2005 Le Mans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAW0NUmph2g

 

Lotus at Sebring, Lemans, etc
Race Success

 

This Man Will Race Le Mans Despite Losing Both His Arms And Legs

By Alex Lloyd


Frederic Sausset, 46, lost all four of his limbs to a bacterial infection in 2012. In the hospital bed, trying to come to terms with the grief and how vastly his world had changed, Sausset imagined competing in the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. It was a dream he knew sounded foolish, and while those around him likely didn’t admit it, they probably thought it foolish too.

And yet here we are, three years later. Sausset has since rolled his wheelchair onto the podium numerous times in the VdV endurance series, and now, after his announcement in France last week, is set to run in next year’s iconic marathon at Le Mans in a specially adapted Morgan LMP2 prototype, hitting speeds of around 200 mph down the famed Mulsanne Straight.

“I had to find a meaning and future to this life,” he said. “I spoke to my wife, who I must admit did not quite understand all of the intricacies of this race.”
As FoxSports reports, Sausset will use controls under each thigh to operate the gas and brake pedal. A prosthetic limb on his right arm will be attached to the steering wheel, allowing the Frenchman to turn. He’ll share driving duties with two others in the round-the-clock event, including his friend and mentor Christophe Tinseau.

It was Tinseau who helped make this dream a reality. The French race car driver introduced Sausset to key people within the racing world, helping not only with the car’s adaption into something Sausset could drive but with the series officials to feel comfortable allowing a double quadriplegic to compete behind the wheel of such a fast machine.

Sausset proved his worth this season, and while next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will undoubtably be a huge step up—both in terms of distance and performance of his new, faster race car—he’s up for the challenge. His SRT 41 race program will operate out of the experimental “Garage 56″ in a class of its own—much like the radical DeltaWing did along with Nissan’s electric ZEOD RC.

Legendary racer Alex Zanardi, who lost both his legs in an IndyCar crash in 2001, has proven that disability should not prevent someone from living their dreams. Since his accident, Zanardi has continued to race professionally in an adapted car with hand controls, and has won gold at the Paralympic Games in London aboard his wheelchair as well as completing the grueling Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii for the past two years.
Zanardi remains an inspiration to many, proving anything is possible with determination and a positive outlook. Now, the world has another hero to inspire—a gritty Frenchman with a heart more powerful than limbs.

 

Motorcycles at Le Mans 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72l45aq7a_s

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZxC-knQmkM
This car belongs to the Porsche Museum. It is worth millions of dollars. And they let me spank it at their Weissach test track. Good times.

 

Shelby to Offer 20 1966 GT40 Le Mans Winner Replicas [h=2]GT40 MKII Continuation[/h]
John Gilbert Staff Editor
January 21, 2016




In the United States the single most effective way to make an already hard to see out of car worse is to change its drive position from left-hand drive to right-hand drive. If you think we’re kidding try making a left hand turn in a right hand drive car without getting your face torn off in opposing traffic. That said, why would anyone want to buy one of the 20 Shelby GT40 MKII continuation cars that are going to be almost exact replicas? Collectability.






Shelby, Superformance and Safir GT40 Spares are set to release a limited edition GT40 MKII commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the historic 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona on January 27th, 2016.
Superformance, the leading manufacturer of 1960s era continuation sports cars, has collaborated with Shelby American to release 20 limited edition GT40 MKIIs. These special edition GT40s will be exact replicas of the Le Mans winning cars; right hand drive and right hand shift, just like the originals driven by Bruce McLaren, Ken Miles, and Dan Gurney.


In June of 1966 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the GT40 MKII made American racing history with a dominating 1-2-3 finish. The Shelby-American team produced cars that took the top two places. The GT40 has won more prestigious race events than nearly any other road race car in history. Own a piece of racing history with the limited release of the legendary GT40 MKII by Shelby and Superformance.




“We’re very excited to release this special edition GT40 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Le Mans victory,” said Superformance CEO, Lance Stander. “Having known Carroll Shelby personally, we know how proud he was of this victory and can’t think of a better way to commemorate it.”
Shelby GT40 continuation cars are as true to the originals as you can get. The engineers paid such close attention to detail when recreating the car, that over 90 percent of the vehicles parts are interchangeable with the original car and chassis. Using an exact replica of the original all steel monocoque, unibody chassis, that is made up of over 244 laser-cut, pressed and bent steel panels. It had twice the torsional strength of the formula one cars of the day. Shelby GT40 MKII vehicles include modern luxuries and safety features such as: air conditioning, Wilwood brakes, Bilstein shocks with H&R springs, and adjustable pedal box, making it just as comfortable on the street as it is on the track.


All 50th Anniversary GT40s will come with special gold 50th Anniversary Shelby badging, logos, and features. Three color schemes will be available; Bruce McLaren edition (Black with silver stripes), Ken Miles edition (Blue with white stripes), and Dan Gurney edition (Red with white stripes). The recommended power source is a specially prepared Shelby Aluminum block 427 FE engine. All will come with a special Anniversary badge stating what number in the limited edition sequence it is, as well as a unique Shelby issued MSO and place in the Shelby Registry, thanks to a specially reserved block of GT40P serial numbers for this series. Starting with GT40 P 2050 to 2069.
If you’re ready for it, Shelby and its Dealer network are now taking orders for the 50th Anniversary GT40 MKII.

