To mark international women’s rights day (8 March), we are beginning a series of articles celebrating the women of Le Mans 24 Hours. Women have long played a role in motorsport and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) particularly welcomes and encourages female participants in all its events. Today we meet European top-notch Le Mans truck racing driver Steffi Halm and professional dancer Emmanuelle Berne who is soon to take the wheel on the Bugatti track in the Talon Piste x Exclusive Drive event.

The women are no strangers to Le Mans, the aura of the 24 Hours, the circuit and its world-famous events.

As a regular competitor in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, 35-year-old Halm is particularly familiar with the Bugatti track. She triumphed in the 24-hour truck race in 2017. How does she feel at the wheel of a 5-tonne monster? &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a driver. It&rsquo;s not a question of male or female. I was made to feel welcome in this sport. I respect my opponents and they respect me. It doesn&rsquo;t matter who&rsquo;s driving the truck in front of you; all that counts is to overtake it. It&rsquo;s the same for everyone. When I tell people what I do, they always ask if I race the same trucks as the ones you see on the road. When I tell them I do 160 kph in a 5-tonne truck, they are impressed. So imagine when I tell them we could actually do over 200 kph but are limited to 160 kph for safety reasons!&rdquo;

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Two weeks from now, Berne, who stars in the French version of TV contest Strictly Come Dancing, will be finding out how it feels to race at Le Mans when she takes part in the Talon Piste x Exclusive Drive event. The dancer will be flying the colours of the ACO and children&rsquo;s heart surgery charity M&eacute;c&eacute;nat Chirurgie Cardiaque in the female charity racing challenge. Her mentor will be her fianc&eacute;, racing driver Chris Buncombe, who has taken part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times and can boast a first place in the LMP2 class. &ldquo;My father built a car for the 24 Hours 30 years ago and with Chris&rsquo;s track record here, I feel especially honoured to be representing the ACO and M&eacute;c&eacute;nat Chirurgie Cardiaque. I&rsquo;ll give it my best shot and and I hope to do our young patients proud!&quot;

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Le Mans is a woman’s world too

The 35th Le Mans 24 Hours Karting will be held from 27 to 30 August 2020. We are now accepting applications to a flagship event that will be more open and competitor-friendly than ever before!

The 35th Le Mans 24 Hours Karting will be held from 27 to 30 August 2020. We are now accepting applications to a flagship event that will be more open and competitor-friendly than ever before!

The date of the event has been brought forward a month from late September, but this is not the only change introduced for the 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours&nbsp;Karting. The regulations have been overhauled to ensure greater accessibility and a more open competition. 
 
There will be just two classes or groups. The ELITE class will be for Rotax and X30 Brand Cup engines and will be open to national and international C licence holders born before 2007. Additionally, a MASTERS classification will reward driver crews over 32 years of age entered in this class. The second group will be the ESPOIR class for Rotax and X30 Junior Brand Cup engines and will be open to young drivers born between 2004 and 2008 who hold a national or international C-Junior licence. The new system will give lots of competitors fresh hope of topping the 24 Hours Karting rankings. 
 
This is something that the ACO and ASK-ACO hold dear as ASK-ACO president Fran&ccedil;ois Bourdin recently explained: &ldquo;Karting is the first step on the motorsport ladder. The discipline must remain simple and affordable so we can get as many youngsters as possible competing and coming through.&rdquo; 
 
The closing date for applications is 30 July 2020.

<a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2020/24-heures-karting/regulations/supplementary-regulations-24-heures-karting-2020.pdf">R</a><a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2020/24-heures-karting/regulations/supplementary-regulations-24-heures-karting-2020.pdf">EGULATIONS OF THE 2020 LE MANS 24 HOURS KARTING</a>

<a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2020/24-heures-karting/regulations/entry-form-24-heures-karting-2020.pdf">E</a><a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2020/24-heures-karting/regulations/entry-form-24-heures-karting-2020.pdf">NTRY FORM</a>

24 Hours Karting : sign up today !

With an earlier date and simplification of the groups – pared down to just two classes, ELITE and ESPOIR – François Bourdin, president of ASK ACO, explains why these changes are important to a discipline that is prominent in Le Mans and for the ACO.

The 24H Karting has been part of the CIK/FIA calendar for a few years now. How are things going? 
 
The ASK ACO, and the ACO itself, is delighted with the tremendous collaboration developed with the CIK/FIA. For four years now, these two entities and the promoter KMO have been working hard to make Group 1 (OK engines) the benchmark of mechanical prowess. The 24H Karting is the ideal test of reliability, especially for top-end engines, under the punishing conditions of a 24-hour race. 
 
