Petit Le Mans
FRENCH RACING HERITAGE, AMERICAN AURA
STORY | Lee CLatON
Photography | KARL NOAKES
As a British race fan, I am not alone in my love for Le Mans. It is rumoured that 60,000 Brits invade mid-western France each year in June and are often seen driving in-convoy and at-speed to ensure they get their preferred camping spot.
I remember my first experience of the 24 Heures du Mans and the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1998.
Since that first adventure, I have returned many times. Not every year like some, but often taking friends to whom I have sold the dream and, importantly, taking my father for his first experience of this mecca of motorsport. If you have never attended the oldest active endurance racing event in the world, I can highly recommend it.
In 2023, the French motorsport masterpiece celebrated its 100th anniversary but we’re focusing on its American namesake here, Motul Petit Le Mans. The smaller version has a lot of parallels.
THE PETIT LE MANS BACKSTORY
The race was the brainchild of Don Panoz. Many Le Mans fans will remember the name Panoz for the thunderous-sounding, front-engine, Batmobile-like LMP-1 car that bore the family name and became a huge fan favourite. It earned the privateer fifth place in the 68th running of The Grand Prix of Endurance.
Just like me, Don fell in love with Le Mans. Taking inspiration from his racing escapades in France along with many of the rules created by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, he decided to recreate something similar at his home circuit, Road Atlanta, and give his compatriots a small taste of endurance sports car racing.
Petit Le Mans is now 26 years old, and it has grown to become something that I am sure Don would be immensely proud of. That initial race in 1998 became the foundation of Le Mans-like sports car racing in America. It started the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), which became the Intercontinental Le Mans Series (ILMS), which is a predecessor to the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Today, Petit Le Mans is part of the IMSA Sports Car Championship and the last race of the season. Despite all the changes, Petit Le Mans remains much like its French cousin, an event for fans and enthusiasts. The 2023 edition of the race drew its biggest crowds ever. The record-breaking popularity of the ’23 race was likely fuelled by a long list of American and international race heroes, including former F1 world champion Jenson Button. The British driver was fresh off his Le Mans experience in a Next-Gen NASCAR as the Garage 56 entry alongside Mike Rockenfeller and Jimmie Johnson.
The 26th running of Petit also attracted the largest entry list with more than 50 cars starting the race, yet none of this has altered the soul of this crown jewel of the IMSA series. IMSA has taken that baton from the Panoz family and ran with it. The access to the cars and drivers given to fans is something many other series could learn from.
I also love F1, but it has become a bit elitist. While I applaud Liberty Media for increasing the value of the sport, it has been achieved by increasing the calendar almost to the point of breaking. With said growth dominated by new and social media such as Drive to Survive and allowing the grid to be filled with influencers and celebrities, many of whom haven’t done themselves any favours when Martin Brundle on his famous gridwalk politely asks them a question. There is a real-person disconnect going on. Petit Le Mans vibe is the antithesis of what Don set out to bring to American race fans and that John Doonan and IMSA continue to provide
The Petit Le Mans Experience
The French vibes hit on many levels starting with the Les Blues playing over the public address system before the race. I was half-expecting some paratroopers to abseil from a helicopter with the starting flag, but no, the French national anthem was followed by the usual patriotic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Not long after the anthems a 52-car field of prototypes and GT cars roared to life and started to circulate the epic Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the following 10 hours. Michelin Raceway may only be 2.5 miles long compared to the eight miles of Circuit de la Sarthe, but Road Atlanta packs a punch that is anything but petit. If the large field were evenly spaced out, there would be a car every 77 meters, and therefore no let-up for spectators as there is a car speeding by almost every second.
When Panoz and company set the stage for Petit Le Mans they wanted to capture a French/Euro viewing experience. Road Atlanta reminds me of the great British “park” circuits, a subject I briefly discussed with Porsche’s Matt Campbell during qualifying. Added to the parkland layout is a long straight that, whilst shorter, will remind many of Mulsanne before the chicanes.
British circuit-goers rave about the Maggots Becketts complex at Silverstone but imagine taking that awesome set of corners and sticking it on a hillside! At Road Atlanta, it is called The Esses and added to which is a viewing area that allows fans on the aptly named Spectator Hill to see the action all the way from the blind crest exit of T2 through and beyond T5. It may be the greatest viewing spot in all motorsports.
As if that wasn’t enough, at the end of that long Mulsanne-like crested and kinked straight there is a huge breaking zone for the T10 complex. These slowest corners on the circuit are set in a natural amphitheatre where thousands of fans gather to watch the excitement every lap. The complex is critical to a good lap so what fans witness really counts. The rise after T10B takes you over another blind crest under a bridge into the very fast T11 and T12 and back onto the start-finish straight that sets up the full-out run up to T3 and the aforementioned Esses.
I have driven Petit Le Mans circuit many times in sims, but nothing prepares you for how undulating this circuit is in real life. I had often wondered why my sim cars never felt like they were accelerating as I expected out of The Esses and up to T6 via T5 and I know now.
It may be called Petit Le Mans, but there is nothing little about this race. The #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 piloted by Braun, Blomqvist, and Castroneves outdueled the likes of Penske Porsche and Cadillac Racing to take home the victory.
My 2023 experience provided an unforgettable memory, one that I urge any and all race fans to make the journey to Road Atlanta and savour the intoxicating mix of Americana with a small slice of Western France.
