MOTOR THRILLS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 July 1939, Page 8

MOTOR THRILLS

LE MANS TWENTY-FOUR HOUR RACE. IMPORTANCE TO AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY. The, chief event in the automobile world in France is the Le Mans 24hours Race. Its great importance for the automobile industry is that the cars entered are not specially built racing cars, but are genuine touring cars of current models. The race is run on a permanent circuit measuring 13 kilometres 492

metres (roughly 8,1 miles). All the year, the permanent circuit is used as a testing track for cars. Grand stands line the start and finishing point, and there is a restaurant beside the track, where excellent meals are served at moderate prices. Loud speakers keep the crowd informed of the develop ment of the race. The Le Mans 24 -hours Race has been run on this permanent circuit since 1923, when the distance covered in 24 hours was 2,209.5 kilometres (1,373 miles). Last year the dis tance covered in the same time was 3.180.9 kilometres (1,976 miles) on a Bugatti driven by J. P. Wimille and Robert Benoist. Of tho 48 cars which entered for this year's race, 26 were French, 14 British, 6 German, and 2 Italian.

The final classification is established by a comparison of relative speeds, de ■ termined by the relation between distance covered and the cylinder capac ity of the motors.

Nothing can be more spectacular than this race, with the repair and supply pits humming with activity, where wheels are changed with lightning speed by expert teams, tanks fillicd and water poured into radiators, I and the driver who has snatched a i short sleep climbs into the seat as his companion climbs out, and the car shoots out into the straight to join in the unceasing round. At night the headlights of the cars twinkle afar and swing into a blaze as they rush past the grand stands. Dawn breaks grey over the track, but no one thinks ol sleep, and the excitement grows more and more tense. One small car that hasbeen putting up a brave show, making (he laps witn unfailing regularity suddenly disappears from the cavalcade, and loud-speakers announce a break down, and irom time to time give news of tho lame duck. If anything goes wrong with a car, the driver has to put matters right himself, and the announcement by loud speaker of th? success of his efforts is acclaimed with cheers.

Early morning mass is one of the most picturesque events of the race meeting. An altar is set up beside the track, and drivers waiting their turn to take their comrade's place in the car attend this mass, as do mechanics in their overalls, two of them acting as servers assisting the priest.