However, despite its great potential, we must admit that this class has failed to really take off in France. It is not for us to examine the reasons why, but the cost involved in running these engines is probably one of them. It is also true that the domestic market seems to be stagnating. A lot of tried-and-tested machinery has been out there for many years and isn&rsquo;t being renewed. 
 
On the international scene, however, the situation is different. We agreed with the CIK/FIA to move the date of the 24 Hours to late September so manufacturers would be free of their major international Sprint commitments. However, competitors &ndash; and particularly manufacturers &ndash; do not spread their operating budget over a team of four drivers, but over a programme that brings together a group of 10 to 12 drivers within the same structure. Therefore, Sprint races naturally take priority although the situation would probably be different if a manufacturers&rsquo; world championship title were awarded on the basis of aggregate points from CIK/FIA-labelled Sprint and Endurance events. However, there is no doubt that the enthusiasm for Endurance is still there, as seen with the 48-strong field in the KFS class for the six-hour race at our track in November. 
&nbsp;

With so many competitors potentially attracted to Endurance, but apparently facing calendar and equipment classification issues, what can the 24H Karting organisers do to get them on the grid?&nbsp;

We have been holding consultative meetings to find out what everyone&rsquo;s aims and restrictions are. Three major themes have emerged and we have adopted them as guidelines: accessibility, fair competition and enjoyment. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2019, we therefore allowed teams to name a fifth driver. It may not seem like much but this extra driver gives teams the opportunity to spread their running costs and reduce each driver&rsquo;s contribution. To continue the theme of accessibility, we also introduced an Amateur classification in 2019 to allow competitors to take part in the race with a stock chassis and keep preparation and transformation costs to a minimum.

As for fair competition, the technical crews paid particular attention to monitoring and compliance with regulations during the event. Not an easy task given the number of people required to monitor checks throughout a 24-hour race. Nonetheless, these efforts will of course continue in 2020.

After organising the 2019 IAME International Final (460 drivers) and the Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy (320 drivers), we are reassured by the amount of interest in the &ldquo;one-make-engine&rdquo; formula. Limiting the number of engine types is also another way of optimising the technical checks. The 2020 24H Karting will therefore comprise an&nbsp;ELITE class&nbsp;and an&nbsp;ESPOIR class. The Elite class will be for Rotax and X30 Brand Cup engines and will be open to all national and international licence-holders born before 2007. The Espoir class will be for Rotax and X30 Junior Brand Cup engines and will be open to young drivers born between 2004 and 2008 who hold a national or international C-Junior licence.

As a result, 80% of current entrants in the 24H Karting will be in with a chance of finishing top of the overall rankings. That&rsquo;s vitally important as far as we&rsquo;re concerned. You have to remember that karting is the first step on the motorsport ladder. The discipline must remain simple and affordable so we can get as many youngsters as possible competing and coming through. 
&nbsp;

What&rsquo;s the reason behind the date change from late September to late August?

By moving it forward a month to the end of August, we are hoping for better weather which is essential in karting. As it is also traditionally a holiday period, it should also be less of a problem for the drivers in terms of work or school.

All these measures are the outcome of discussions with the stakeholders and also with competitors looking to enter the world of endurance and the 24H Karting &ndash; our priority. We look forward to welcoming them to Le Mans from 27 to 30 August 2020.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Changes afoot for the 2020 24H Karting

Felipe Massa, president of the FIA Commission Internationale de Karting, was invited to give the start at the 2019 24 Hours Karting by the ACO and ASK ACO. During the event, he admitted he would very much like to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in future.

On the starting grid at the 2019&nbsp;24 Hours&nbsp;Karting, Felipe Massa enjoyed greeting the&nbsp;drivers, and the&nbsp;teams were&nbsp;eager to meet the&nbsp;president of the FIA Commission Internationale de Karting, official starter at the&nbsp;34th running of the 24 Hours&nbsp;Karting and 2008 F1 world&nbsp;champion runner-up. &quot;I met and chatted with many drivers before the start. Some asked me for&nbsp;photos or&nbsp;advice, and whenever I can I oblige them of course. That is my role. A few are dreaming of&nbsp;F1. Last year, I was invited to the 24 Hours Karting by the ACO in another capacity but&nbsp;was unable to make it, so this year I&#39;m happy to be here. I&#39;ve come&nbsp;to support the event, the discipline and to take part in its success.&quot;&nbsp;

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Massa has 269 starts in Formula 1 Grand Prix with 11 wins and is currently involved in Formula e. &quot;I don&#39;t have much experience as&nbsp;a&nbsp;race starter yet, more as a driver and competitor. Naturally, I&#39;m interested in participating in the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. So far I haven&#39;t found the right time to dedicate myself to it, and to preparing, but one day I will.&quot;

