With six months to go to the event, the selection committee has just published the first entry lists for each of the six grids and for the Group C race, which will be run as a curtain-raiser on Saturday morning.
In order to give spectators and entrants evenly-matched fields in terms of performance and historic relevance, the 500 racing cars are divided up into six grids. The cars selected took part in the Le Mans 24 Hours between 1923 and 1981.
Among the many incredible cars on the first entry lists are: Delahaye 135 S (Grid 1), D-Type Jaguars (Grid 2), Ferrari 250 GTs (Grid 3), Ford GT40s (Grid 4 and 5), Porsche 917 LHs (Grid 5), Ferrari 512 Ss (Grid 5), Howmet TX (Grid 5), Ferrari 512 BBLMs (Grid 6), Inaltera (Grid 6), Jaguar XJR-9 (Group C Racing), Peugeot 905s (Group C Racing).
Among the 389 drivers registered, 26 nationalities are represented, including 134 French, 81 British, 13 American and nine Japanese. On the list of drivers are: René Arnoux (BMW M1 Procar 1979), Derek Bell (Porsche 917 LH 1969), Paul Belmondo (Porsche 935 1981), Jacques Laffite (Lola T70 Mk III 1966), Jochen Mass (Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0L 1974), Stéphane Ortelli (Porsche 904/4 GTS 1964), Henri Pescarolo (Inaltera Le Mans 1976), Marko Werner (Lola T212 FVC 1971 et Lotus Mark IX 1955). Other famous names will join the party…
