1997 24 Hours of Le Mans
This article does not cite any sources. (December 2009) |
1997 24 Hours of Le Mans | |
Previous: 1996 | Next: 1998 |
Index: Races | Winners |
The 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 14 and 15 June 1997.
The race saw the first of a record (as of 2021) 9 wins at Le Mans for popular Danish driver Tom Kristensen.
Pre-race[]
The Dunlop chicane was modified slightly in order to slow speeds again but also accommodate larger gravel traps as runoff area for the protection of motorcycle riders using the Bugatti Circuit. Frenchman Sébastien Enjolras lost his life in a pre-qualifying accident in his Welter Racing WR LM97-Peugeot.
Race[]
The 1997 race was won by the same chassis as had won in 1996, marking the second time that Joest had won back-to-back Le Mans with the same chassis (previously done in 1984 and 1985). They were able to beat factory teams in the GT1 and LMP classes from Porsche, BMW and Nissan. The TWR-Porsche was not the fastest on track during the race, but was able to take advantage of the leading Porsche 911 GT1's and McLaren F1 GTR's mechanical problems, allowing the Joest Racing machine to claim victory by one lap.
Official results[]
Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Tyre | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Engine | |||||||
1 | LMP | 7 | Joest Racing GmbH | Michele Alboreto Stefan Johansson Tom Kristensen |
TWR Porsche WSC-95 | G | 361 |
Porsche Type-935 3.0 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
2 | LMGT1 | 41 | Jean-Marc Gounon Pierre-Henri Raphanel Anders Olofsson |
McLaren F1 GTR | M | 360 | |
BMW S70 6.0 L V12 | |||||||
3 | LMGT1 | 43 | BMW Motorsport | Peter Kox Roberto Ravaglia Éric Hélary |
McLaren F1 GTR | M | 358 |
BMW S70 6.0 L V12 | |||||||
4 | LMP | 13 | Courage Compétition | Didier Cottaz Jérôme Policand Marc Goossens |
Courage C41 | M | 336 |
Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
5 | LMGT1 | 33 | Pedro Lamy Armin Hahne Patrice Goueslard |
Porsche 911 GT1 | M | 331 | |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
6 | LMP | 3 | Moretti Racing Inc. | Gianpiero Moretti Didier Theys Max Papis |
Ferrari 333 SP | Y | 321 |
Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12 | |||||||
7 | LMP | 8 | La Filière Elf | Henri Pescarolo Jean-Philippe Belloc Emmanuel Clérico |
Courage C36 | M | 319 |
Porsche Type-935 3.0 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
8 | LMGT1 | 27 | BMS Scuderia Italia | Pierluigi Martini Christian Pescatori |
Porsche 911 GT1 | P | 317 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
9 | LMGT2 | 78 | |
Porsche 911 GT2 | D | 307 | |
Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
10 | LMGT2 | 74 | Roock Racing | André Ahrlé Andy Pilgrim |
Porsche 911 GT2 | M | 306 |
Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
11 | LMGT2 | 73 | Roock Racing | |
Porsche 911 GT2 | M | 295 |
Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
12 | LMGT1 | 23 | Nissan Motorsport | Kazuyoshi Hoshino Érik Comas Masahiko Kageyama |
Nissan R390 GT1 | B | 294 |
Nissan VRH35L 3.5 L Turbo V8 | |||||||
13 | LMGT2 | 80 | GT Racing Team AG | Claudia Hürtgen |
Porsche 911 GT2 | P | 280 |
Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
14 | LMGT2 | 63 | Société Viper Team Oreca | Justin Bell Pierre Yver John Morton |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | M | 278 |
Chrysler 8.0 L V10 | |||||||
15 | LMGT2 | 64 | Chamberlain Engineering | Jari Nurminen |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | G | 269 |
Chrysler 8.0 L V10 | |||||||
16 | LMP | 10 | Courage Compétition | Fredrik Ekblom Jean-Louis Ricci |
Courage C36 | M | 265 |
Porsche Type-935 3.0 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
17 | LMP | 15 | Yojiro Terada Jim Downing Franck Fréon |
Kudzu DLM-4 | G | 263 | |
Mazda R26B 2.6 L 4-Rotor | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 26 | Porsche AG | Emmanuel Collard Ralf Kelleners Yannick Dalmas |
Porsche 911 GT1 Evo | G | 327 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 39 | Ray Bellm Andrew Gilbert-Scott Masanori Sekiya |
McLaren F1 GTR | M | 326 | |
BMW S70 6.0 L V12 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 61 | Société Viper Team Oreca | Philippe Gache Olivier Beretta Dominique Dupuy |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | M | 263 |
Chrysler 8.0 L V10 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 25 | Porsche AG | Hans-Joachim Stuck Thierry Boutsen Bob Wollek |