Massa has already taken the start in&nbsp;a few endurance races, &#39;&#39;just for fun, like the&nbsp;12 Hours Karting in&nbsp;Brazil,&quot;&nbsp;and can certainly imagine the challenge a&nbsp;24-hour race represents for competitors&nbsp;doing stints at the wheel of a kart, during the day and night, no matter the weather conditions.&nbsp;&quot;Karting is clearly a learning ground for any driver. You learn trajectory, car set-up, the different types of tyres, lap times, when you need to be fast or consistent, about wet and dry tracks. A good karting competitor has all the skills of a professional driver.&quot;

&nbsp;

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PHOTO (Copyright - Authur Chopin, Gilbert David/ACO): LE MANS,&nbsp;CIRCUIT INTERNATIONAL DE KARTING, 28 SEPTEMBER&nbsp;2019.&nbsp;Felipe Massa, the official&nbsp;starter at&nbsp;the 2019&nbsp;24 Hours&nbsp;Karting, hopes to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit as a competitor.&nbsp;

24 Hours Karting – Starter Felipe Massa is interested in doing the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The final preparations for the 34th edition of the 24 Hours Karting saw rain on the Le Mans International Karting Circuit during the afternoon of Thursday, 26th September.

The track was drying late Friday morning and the official practice session allowed a hierarchy to develop on slick tyres, using MG Tyres for GP1 and LeCont in GP2 and GP-Junior. A few short downpours occurred on Friday afternoon in Qualifying although it finished on a dry track with pole position for Wintec and the fastest GP2 lap for SO 24 KMD within a field of 27 teams. 
 
After long sessions of Free Practice intended primarily to refine the development of the equipment and preparation for the technical teams, it was difficult to get an idea of ​​the forces involved, especially as the grip often varied due to several long and short showers. In GP1, No. 1 Sodikart (Sodi / TM) was the fastest in the official free session with a lap of 53&#39;&#39;966, No. 24 Wintec (Sodi / Vortex) followed by 0.286&#39;&#39;, and No. 55 Rouen Espace Karting (Sodi / Iame) was 3rd ahead of the No. 73 MSA Racing (Kosmic / Vortex) and the No. 50 K50 Kart Mag. In GP2, No. 72 SO 24 KMD (Sodi / Rotax) finally took the advantage by less than a tenth over No. 21 Val de Loire (Kosmic / Rotax), with No. 76 Circuit of Europe (Sodi / Rotax) finishing 3rd. The only GP Junior, No. 54 GK Kart 53 (Sodi / Rotax) was 16th. 
 
GP1 pole for Wintec 
At Le Mans, for the 24 Hours Karting, the Qualifying phases have the peculiarity of taking place over four successive sessions during which the slowest are gradually eliminated. Wintec, K50 Mag Kart and Sodikart respectively clocked fastest times in Q4, Q3 and Q2. But it is No. 24 - Wintec - Sodi / Vortex - William Bertrand (FRA) - Erwann Lettellier (FRA) - Lucas Valkre (FRA) - Evann Mallet (FRA) who finally clinched pole in Q1 with a lap of 53&#39;&#39;549. The holder of the FIA ​​Karting Endurance Champion title, No. 1 - Sodikart - Sodi / TM - Anthony Abbasse (FRA) - Bas Lammers (NLD) - Adrien Renaudin (FRA) - Jean Nomblot (FRA), followed in 2nd position by 34 thousandths, while No. 50 - K50 Kart Mag - Tony Kart / Vortex - Kilian Belhaire (FRA) - Tom Uzan (FRA) - Hugo Arnaud (FRA) - Thomas Imbourg (FRA) finished 3rd, ahead of No. 55 - Rouen Espace Karting - Sodi / Iame - Gauthier Becq (FRA) - Maxime Bidard (FRA) - Charles Fiault (FRA) - Kevin Petit (FRA). 
 
SO 24 KMD fastest in GP2 
While No. 9 RMC Germany (Sodi / Rotax) finished 2nd overall and the top GP2 in Q4, No. 72 So 24 KMD (Sodi / Rotax) and No. 21 Loire Valley (Kosmic / Rotax) shared the fastest times in Q3 and Q2. SO 24 KMD with L&eacute;o Payen (FRA), Marc Cammarata (FRA), Mathys Poulet (FRA), Micka&euml;l Dauphin (FRA) and Emilien Carde (FRA) took pole position in GP2 with 5th place in Q1 with a time of 54&#39;&#39;699 against No. 10 Red Racing - SWS (Sodi / Rotax) with Marco Zipoli (ITA), Michele Santolini (ITA), Edgard Kanah (ITA), Guillaume Treillard de Quinemont (FRA) and Bastien Leguay (FRA). The No. 44 Malevaut Sport (Tony Kart / Rotax) with Anthony Billout (FRA), Axel Dapp (FRA), Alexandre Nicogossian (FRA) and Charles Seguin (FRA) followed in 3rd position. The No. 54 GK Kart 53 (Sodi / Rotax) GP-Junior with Lucca Brizzi (FRA), Maxime Marion (FRA), Maximilien Menu (FRA) and Maxence Godinho (FRA), was 15th. 
 
