19 replies to this topic

[racer69]

Why is it that just about all 24 hour races around the world seem to start at 4pm?

I suppose the tradition of starting at this time was started by Le Mans, and other 24 hour races like Spa, Nurburgring and lately Bathurst have adopted 4pm as the start, and subsequently finish, time.

[Barry Boor]

I think the question may be more relevant if you word it, why does the Le Mans 24 hour race FINISH at 4 o'clock?

[René de Boer]

Although I haven't any explanation why at 4 pm, rather than 3 pm or 5 pm, either, I can just point out that there are some exceptions. In 1998, the Le Mans 24h started and finished at 2 pm because of the final match of the football Eurocup that took place in France that weekend as well. This year, the Nürburgring 24h started and finished at 2 pm as well to avoid a clash with the DTM-race that took place at the Sachsenring the same weekend. These two come to mind, there will doubtlessly be more exceptions.

[Vitesse2]

I always assumed that it was so that the race could be divided into four 6-hour stretches: 6 hours of daylight/twilight, 6 hours of darkness, 6 hours of twilight/daylight, 6 hours of daylight. Le Mans 1968 was held in September and the start was advanced to 2pm - roughly six hours before sundown followed in this case by the best part of twelve hours in the dark and then six hours of daylight again.

[Barry Lake]

Vitesse2

Can you please jog my memory as to the reason for the postponement that year? Was that when they had a general strike in France in June?

[Vitesse2]

Strikes, riots, you name it .... France had it all that year! Put it down to "political unrest" Barry.

But having checked, it actually started at 3pm in 1968, not 2pm

[Roger Clark]

Was it not so that the organisers and competitors could watch the afternoon session in the Lords Test Match before te start of the race?

[Ross Stonefeld]

Noon to noon seems pretty logical

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Noon to noon seems pretty logical

Not in France - it would ruin lunch two days running

Roger:

[Ray Bell]

Le Mans has also been affected when it's fallen on polling day for their general election.

I think 1981 was one such year (that was the time I went...) and again seven years later?

From memory, the start was delayed an hour or two, but I could be wrong... also I think once an election year saw it move a week or a fortnight.

Another point is that a 4pm start enables the race to settle down in daylight and move into the dark, while the long period of daylight running on the second day is probably better to help the drivers stay awake.

Of course, the Rheims 12-hour did the most spectacular thing of all and started at midnight... while the Bathurst 12-hours started in the dark as well, I think at 5am or something...

Barry?

[Ross Stonefeld]

I think the ideal 24 hour race would start early morning. Most of the field is decimated towards the end, so you want to get your daylight hours in early when the field is at its strongest and everyone is 'racing' I hate the second day of Le Mans because its almost 12 hours of watching stragglers.

[Ray Bell]

I don't think that would be a universal view, Ross...

Pace cars are more annoying than stragglers any day, too.

[cabianca]

No one has noted that the vaunted French logic has the traditional weekend of the race closest to the longest day of the year. My guess is that the 16:00 starting time is for the masses who aren't going to be there for the full 24 hours. It allows them to see some daylight racing and some nightime racing before they depart for home. Or, at least that was the reasoning in "the old days."

[Ross Stonefeld]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


Pace cars are more annoying than stragglers any day, too.

Someday I hope that makes sense

[BRG]

4pm actually makes a lot of sense. Plenty of time on the Saturday to get ready for the race and for the spectators to arrive, even if they were working on Saturday morning . Then on the Sunday, plenty of time to get home again after the finish. Also, and maybe most important of all, it easily meets the newspapers' deadlines for the Monday editions.

[Barry Boor]

I think a point is being missed here. 4 p.m. in France is 3 p.m. in the United Kingdom; and 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon is the traditional start time for many major sporting events.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Daytona starts at either noon or 1pm and works great. You get to see most of the field for quite a while before nightfall and people start falling out.

[rdrcr]

I think a point is being missed here. 4 p.m. in France is 3 p.m. in the United Kingdom; and 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon is the traditional start time for many major sporting events.

Really? ...I wonder if the French have any consideration for any other country when it comes to things like this. After all, given the political undertones of the French Classic over the years, I doubt that they would care about any other country's T.V. coverage. In addition, isn't Le Mans the the only race to be started with the that country's national flag instead of the traditional green one?

The famous 'Le Mans start', where drivers ran across the track and jumped into their cars was used for the last time in 1969. IIRC, that race started at 2pm so that the French could vote in the Presidential election!

Due to the compulsory wearing of seat-belts and a newly-constructed Armco barrier between the pit lane and the track, the 1970 race started with drivers strapped into their cars with the engine 'dead'. The following year the race adopted a 'rolling start', a feature still in use today.

But as far as the history of why the 4 pm starting time was enacted, I haven't found a definitive answer... one of the better sites, Maison Blanche is temporarily closed and Club-Arnage doesn't have the answer either.

Mike seems to have the best answer so far with the longest day theory and catering to the majority of the spectator interest.

[Ray Bell]

I don't think British TV was much of a consideration in 1924...

Nor in the fifties, when I'm sure the 4pm tradition was in place... even if it hadn't been since the start.

Sounds, by the way, like the French elections are always held the same weekend... wonder if that's for the longest day as well? To get more people to the polls, I mean...

Anyone know (FEV? Pascal?) what time the polling booths are open?

[rdrcr]

Originally posted by Ray Bell
I don't think British TV was much of a consideration in 1924...

Nor in the fifties, when I'm sure the 4pm tradition was in place... even if it hadn't been since the start.

Sounds, by the way, like the French elections are always held the same weekend... wonder if that's for the longest day as well? To get more people to the polls, I mean...

Anyone know (FEV? Pascal?) what time the polling booths are open?

Quite true Ray... quite true... I was referring to the current scene. If in fact the 4pm start time became a standard in the 50's, then what was the real reason?

Funny that in the U.S., national elections are held the 1st Tuesday in November - with minimal day light hours to be had... perhaps that's why we have such a miserable turn out election after election (tongue in cheek mode).

EDIT:
I called call my Aunt who's visiting my Mom in L.A. and I'm told that the French national elections are still held on June 16th and the polls are open from 8 am to 8 pm...