When did they stop running across the track...

[jimpritchard]

Was telling a colleague about my great weekend at Le Mans this year, and he asked if they still ran across the road and jumped in their cars before the start?
They obviously do not do this anymore, but does anyone know what year it actually stopped?

[billy no brakes]

I think it was 1970 the year after Jacky Icky,s protested about the run to the cars and walked to the car, and they started the race with the cars parked at an angle at the side of the track it was not till 1971 that they started from the grid standing start even though they had a warm up lap it was till later they had a rolling start as now, sure thats right

[jimpritchard]

billy no brakes said:

I think it was 1970 the year after Jacky Icky,s protested about the run to the cars and walked to the car, and they started the race with the cars parked at an angle at the side of the track it was not till 1971 that they started from the grid standing start even though they had a warm up lap it was till later they had a rolling start as now, sure thats right

Thanks Billy.

[Davel]

Just as the slow fat guy got run over

[1960Zody]

It was 1970,
The year that Steve' McQueen's film was made, it's mentioned in the track commentator's commentry as thr first time...

The film was made in 1970 but released in 1971

[Nick M]

billy no brakes said:

I think it was 1970 the year after Jacky Icky,s protested about the run to the cars and walked to the car, and they started the race with the cars parked at an angle at the side of the track it was not till 1971 that they started from the grid standing start even though they had a warm up lap it was till later they had a rolling start as now, sure thats right

In 1971 the cars were lined up on the grid in a conventional manner - not angled and to the side as they used to be - and left behind the pace car for the formation lap and a rolling start

So:

- 1969 - Ickx protest - final 'Le Mans style' start

- 1970 - cars lined up at an angle as they had before, but with drivers strapped in. Cars started when the flag dropped.

- 1971 - rolling start, which has been used to this day

[billy no brakes]

Nick M said:

billy no brakes said:

I think it was 1970 the year after Jacky Icky,s protested about the run to the cars and walked to the car, and they started the race with the cars parked at an angle at the side of the track it was not till 1971 that they started from the grid standing start even though they had a warm up lap it was till later they had a rolling start as now, sure thats right

In 1971 the cars were lined up on the grid in a conventional manner - not angled and to the side as they used to be - and left behind the pace car for the formation lap and a rolling start

So:

- 1969 - Ickx protest - final 'Le Mans style' start

- 1970 - cars lined up at an angle as they had before, but with drivers strapped in. Cars started when the flag dropped.

- 1971 - rolling start, which has been used to this day

Yes that is what I said 1970 cars lined up at an angle at the side of the track and started with the drivers in the cars

Not sure about 1971 rolling start

[wie taffy racer]

Reading over this page and I've been wondering the same thing. Also cdould some one explain why Ickx protested. Personnaly I think it's an unique feature to have the drivers run to the cars and go. Ok it's dangerous but that what "Motorsport" is.

Edited by wie taffy racer on Tuesday 21st July 15:39

[Nick M]

wie taffy racer said:

Reading over this page and I've been wondering the same thing. Also cdould some one explain why Ickx protested. Personnaly I think it's an unique feature to have the drivers run to the cars and go. Ok it's dangerous but that what "Motorsport" is.

Edited by wie taffy racer on Tuesday 21st July 15:39

Ickx protested because he felt it was dangerous to be trying to do his belts up while driving down the Mulsanne straight at 200mph plus....

And, IMHO, there's quite a difference between something being dangerous and something which is just plain irresponsible, i.e. not having safety belts done up on probably the most hectic lap of the race. A Porsche 917 of that era was dangerous compared to modern cars, but it was designed and built to the standards of the day. But not doing safety belts up in order to try and gain a few precious seconds in a 24 hour race is rather short-sighted.

Ickx was vindicated anyway, since he won in spite of his deliberately slow, but safe, approach to the start.

[BigDaveTheMighty]

Nick M said:

wie taffy racer said:

Reading over this page and I've been wondering the same thing. Also cdould some one explain why Ickx protested. Personnaly I think it's an unique feature to have the drivers run to the cars and go. Ok it's dangerous but that what "Motorsport" is.

Edited by wie taffy racer on Tuesday 21st July 15:39

Ickx protested because he felt it was dangerous to be trying to do his belts up while driving down the Mulsanne straight at 200mph plus....

And, IMHO, there's quite a difference between something being dangerous and something which is just plain irresponsible, i.e. not having safety belts done up on probably the most hectic lap of the race. A Porsche 917 of that era was dangerous compared to modern cars, but it was designed and built to the standards of the day. But not doing safety belts up in order to try and gain a few precious seconds in a 24 hour race is rather short-sighted.

Ickx was vindicated anyway, since he won in spite of his deliberately slow, but safe, approach to the start.

A point made all the more significant by a fatal accident on the first lap of the same race.

