Le Mans
This year the ACO celebrates its 120 anniversary! While the organisation is naturally linked to the automobile (hence the name), its founders never overlooked other popular modes of transport. In the early 1900s, the ACO's first secretary general Georges Durand championed the cause of road travellers, including motorcycle owners, and over time, two-wheelers have played a pivotal role in the legacy of Le Mans.
The story began as early as 1912 with the first motorcycle races held in the area, followed by the Union Motocycliste de France Grand Prix (UMF) held at Le Mans. However, the long circuit (measuring slightly more than 17 km) consisted primarily of the lengthy Mulsanne Straight, which at that time stretched from the Pontlieue Hairpin to the Mulsanne Corner. The route chosen for the first 24-Hour Endurance Grand Prix was not suited to motorcycles or small engine vehicles. Although the ACO had previously fielded 500cc bikes on the full circuit for the Critérium International de Vitesse, the opening of a new complex in 1966 changed everything: the shorter Bugatti was perfect for motorcyclists.
Le Mans was finally capable of hosting other major races throughout the year. Formula 1 showed immediate interest, albeit for a single event: the 1967 Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship. Then in 1969, the French Moto Grand Prix returned to Le Mans for the first time since 1929, but with greater resources, and above all, a who's who of racing legends. Fans were thrilled to welcome the likes of Ángel Nieto, Santiago Herrero and Giacomo Agostini. The French MotoGP, now managed by Claude Michy’s company PHA, has become a staple of the MotoGP calendar, attracting more than 310,000 spectators annually. In total, the Bugatti circuit has hosted global stars for 38 events and continuously since 2000.
Two-wheeler endurance racing has existed for more than a century. In 1922, Eugène Mauve created the renowned Bol d’Or, the first 24-hour race held in France (reserved for small engine cars and motorcycles). After years hosted by Saint-Germain-en-Laye then Linas-Montlhéry, the Bol headed to Le Mans and the Bugatti circuit in 1971, three years after the battleground was prepared for the Le Mans 1000 km.
The race’s success grew, largely due to the rising popularity of Japanese motorcycles. At the time, Europe was just discovering marques like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki who were combining innovative engines, exemplary reliability and eye-catching design. Their massive wave of appeal swept through France just as the social climate was fuelling the trend. In the wake of May 1968, a spirit of freedom and liberation was driving the younger generation who saw the motorcycle as a way to assert themselves and even rebel. The Bol d’Or at Le Mans proved to be the perfect embodiment of that golden age.
Keen to organise its own event, the ACO ramped up efforts in 1978. In partnership with "Moto Journal", it launched the 24H Motos to replace the Bol d’Or in the region. The name was a direct reference to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the race enjoyed instantaneous success. Japanese manufacturers dominated, but with many French teams on the starting grid, it gave fans the chance to cheer on homegrown heroes such as Christian Léon, Jean-Claude Chemarin, Alex Viera, Grégory Leblanc and Vincent Philippe, among others.
Racing fans are some of the most loyal on the planet. If you have a Suzuki in your garage, you back the SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team) established in 1981 and based out of Le Mans. If you prefer Yamaha, you now support YART formerly GMT94. Each Japanese marque is firmly established in the landscape, and the French team running the operation, often the same one for decades, becomes a sort of institution linked to the manufacturer. The same applies to private teams who return year after year. National Motos Honda, for instance, has competed in 48 of the 49 runnings held to date.
The race is and was a celebration dedicated to motorcyclists. The Bol d’Or continues its legacy at Le Castellet with parallel success. Both classics figured on the championship season calendar along with the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and 8 Hours of Suzuka. This remains the case today in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) with the only difference being that riders compete in the Belgian Ardennes for eight hours rather than 24 now.
The 24H Motos traditionally opens the endurance racing season, attracting more than 70,000 fans every year. Thanks to it and the 24H Camions (launched in 1981), the Bugatti circuit has played a pivotal role in bolstering the Automobile Club de l’Ouest into becoming an impactful and multifaceted organisation.