Qualifying is an introduction to a battle of a different scale that starts on Saturday, 28th September at 15:00 for a relentless race during which anything can happen. The morning will be devoted to the 4x24 Minutes for Minime and Cadet, racing from 10:50 to 12:20, then to the historic karts of the &quot;20,000 rpm&quot; for their Grand Final from 12:30. Then the 24 Hours Karting will begin with a detailed presentation of teams for a grid assembling from 14:00. At 15:00 sharp, Felipe Massa, the President of the CIK-FIA, will start the 24 hours at the same time as the 24 Hours Trucks not far away on the Bugatti Circuit.

24 Hours Karting 2019: Wintec in pole position in GP1, SO 24 KMD in GP2

Preparation for the 34th edition of the 24 Hours Karting is nearing completion for the Western Automobile Club and its promoter. 27 teams have entered, including six GP1 in the running for the FIA ​​Karting Endurance Championship. There is no shortage of innovations at Le Mans in 2019, with special attractions for fans of the discipline. See you at the Le Mans International Karting circuit on Saturday 28th September at 3pm for the start of the most famous 24 hours of karting!

The ACO has decided to continue the synergy initiated last year between the 24 Hours Karting and the 24 Hours Trucks which draws many spectators to the two events held simultaneously a few hundred metres apart. Holders of a 24 Hours Truck ticket will have direct access to the karting circuit, as the first experience in 2018 showed that this partnership was profitable to both disciplines.

<h3 style="text-align: justify;">4th edition of the FIA ​​Karting Endurance Championship</h3>

In 2019, the GP1 karts of the FIA ​​Karting Endurance Championship will be equipped with new MG tyres, which are eagerly awaiting the race. Victorious in 2018, the Sodikart factory official team will again be a contender with Anthony Abbasse and Bas Lammers as leaders and Jordan Gr&eacute;goire, the craftsman of JFJ Performance&#39;s achievements, in tactical support. But nothing is decided in advance at Le Mans and serious rivals will challenge for the victory, while three brands of engines will compete: TM Racing, IAME and Vortex. Rouen Espace Karting, the team managed by the winner in 2017, Nicolas Scelle, will be back to fight for 1st place. Rodolphe Besnard&#39;s Wintec team will have the same goal, as will Kart Mag n&deg; 50. Czech Endurance Karting will continue its Le Mans adventure with additional experience.

<h3 style="text-align: justify;">Spotlight on the amateurs</h3>

True to its values ​​of rigour, fairness and accessibility, the ACO has focused on the other categories competing for the 2019 Karting 24 Hours. Several measures have been taken to increase the attractiveness of the great Le Mans classic among endurance enthusiasts from all walks of life. 
 
The maximum number of drivers in the GP2 and GP Junior teams, the new name for the GP3 category, has been increased from four to five in the interests of accessibility and economy. GP2 and GP Junior will continue to use LeCont tyres. Finally, the minimum weight allowed for the GP2 category has been increased from 160 to 165 kg. 
 
A new simplified refueling system will be introduced for teams that do not wish to use a removable tank. A specific AM ranking will highlight their performance, while teams with a removable tank will be free to continue using it at their convenience.

<h3 style="text-align: justify;"> 
The forces involved in GP2</h3>

Cormeilles KMD has already achieved very good results this year in the French Championship and appears among the favourites at Le Mans. With three teams, Malevaut Sport is a pillar of the discipline, and always one to take into account for the victory. Racing Kart Arnage, Loire Valley, and TNB Sport are at the heart of endurance, while Scuderia Bella Vista emphasises the pleasure of participating with its name. Allrace Team ASK Rouen 76 took a different option by using an IAME X30 engine. In the Master category the duel will be exciting to follow between SO 24 KMD and Circuit Europe 76 who could also do well in the general classification. GK Kart 53 will take up the challenge of GP Junior.