Porsche 911 GT1 Evo | G | 238 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 42 | BMW Motorsport | JJ Lehto Steve Soper Nelson Piquet |
McLaren F1 GTR | M | 236 |
BMW S70 6.0 L V12 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 29 | Société JB Jabouille Bouresche | Olivier Thévenin Alain Ferté |
Porsche 911 GT1 | M | 236 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 54 | David Price Racing | Andy Wallace James Weaver Butch Leitzinger |
Panoz GTR-1 | G | 236 |
Ford-Roush 6.0 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 30 | Kremer Racing | Christophe Bouchut Andy Evans Bertrand Gachot |
Porsche 911 GT1 | G | 207 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 75 | Société Larbre Compétition | Patrick Bourdais |
Porsche 911 GT2 | M | 205 |
Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMP | 9 | Courage Compétition | Mario Andretti Michael Andretti Olivier Grouillard |
Courage C36 | M | 197 |
Porsche Type-935 3.0 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 52 | Société DAMS | Franck Lagorce Éric Bernard Jean-Christophe Boullion |
Panoz GTR-1 | M | 149 |
Ford-Roush 6.0 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 55 | David Price Racing | David Brabham Perry McCarthy Doc Bundy |
Panoz GTR-1 | G | 145 |
Ford-Roush 6.0 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 21 | Nissan Motorsport | Martin Brundle Jörg Müller Wayne Taylor |
Nissan R390 GT1 | B | 139 |
Nissan VRH35L 3.5 L Turbo V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 28 | Konrad Motorsport | Franz Konrad Mauro Baldi |
Porsche 911 GT1 | P | 138 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 67 | Saleen/Allen Speedlab | Steve Saleen Price Cobb Carlos Palau |
Saleen Mustang SR | D | 133 |
Ford 5.9 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 79 | Konrad Motorsport | |
Porsche 911 GT2 | P | 126 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 22 | Nissan Motorsport | Riccardo Patrese Eric van de Poele Aguri Suzuki |
Nissan R390 GT1 | B | 121 |
Nissan VRH35L 3.5 L Turbo V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 49 | GT1 Lotus Racing | Jan Lammers Mike Hezemans Alexander Grau |
Lotus GT1 | M | 121 |
Chevrolet LT5 6.0 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMP | 5 | Kremer Racing | Tomás Saldaña Carl Rosenblad Jürgen Lässig |
Kremer K8 Spyder | G | 103 |
Porsche Type-935 3.0 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 84 | Lilian Bryner |
Porsche 911 GT2 | P | 98 | |
Porsche 3.6 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 44 | Team Lark McLaren | Akihiko Nakaya Keiichi Tsuchiya Gary Ayles |
McLaren F1 GTR | M | 88 |
BMW S70 6.0 L V12 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 77 | Société Chereau | Jean-Luc Chéreau Jack Leconte Jean-Pierre Jarier |
Porsche 911 GT2 | M | 77 |
Porsche 3.6L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 46 | Newcastle United Lister Storm | Julian Bailey Thomas Erdos Mark Skaife |
Lister Storm GTL | D | 77 |
Jaguar 7.0 L V12 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 62 | Société Viper Team Oreca | Tommy Archer Soheil Ayari Marc Duez |
Chrysler Viper GTS-R | M | 76 |
Chrysler 8.0 L V10 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 60 | Agusta Racing Team | Almo Coppelli Rocky Agusta Éric Graham |
Callaway Corvette LM-GT2 | D | 45 |
Chevrolet LT1 6.2 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 66 | Saleen/Allen Speedlab | Allen Lloyd |
Saleen Mustang SR | D | 28 |
Ford 5.9 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 45 | Newcastle United Lister Storm | Geoff Lees Tiff Needell George Fouché |
Lister Storm GTL | D | 21 |
Jaguar 7.0 L V12 | |||||||
DNF | LMP | 4 | Pilot Racing | Michel Ferté Adrián Campos Charlie Nearburg |
Ferrari 333 SP | D | 18 |
Ferrari F310E 4.0 L V12 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT2 | 70 | Team Marcos | Cor Euser |
Marcos Mantara LM600 | D | 15 |
Chevrolet 5.9 L V8 | |||||||
DNF | LMGT1 | 32 | Roock Racing Motorsport | Stéphane Ortelli Allan McNish Karl Wendlinger |
Porsche 911 GT1 | M | 8 |
Porsche 3.2 L Turbo Flat-6 | |||||||
DNF | LMP | 14 | Pacific Racing | Harri Toivonen Eliseo Salazar Jesús Pareja |
BRM P301 | P | 6 |
Nissan 3.0 L Turbo V6 | |||||||
DNS | LMGT1 | 40 | John Nielsen Thomas Bscher Chris Goodwin |
McLaren F1 GTR | M | - | |
BMW S70 6.0 L V12 |
Statistics[]
- Pole Position - #7 Joest Racing - 3:41.581
- Fastest Lap - #7 Joest Racing - 3:45.068
- Distance - 4909.6 km
- Average Speed - 207 km/h
- Highest Trap Speed — Porsche GT1-Evo - 326 km/h (qualifying)
- 1997 in motorsport
- 1997 in French motorsport
- 24 Hours of Le Mans races