Wikipedia said:

As Ickx was opposed to the traditional Le Mans start which he considered to be dangerous, he slowly walked across the track to his machine, instead of running. He locked the safety belt carefully and thus was the last to start the race, chasing the field. On lap one, a tragic event proved that Ickx was right: private driver John Woolfe had a fatal accident in his new and powerful 917 and fellow countryman Willy Mairesse had an accident which ended his career. Neither of them had taken time to belt himself in.

[Nick M]

Blimey, I hadn't realised that. So yes, makes it all the more significant.

[kartman24]

The driver concerned was John Wolfe, a privateer enrty in one of the early 917`s, this taken from the `motorsport memorial` website :- `He had qualified the car in 21st place, but by virtue of the running start had managed to overtake a lot of cars before the first turn. During the first lap Woolfe put two wheels on the grass just passed the Maison Blanche bend, with most of the field at his heels. John lost control of the car and crashed into a barrier wall at high speed and was thrown from the car. Perhaps he hadn't locked the safety belt at the start.

Woolfe's crash was sufficiently violent to dislodge the 917's gas tank which was immediately burning. The flaming tank slid onto the road where Chris Amon's Ferrari 312P hit it and the flaming mess stuck under the Ferrari's nose.`
...........................Martin

[wie taffy racer]

Cheers guys never new that. It was my first time this year at Le Mans and I wish I could of seen it back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. It's a really big dream of mine to race there.

But still they could of possibly kept the old start and strap the drivers in the cars like in 71 and 72 I think it was, not sure?

[Nick M]

wie taffy racer said:

But still they could of possibly kept the old start and strap the drivers in the cars like in 71 and 72 I think it was, not sure?

1970 was the only year they did that. Again, they binned it on safety grounds as cars were still bouncing off each other as they pulled away !

They do still make a point of doing it every year though - when the cars first come out onto the pit straight they're all lined up in the 'ear of corn' fashion (as the French refer to it) before they do a sighting lap and form up in their normal grid positions. They're then led off on the pace car lap for the rolling start.

[williamp]

There is some great footage of Le Mans 69 which is probably on youtube- it shows the start, the accident (thankfully from a distance) and the last few laps. Great race

Those cars were incredable dangerous back then. More powerful then an F1 car, but the drivers legs were forward of the front wheels- just the pedalsna nd glassfibre between them and a pit wall...

But the Le Mans start did lead to dome fun incidents, as it was used elsewhere too. One race (Goodwood 9 hours??) Moss tells the story that Hawthorn started running before the flag fell, and the crowd roared with laughter as Moss shouted "Mike you ba**srd" whilst trying to catch up.

Another time a driver put his foot through the steering wheel, and another time one of the Jaguar drivers jumped in, started, floored the car...only to lose it and spin the car around so it faced the pit lane mechanics!

[wie taffy racer]

Interesting, very musch so!

Please keep posting for my benifit and younger members who love Le Mans that just don't know alot about it.

[Nick M]

Nick M said:

wie taffy racer said:

But still they could of possibly kept the old start and strap the drivers in the cars like in 71 and 72 I think it was, not sure?

1970 was the only year they did that. Again, they binned it on safety grounds as cars were still bouncing off each other as they pulled away !

They do still make a point of doing it every year though - when the cars first come out onto the pit straight they're all lined up in the 'ear of corn' fashion (as the French refer to it) before they do a sighting lap and form up in their normal grid positions. They're then led off on the pace car lap for the rolling start.

Actually, thinking about it, when did they build the pit lane retaining wall ? Was that 1971, hence the need to do a rolling start was partly born out of that ? Looking at the photograph on my wall of the start of the 1970 race there's no wall, but the DVD "The Speed Merchants" is about the 1972 season where there definitely is.

[gt6]

In the classic race before the main Le mans a few years ago they had a sort of dummy Le man start, with all the drivers running across however they then followed around and actually started as a normal rolling start in grid order, the french TV cameras followed Sir Stirling (as they always refer to him) and he not only ran to the car but started and floored the gas pedal pulling away with the door still open and no hint of a seat belt. It was great to watch and very appreciated by the fans. As an original driver from the period he was also spared the modern helmets and other safty gear and was driving wearing an outfit would have and the time, only perhaps in those days the hero worship of both the TV and fans would have been more restrained. If I am still driving at his age I will be surprised but whenever I see him race he somehow seems to lose 50 years at least.

[williamp]

I do think its great that Stirling has a special letter from the FIA which makes him exempt from the usual fireproof suits/ fell face helmet so he can display the car has he would have drivne it when young.

Anyone remember the first Goodwood revivial? He drove a great race that day, bus pass or not!

[VENOM500]

Le Mans has its fair share of fantastic stories, when I have some time I will post a few of the ones I am aware of.

Just of note (but not a story) I still find it hard to believe that last years pole time was about (can't recall at this time the exact times) as quick as the out and out fastest lap time recorded by the Jag,s in 1990 when there were no chicanes and just a flat out blast down from the Dunlop bridge! I'd love to see some kind of computer overlay showing the Jag XJR's lap against the new 908fab's...would make interesting viewing!