24h Le Mans
GT fans are in for a treat this weekend with the 10th round of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season - only the GTLM (GT Le Mans) and GTD (GT Daytona) classes will be competing at the VIRginia International Raceway.
Somewhat known in Europe, the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) hosted the very first IMSA GT Series race back in 1971. Like old-school circuits, the track in Alton - in the southern part of Virginia near the border with North Carolina - embraces the topography of the area. Indeed, the most famous part of the hilly circuit which drivers enjoy is called the climbing esses. At its inaugural race in 1957, big names in American motorsports linked to the 24 Hours of Le Mans were at the start, such as Carroll Shelby (future winner at Le Mans in 1959) and Bob Holbert, father of Al Holbert, three-time winner at the 24 Hours in 1983, 1986 and 1987.
Like last year, only two of the four classes will compete at the VIR: GTLM, otherwise called the LM GTE Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and GTD, which includes cars compliant with GT3 regulations. In the former, Porsche scored a one-two in 2015 thanks namely to Nick Tandy, overall winner at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, whereas in the latter, the duo Bill Sweedler-Townsend Bell, winner in the LM GTE Am class this year at Le Mans, reached the top step on the podium.
The Constructor champion is currently in third place behind Chevrolet, winner at the preceding race at Road America in early August, and Ford, winner in LM GTE Pro at this year's 24 Hours, 50 years after the marque's first victory at Le Mans.
After three one-hour free practice sessions, Friday and Saturday morning, 15-minute qualifying sessions will begin Saturday at 11:55 a.m., and the start of the two-hour, 40-minute race will be given Sunday, August 28th at 1:35 p.m., or 6:35 p.m. in the U.K.
Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
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Photo (copyright: Richard DOLE / IMSA): Two of the three winners at the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans - Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy (with Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet) - claimed a podium finish last year in Virginia.
