The Greatest Motorsport ChallengeCongratulations to Audi Sport and the Audi R10 TDI® for another win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s eight wins for Audi in the last nine years. It’s the unparalleled power of Audi TDI clean diesel technology that helps this team to cover more ground, in less time, using less fuel. In turn, putting more trophies on the shelf. And in keeping with Audi’s commitment to innovation, TDI clean diesel technology will find its way into Audi cars coast to coast in 2009. Now that is something truly worth toasting. Audi. Truth in Engineering. For Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is “the greatest motorsport challenge and one of only three races around the world also known by people who have little or no interest at all in motorsport.” The other two are the Indianapolis 500 and the F1 Monaco Grand Prix.
There’s nothing quite like Le Mans. The prospect of 24 hours of flat-out racing on the longest international racing track in the world attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. It’s a non-stop carnival of motorsport, with endless food and drink, its own fun-fair and a motorsport village that never sleeps.
If the passion for motorsport runs deep in your veins, you have to go.
Where else can you see racing cars dicing side-by-side at over 200mph…at 3 o’clock in the morning?
Worldwide PopularityThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is a worldwide media event and one of the few motorsport events that not only boasts broad recognition in Europe and Asia but also in North America. In the USA, where Formula 1 is still regarded as a “fringe” sport, the 24 Hours of Le Mans enjoys a particularly high ranking. The famous film “Le Mans” starring Steve McQueen made a worthwhile contribution to this popularity. The American Le Mans Series (ALMS), derived from Le Mans, claims increasing TV figures in the USA, which are only exceeded in US motorsport by the NASCAR series.
The fascination of the 24 Hours of Le Mans attracts more than 200,000 spectators every June to the Sarthe region. 1,854 media representatives from 36 nations were accredited in 2005. The global television penetration reached 386 million households in 111 countries, 19.2 million viewers followed the 24 Hours of Le Mans alone on European TV in 2005. Eurosport broadcast more than ten hours of “live” TV.
According to a study made by the Institute TNS, the global media resonance even exceeded that of the Formula1 US Grand Prix held over the same weekend.
| Le Mans DiaryMark Pomerantz lived a dream this year at Le Mans, as the winner of the “Insiders Dream Giveaway” contest from AutoWeek and the American Le Mans Series. |
Experience
Experience
