- 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans
Le Mans Races
Previous = 1995
Current = 1996
Next = 1997The 199624 Hours of Le Mans was the 64th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place onJune 15 and 16,1996 .Race
The 1996 race was won by a car that was considered by Porsche to not be a factory-backed entry, instead run by
Joest Racing . Porsche themselves sent a team to compete in the GT1 class with a new mid-enginedPorsche 911 GT1 with the intent of winning the race overall, defeating custom-builtLe Mans Prototypes . Joining in the GT1 class were a fleet of customerMcLaren F1 GTR s, the defending race winners. However Joest's prototype was born from the shell of a TWR-designedJaguar XJR-14 racing car, modified to an open top design byTom Walkinshaw Racing , and fitted with aPorsche 962 engine. The resulting TWRPorsche WSC-95 , while not being the fastest car on track, won when the manufacturer-backed teams hit mechanical troubles.Official Results
tatistics
* Pole Position - #8 Joest Racing - 3:46.682
* Fastest Lap - #17 Racing For Belgium / Team Scandia - 3:46.958
* Distance - 4814.4km
* Average Speed - 200.6km/h
* Highest Trap Speed - Courage C36 - 332 km/h (race)
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