version of the race, a kart race (24 Heures Karting), a truck race (24 Heures Camions), and other similar endurance races.
REIGNING CHAMPIONS
LMP1 — TOYOTA GAZOO RACING. BUEMI / NAKAJIMA / ALONSO
LMP2 — SIGNATECH ALPINE MATMUT. LAPIERRE / NEGRÃO / THIRIET
LM GTE Pro — PORSCHE GT TEAM. CHRISTENSEN / ESTRE / VANTHOOR
LM GTE Am — DEMPSEY - PROTON RACING SMITH. CAMPBELL / RIED / ANDLAUER