Motorsport: Kiwi strives for glory at Le Mans

The Le Mans 24 Hours is the world's greatest and most iconic sports car endurance race, and one where New Zealanders have left their mark in the past.

The race is the oldest sports car endurance race in the world, going back to 1923 and used to be known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency.

In 1971 Steve McQueen made the film Le Mans and the lead character came out with one of the best descriptions of motor racing: "A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting."

This year, Kiwi driver Roger Wills will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren who won the race in 1966 in a seven-litre Ford GT40.

The importance of their legacy is recalled by Wills' decal of the famous Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Team logo on the back of his helmet.

"I'd been doing a lot of historic racing over the last five or six years and when one of the guys I race with [Shaun Lynn] asked what the ultimate for me was, I told him I'd love to do Le Mans," Wills told the Weekend Herald from the circuit.

"He said he wanted to as well so we should give it a crack. You can go and compete as an amateur at the top level of sports car racing at Le Mans."

Wills will share the drive with German Pierre Ehret and Briton Shaun Lynn as part of the CRS Racing line-up in a Ferrari F430.

While Wills and Lynn are Le Mans 24 Hour novices, Ehret has five previous Le Mans races under his belt.

While not having competed in anger around the Circuit de la Sarthe, Ehret's co-drivers have competed in open wheelers, sports cars and historics in the past.

"None of us at our age are going to become All Blacks, or pro golfers or pro tennis players or whatever.

"This is one sport where an amateur can come and compete at the absolute top level and I don't think there is anything like it," said Wills.

Drivers will cover more than 5000km at race speed.

Physical fitness, concentration, race craft and a whole host of other things will all have to be aligned to get to the finish line, let alone win a class or the race outright. It's a real test of man and machine.

"We had to enter the seven-round Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and although it doesn't guarantee a Le Mans start it certainly helps a lot.

"That's the first hurdle. Then there was a test day at Le Mans in April and each driver must do 10 laps and be within 107 per cent of the other crews.

"As amateurs we were one of the fastest on average times. I enjoy the circuit and in some ways it's not all that technical. There are a couple of places that focus your concentration, like the Porsche Curves that are very, very narrow, especially with prototypes coming through.

"It's an incredible place that is full of history. It's not as technical or tricky as some of the more modern Formula One tracks," said Wills.

Although this is the first Le Mans for CRS Racing it is not a first for many of the team personnel who already know what a tough event it is. CRS Racing team principal Andrew Kirkaldy has raced at Le Mans many times and will be on hand during the 24 hours of flat-out racing to help with advice and encouragement.

The team are running in the GTE-Am class and even though it's an amateur category, there are some very good drivers on the entry list, so it's not going to be a walk in the park for any of the drivers, veterans and rookies alike.

* eric.thompson@nzherald.co.nz
www.crsracing.com