 

LM24: SAFER barriers added at Porsche Curves

Friday, 13 May 2016


RACER staff
The latest round of safety improvements on the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit have been signed off. The upgrades, which are focused on the Porsche Curves, were inspected by the FIA last week.
SAFER barriers, most commonly used on U.S. ovals, have been installed on the outside of the first part of the double left at the beginning of the sequence. The run-off and gravel trap has also been extended at the final right-hander of the Porsche Curves, the point at which Audi driver Loic Duval hit the debris fencing during practice of the 24 Hours in 2014.
ACO sporting manager Vincent Beaumesnil said he believes it is the first time that the SAFER system, which stands for steel and foam energy reduction, has been used on a road course in Europe. He explained the SAFER barriers had allowed the character of the Porsche Curves to be retained at the same time as improving safety.
"It would have been easy to add a chicane, but the track would have lost its character," he said. "After discussions with our federation in France [the FFSA], we were able to make the circuit safer and keep the original layout."
The latest improvements follow a previous round of upgrades in the Porsche Curves sequence for 2014, when TechPro barriers were added at the first right-hander and the gravel trap increased in size at Corvette Corner (formerly Karting).

 

2014 LeMans
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/event-coverage/818760-event-coverage-2014-lemans.html

 

New video chronicling restoration of ’66 Le Mans-winning GT40

Monday, 06 June 2016

RACER staff
The pending return to Le Mans by Ford's works team on the 50th anniversary of its first victory in the 24 Hours coincides with the culmination of a 20-month restoration of the car that took that epic victory. That painstaking restoration, by Kingston, N.H.-based Rare Drive, is chronicled by a video released today by RK Motors Charlotte: "Rebirth of a Racing Legend," which details the reassembly of P/1046, the iconic 1966 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 racecar.
Accessible in a multi-chapter video series at gt40.rkmotorscharlotte.com, the new footage details the restoration's painstaking finishing touches, in anticipation of P/1046's unveiling later this month at the historic Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe.
Almost 4,000 man-hours have been spent onthe restoration since the process began in December 2014, with as many as seven professional restorers working on the racecar daily. Providing a steady stream of challenges along the way, the restoration required fabrication of parts that are no longer manufactured, such as the windshield and the entire exhaust, which – in keeping with its original development – features unequal lengths at the rear of the car.
No minute detail was spared during the process, including replicating the hand-painted No. 2 race number on the hood, which was originally hastily applied at the track. As a result, the restored version includes the exact paint drips as the original.
"Bringing this iconic piece of automotive history back to life has been a dream of ours for a long time," said Robert Kauffman, chairman and CEO of RK Motors Charlotte. "We are thrilled with the results and cannot wait until the world gets to see the GT40 in all of its original glory at Le Mans."
The GT40 is a testament to stalwart and ingenious engineering and is the first American-built car to win endurance racing's most prestigious competition, which had always been dominated by Ferrari. Developed by legendary car builder and racer Carroll Shelby, chassis P/1046 carved its niche in racing history as the first of three GT40s to take the checkered flag and earn podium finishes at the 1966 Le Mans race besting Ferrari in the #1, #2, and #3 winning positions. The 1966 race continues to rank as one of the closest finishes in Le Mans history.

 

Ford #P1046 Legend of LeMans thanks to RK Motors, Charlotte NC.
part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOXiJI_HILQ
Join RK Motors Charlotte as we revive an icon, unearth the past and restore glory to the 1966 Le Mans winning Ford GT40 - chassis #P1046. This is the real story of the first Ford GT40 to claim Le Mans for America, and we welcome you to be a part of history with us.
Stay tuned for Chapter #2....
Voiceover by Mike Ruff, all historical footage courtesy of Lorin Sorensen's Ford Wins The 1966-67 LeMans

part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo2NZv6qpzU&index=4&list=PLlo2JlsqFGdKmwTz IIpm6KrgdvyS40hIK
Join RK Motors Charlotte as we revive an icon, unearth the past and restore glory to the 1966 Le Mans winning Ford GT40 - chassis #P1046. This is the real story of the first Ford GT40 to claim Le Mans for America, and we welcome you to be a part of history with us.
Stay tuned for Chapter #3
Voiceover by Mike Ruff, all historical footage courtesy of Lorin Sorensen's Ford Wins The 1966-67 LeMans

part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i9rmnYWR2o&list=PLlo2JlsqFGdKmwTzIIpm6Krg dvyS40hIK&index=3
Part 3 of the RK Motors Charlotte series documenting the restoration of the 1966 Le Mans winning Ford GT40. In this chapter we look into the technology that propelled not only P1046 but also 3 other GT40's to victory lane. In addition, we discuss other manufacturer entrants across the Le Mans vehicle classes and evaluate their specifications.

part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf58bzdDk0Q&list=PLlo2JlsqFGdKmwTzIIpm6Krg dvyS40hIK&index=2
In the fourth chapter of Legend of Le Mans, we'll dive into just what it takes for the team at Rare Drive to restore such a prolific car. From researching hundreds of vintage photographs down to sourcing the correct bolts, you'll see that #P1046, the Le Mans-winning GT40, really is a legend in the details.

part 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNw5aegH34g&index=1&list=PLlo2JlsqFGdKmwTz IIpm6KrgdvyS40hIK
View Full Video at gt40.rkmotorscharlotte/restoration/#5
and get insight on the 1966 Le Mans finish directly from the winning co-driver Chris Amon.
Explore the Car. Relive History. Join the Celebration at gt40.rkmotorcharlotte.com