24H Le Mans to Expand to 60 Car Grid by 2017

Photo: John Dagys

The 24 Hours of Le Mans will see an increase from 56 to 60 entries by 2017, with the addition of four new pit garages, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest announced Thursday.

Next year’s French endurance classic, which is set for June 18-19, will feature a 58-car starting grid, with the full expansion to 60 entries the following year.

Construction on the new single-story garages, located at pit out on the site of Parc Ferme, will begin following this weekend’s race.

According to ACO Sporting Director Vincent Beaumesnil, the incremental increase is to allow for other relocation projects at the circuit.

“We cannot achieve the entire project over one winter,”Beaumesnil told Sportscar365. “We will build the four garages but we need time to move the scrutineering area to another place.

“It will go to the [location] of the current medical center. So we need to build a new medical center. And that location is not available at this time.

“We have set a two-year program to make this final. For the moment, we’ll need to keep the space of two garages and the back of the garages to run the event.”

Beaumesnil said Parc Ferme will be moved to an area near the Race Control complex, at pit in.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John