The Le Mans Legend, historic support race at the 24 Hours, always produces a magical grid – but this year the 61-car line-up is exceptional. Look through the entry list and you’ll see, for example, the two Aston Martin DBR1s which came first and second overall at Le Mans in 1959. Piloting the ’59 winner in 2007 is Aston Martin’s Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, but he’ll have his work cut out...
The eligible years for this year’s race are 1956 to 1968, so while the two DBR1s will no doubt put on a brave and beautiful display, they won’t have the speed to match the front-runners. It’s hard to predict which car will be first to the chequered flag, but there are plenty of Ford GT40s, always tremendously quick on the high-speed 8.5-mile circuit. The vast crowds, however, could well be treated to an echo of the famous Ford vs Ferrari battles of the past, as the Ferrari P3/4 entered by Tim Samways Sporting & Historic Cars and driven by Peter Hardman is bound to be highly competitive. Then again, the Lola T70 of Andre and Thomas Bailly could be another fearsomely quick contender, while the sheer brute power of the 7-litre Corvette Stingray of David Cooke and Joe Twyman will doubtless be put to good use on the long Mulsanne Straight.
Earlier cars include the Jaguar E-type Lightweight of Richard Attwood and Stephen Markey, the AC Cobra of Grahame and Oliver Bryant, and a Ferrari 330LMB piloted by Classic Driver’s occasional contributor Tony Dron. Plus there are at least three cars which raced at Le Mans in 1962: the famous Morgan Plus 4, an Austin-Healey 3000 and a TVR Grantura.
It seems that the event has fired the imaginations of historic race car owners and drivers from around the world, and the variety of genuine Le Mans and Le Mans-type cars is unsurpassed.
“This year, it has proved harder than ever before to select the 61 cars to race, from the 100-plus top-quality entries we’ve received,” says Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of Motor Racing Legends which runs the historic support race at Le Mans. “The final list reflects the real icons from one of the most emotive eras of endurance sportscar racing.”
The one-hour, two-driver Le Mans Legend race takes place on the morning of Saturday June 16th, a few hours before the start of the modern endurance race. It is run by Motor Racing Legends in partnership with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
Please visit - www.motorracinglegends.com.
Official Le Mans Legend 2007 entry list -
| Class 1 - 1956-1960 - 2000cc and Below | |
| 1959 Lotus 15 | Simon Llewellyn/TBA |
| 1956 Ferrari 500 TRC | David Cottingham /Peter Everingham |
| 1958 Peerless GT Phase 1 | Celia Stevens/Ian McDonald |
| 1957 AC Ace | Adrian Hall/Phillippe Marcq |
| 1956 AC Ace Bristol | David Alborough |
| Class 2 - 1956-1960 - 2001cc and Above | |
| 1959 Costin Lister Jaguar | Derek Hood/Gary Pearson |
| 1957 Aston Martin | DBR1 Dr. Ulrich Bez/TBA |
| 1958 Aston Martin | DBR1 Adrian Beecroft/David Hall |
| 1959 Jaguar Tojeiro | Barrie Williams/Graeme Dodd |
| 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT | Tarek Mahmoud/Gregoire Audi |
| 1960 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk1 - DD300 | Christiaen Van Lanschot/Karsten Le Blanc |
| 1959 Maserati T61 Birdcage | Alan Minshaw/Jason Minshaw |
| 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT | Tom Alexander/Michael Bentwood |
| 1956 Maserati 200S | Roger Lucas/John Day |
| 1955 Jaguar D-type | Gavin Pickering/Spencer Marsh |
| 1960 Chevrolet Corvette | Bernie Chodosh/John Young |
| Class 3 - 1961-1964 - 2000cc and Below | |
| 1962 TVR Grantura MKIII | Daniel Nash/TBA |
| 1964 Porsche 904 | Jos Koster Michiel/Van Duijvendijk |
| 1963 MG B Roadster | Barrie Williams/Alan Newton |
| 1964/5 MGB | Barry Sidery-Smith/Jeremy Rogers |
| 1963 Alfa Romeo TZ 1 | Neil Touch David/Fitzsimons |
| 1964 Elva GT 160 | Tom Claridge Steve/Stanton |
| 1964 Lotus Elan 26R | Don Hands Will/Thornton |
| Class 4 - 1961-1964 - 2001cc and Above | |
| 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato | Chris Scragg/Roger Bennington |
| 1964 AC Cobra | Grahame Bryant/Oliver Bryant |
| 1963 AC Coupe Daytona | Ludovic Caron |
| 1963 Ferrari 330 LMB | Tony Dron |
| 1961 Jaguar E-type | Richard Attwood/Stephen Markey |
| 1963 Aston Martin Project Car DP214 | Martin Brewer/Michael Salmon |
| 1964 AC Cobra | Paul Ingram Chris Chiles |
| 1956 Morgan Plus4 | Keith Ahlers/Rick Bourne |
| 1956 Austin-Healey 100/6 | Timothy Rogers/E.Woolley |
| 1962 Morgan Plus 4 Supersports | Gabriel Kremer/Dion Kremer |
| Class 5 - 1965-1968 - 2000cc and Below | |
| 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ1 | Jason Wright/Michael Gans |
| 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 "Daytona" | Marc Devis/Kurt Mollekens |
| 1964 Ferrari 206 Dino | Harry Leventis |
| 1968 Lotus Type 47 | Malcolm Ricketts/Robin Longdon |
| 1966 Renault A210 | Henri Stepak |
| 1966 Porsche 911 | Peter Rutt/Peter Sugden |
| Class 6 - 1965-1968 - 2001cc and Above | |
| 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT | Michael Erlich/TBA |
| 1965 Corvette Stingray | David Cooke/Joe Twyman |
| 1964 Ford GT40/105 | Richard Meins/TBA |
| 1967 Lola T70 MK III | Andre Bailly/Thomas Bailly |
| 1965 Ford GT40 | Shaun D. Lynn |
| 1965 Ford GT40 | Leo Voyazides |
| 1965 Ford Shelby GT350 | Howard Redhouse/Ben Cussons |
| 1964 Ferrari 275 LM | Howard Spooner/David Piper |
| 1966 Ferrari P3 | Peter Hardman |
| 1967 Porsche Carrera 910 | Jacques Cochin/Yves Junne |
| 1965 Ferrari 250LM | Nicky Leventis |
| 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C | Ross Warburton/Robert Moores |
| 1968 Renault A220 | Sylvain Stepak |
| 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/C "Competizione" | Bill Wykeham/David Fitzsimons |
| Class 7 - 1956 - 1962 - 1500cc and Below | |
| 1957 Lotus Eleven S2 Le Mans | James Paterson/Chris Acklam |
| 1960 Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite | Christopher Clegg/Martin McGlone |
| 1958 DB HBR 5 | Bernard Deligny Xevia Deligny |
| 1956 Panhard M'cale X86 | Francom Deligny/Bernard Deligny |
| 1957 Lotus XI Series 2 | Neil Twyman/Joe Twyman |
| 1960 Lola Mk I | Robin Longdon/Malcolm Ricketts |
Motor Racing Legends
Woodbine Farm,
Thorndon,
Eye, Suffolk IP23 7JJ.
Tel/fax +44 (0)1379 678101.
E.mail: [email protected]
www.motorracinglegends.com
Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Motor Racing Legends
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