<a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2019/24-heures-karting/2019-liste-engages-24h-karting.pdf" target="_blank">&gt;&gt; ENTRY LIST OF 2019 24 HOURS KARTING &lt;&lt;</a>

24 Hours Karting 2019 - Into the final stretch before the start

The President of the FIA International Karting Committee (CIK FIA) Felipe Massa is to give the start of the 34th annual 24 Hours Karting in Le Mans on Saturday 28 September.

Formula One vice-world champion in 2008, with 269 Grand Prix starts and 11 wins to his name, having driven for the likes of Sauber, Ferrari and Williams with illustrious partners such as Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa will be giving the starting orders at the forthcoming 24 Hours Karting. Brazilian Massa was appointed head of the CIK FIA last year, having begun his racing career on the go-kart track. After giving the start of the 24 Hours Karting, he will be staying on to watch the race.

Fran&ccedil;ois Bourdin, President of ASK ACO:&nbsp;&ldquo;We&rsquo;re honoured to have Felipe Massa here with us for the race. Karting is the foundation of racing driver training, whether they go on to sprint or endurance races. It can be practised at any age. It&rsquo;s a great springboard and it&rsquo;s open to all. Many champions started out in a go-kart and it&rsquo;s gratifying to see that they never forget their first love, as Felipe Massa has proved with his implication in the discipline and very special role at this year&rsquo;s 24 Hours Karting.&rdquo;​

<a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2019/24-heures-karting/2019-liste-engages-24h-karting.pdf" target="_blank">&gt;&gt; ENTRY LIST OF 2019 24 HOURS KARTING &lt;&lt;</a>

Felipe Massa to be starter of the 2019 24 Hours Karting

Just a few months away from the 34th edition of the 24 Hours Karting, the ASK ACO, the ACO and its promoter have released details on the running of this great event whose key words are rigour, fairness, accessibility and user-friendliness. As last year karting will share the programme with the very popular 24 Hours Trucks, for a very attractive weekend for endurance enthusiasts of all kinds.

There will be many attractions at Le Mans from the 27th to 29th September to give an unforgettable experience to the spectators as well as the participants of the 24 Hours Karting and the 24 Hours Trucks, between the Bugatti circuit and the International Circuit Karting nearby. With a parade of trucks, presentation of teams, paddock, fireworks and other attractions, the ACO is working hard to reinforce the atmosphere of this double event. 
&nbsp; 
The technical and sporting aspects of the 24 Hours Karting have been the subject of a thorough reflection from the organisers and several measures have been taken to ensure maximum satisfaction to all participants. The rigour and fairness of the great sport of endurance karting event are a constant priority in the ACO&#39;s preparation. 
 
Conformity checks during the event 
The methods and techniques implemented will be strengthened to ensure maximum fairness throughout the competition. 
 
Tyres 
In response to the introduction of CIK-FIA MG Option tyres in GP1 and in order to limit the performance gap between this group and the GP2-GP Junior, it was agreed, in agreement with the Federations, the organisers and the manufacturers, to introduce the LeCont LO F / Z CIK-FIA homologated Option tyre in GP2 - GPJunior. 
 
Each GP2 - GPJunior team will therefore have at most:

<ul>
	<li style="text-align: justify;">6 sets of slick tyres supplied during the event by the manufacturer and exceptionally at the same price as the LeCont LH03 EES usually used in the French Endurance Championship</li>
	<li style="text-align: justify;">6 sets of rain tyres.</li>
</ul>

 
Competitors will be free to purchase rain tyres directly from the manufacturer on Saturday 28th September from 11 am to 7 pm and Sunday 29th September from 8 am to 12 pm. All race tyres must be equipped with a 2017-2019 CIK-FIA type vulcanised bar code and be stored in the pits as soon as they are acquired. The competitors will have the freedom to buy rain tyres according to the weather conditions during the event. 
 
Refuelling System 
In order not to penalise the teams with a removable tank, it was decided to leave the crews free to manage their refuelling system. 
 
Making accessibility to the endurance discipline a priority, the organisers will keep a filling system allowing them to use their kart without any particular modification at the disposal of competitors wishing to participate in the 24 Hours karting. These measures are incorporated into the new version of the regulations available below.

<a href="https://motorsportsdata.email/data/docs/aco/2019/COM_ACO_2019_n3/Regulations-24h-Karting-2019-v9.pdf" target="_blank">&gt;&gt;&nbsp;Download rules of the event &lt;&lt;</a>

<a href="https://motorsportsdata.email/data/docs/aco/2019/COM_ACO_2019_n3/Entry-Form-24h-Karting-2019.pdf" target="_blank">&gt;&gt;&nbsp;Download entry form &lt;&lt;</a>

24 Hours Karting 2019 - Challenge and Enjoyment on the agenda

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