- 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans Races
Previous = 1996
Current = 1997
Next = 1998The 199724 Hours of Le Mans was the 65th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place onJune 14 and 15,1997 .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 theBugatti Circuit . Frenchman Sebastien Enjolras was killed in a pre-qualifying accident in hisWelter 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 same chassis (previously done so in 1984 and 1985). They were able to beat factory teams in both GT and LMP classes from Porsche, McLaren, Nissan, and Ferrari. The TWR-Porsche was not the fastest on track during the race, but was able to overcome the leading
Porsche 911 GT1 's andMcLaren F1 GTR 's mechanical problems, allowing theJoest Racing machine claimed victory by one lap.Official Results
tatistics
* Pole Position - #7 Joest Racing - 3:41.581
* Fastest Lap - #7 Joest Racing - 3:45.068
* Distance - 4909.6km
* Average Speed - 207km/h
* Highest Trap Speed - Porsche GT1-Evo - 326 km/h (qualifying)
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