LE MANS: THE GRAND PRIZE

[Music] [Music] le mans france about the 10th hour at this point everyone begins to understand what a 24-hour race is for the drivers the thrill of the start gives way to grim determination the mechanics begin to realize the aching fatigue that will dog them for another 14 hours the crowd is mesmerized by the 200 mile an hour fireflies [Music] the ma is the supreme auto racing ordeal to race here is to face the ultimate challenge to win is to conquer the most rigorous tests and so lamar attracts only the dairy and the bold drivers manufacturers even countries seeking a place in racing's history for all of them lamar is motor racing's mount everest le mans is the grand prize [Applause] june 1973 more than 400 000 people jammed the 8.3 mile race circuit at le mans they're here because people will always be with the greatest test themselves and so it has been through the years [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in 1923 the crowd was smaller but the challenge is great from the beginning the concept was to retain the flavor of the original city to city endurance races in the first 24-hour event all the entrants were french except for an english bentley [Music] subsequent years attracted various european manufacturers but it wasn't until 1928 when a stutz finished second at a chrysler third that american manufacturers took a serious interest in the race difficult economic times and then the war snuffed out america's racing efforts for almost two decades in 1950 briggs cunningham a wealthy american sportsman brought two cadillacs to the famed french circuit to begin a legendary quest for international fame later in chrysler-powered cars of his own design cunningham managed a third place finish and for many years supported the only american team at the french classic le mans mushrooming reputation as the supreme test of car and driver brought heightened interest in the event from leading manufacturers and drivers jaguar and ferrari solidified their stature by dominating the event through the 50s and early 60s ferrari in fact won seven times in eight years beginning in 1958. and that 1958 victory was co-driven by phil hill the first american to win at le mans lamar became the crown jewel of a series of international races leading to the world's manufacturers championship victory here meant worldwide recognition it was this gold that brought the ford motor company to le mans in 1964 with three sleek coupes to challenge the might of ferrari and test the rigors of le mans 24 hours they were not equal to the task as ferrari rode home with the first three places [Music] undaunted ford came back again and again [Music] finally in 1966 new zealanders bruce mclaren and chris eamon gave an american manufacturer its first le mans victory one year later the revolutionary chaparral joined the american invasion chevrolet powered with an automatic transmission and sprouting a huge wing jim hall chaparral was another statement of american inventiveness and ingenuity but it was ford who gave america its greatest hour of glory they led every lap of the race and when it was done dan gurney and aj foyt celebrated the first all-american victory car and drivers throughout its 50 years lamar has been under continuous development changes and improvements were numerous but its character has never changed nor has the challenge of lamar's brutal 24 hours of punishment in 1973 a lone all-american team has entered the race as much for personal commitment as patriotism headed by john greenwood of troy michigan the team has been racing successfully in the united states its sponsor is the bf goodrich company they are here at le mans to race on passenger automobile tires to submit street tires to the stresses and demands of racing these conditions are accelerated in an endurance race and le mans with its 200 mile an hour three mile long molson street and its torturous turns is particularly well suited for goodrich's bold venture the tension exhausting preparation and high hopes that characterize this effort are typical of what each man each team each manufacturer each country brings to le mans greenwood has brought over two immaculately prepared corvettes one is a backup and drivers bob johnson ron grabel don yanko and jim greendike to share the wheel crew chief bob johnson a former le mans driver has put together an expert crew to work the pits [Music] the days before the race are spent sorting out the cards learning the course searching for that ideal mechanical human mixture that always seems so immersive i would just plain paste the car at whatever is very comfortable and smooth so you don't tear the car up you don't care tires up and you don't completely get tired but the only way you can do that is to hit the right line every single time right on in other words it's all concentration just total concentration of what you're [Music] doing [Music] the tire itself has less drilling resistance because it's radial and as far as your speed down the straightaway you can run the higher speed on the straightaway with the goodrich tires as far as cornering the corning is quite good here in other words the only disadvantage we get with the tires is the width and the fact that they're street compound they're not a racing compound that's all you've given away is actual pouring ability bf goodrich has assigned a crew of expert tire engineers to assist in the effort every car in the race will be running on special racing tires except the goodrich corvette the corvette will be on street radial tires the radio ta [Music] the goodridge car will race in the grand touring category against production line porsches and ferraris legendary names both are here in force all on specially built racing tires the purebred racers of france italy and england are represented by super sleek mattress ferraris and mirages these cars are capable of touring the 8.3 mile course at an average speed of 140 miles an hour and undoubtedly will be the front runners [Music] nearly 400 000 spectators settle down to enjoy this most important pageant of france the 50th anniversary race motor racing's grand prize [Applause] [Music] as the cars are pushed to the starting grid greenwood and johnson relieve pre-race tensions by discussing pit stop procedures i don't know well as we come in then uh you will uh on the on the driver change then when you get out you will lengthen the seat belts for me because i'm going to have to put the seat liner in because i can't reach the pedals the way the seat is for you then i'll put the seat liner in and i'll put my arm through the right hand side then you'll help me on with the left arm before i put the okay i'm going to lengthen the shoulder harness before i get out i'm going to lengthen the seat okay i think the shoulder harness may be all right the seat belt's the one that's going to be critical [Music] okay [Music] [Music] [Music] as expected the ferraris and mantras set the early pace first one then the other takes its turn at the front greenwood's running comfortably with his [Music] competition the goodrich corvette is capable of speeds of over 200 miles an hour on the molson street by the third hour the ferrari of pachi and rosario has a lock on first three french mantras followed [Music] [Music] thanks [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] uh bob johnson's now at the wheel of the goodreads corvette in the pits the crew is waiting anxiously for him to pass word has come to the crew that johnson is off the course somewhere along the three-mile stretch to mousan johnson's okay and is making his way back to the pits it will remain for him to give the unhappy details i was going down the back street you've just given me the sign to come in for a pit stop [Music] about halfway down uh i looked at my gauges just before the kink there's a dip in the road just so i went over the hump the cockpit filled with smoke and the rear end locked up tires are all okay so i know that it had to be the engine somewhere it didn't give you any warning at all before i let go i have looked at the gauges just as i started the museum straight it happened just before i went through the king yeah that's a shame that's motor racing they say the bold effort of greenwood and the bfgoodrich company is suddenly ended the tension the exhausting hours of preparation now surface in their disappointment they have proven their street tire equal to the challenge of le mans but because an engine failure robbed them of their chance to finish and perhaps win the effort is less than completely satisfied [Music] darkness blankets the course and with it comes the carnival atmosphere that is also but always the incessant whale of the cars knifing through the merriment [Music] day relieves night the demands of the race become apparent fewer cars parade the course le mans does that it always has perhaps as it should be matra of france has endured france has won her first le mans with an all-french team car and drivers in many years [Applause] in 1973 the 24 hours of le mans was no less exacting than when it started 50 years ago and those who competed share the knowledge that they have tested themselves and win or lose are the better [Music] [Applause] forks you