The month of june is very special for motorsport fans because it holds three of the most prestigious events of the year: Le mans 24 Hours, 24 Hours of Nürburgring and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Of course there are plenty of other interesting events all over the year but let's just focus on these three. More details after the jump.
Le Mans 24 Hours:
When?
11th and 12th of June
Why should i watch it?
Because it's a 24 hours race that takes place in a 13.629 km (8.469 miles) long circuit in which the average speed can be as high as 250 Km/h (155 mph). It's the most prestigious endurance race of the year. The most successful automaker in the race's history remains porsche with a total of 13 wins, Ferrari and Audi are second with 9 wins. This year might be the opportunity for Audi to score its 10th win at Le Mans and become the second most successful automaker at Le Mans without any competitor.
What to expect?
Audi will be defending its 2010 win with a closed cockpit R18 TDI, Peugeot returns with a revised 908 HDI and will do its best to make last year's catastrophic race with all of its cars out due to mechanical failures, something from the past. Aston Martin is bringing a new gasoline powered competitor while diesel engines has been proved to be the winning formula at Le mans for more than five years.
24 Hours of Nürburgring:
When?
25th and 26th of June
Why should i watch it?
Because it takes place at the green hell, the world's longest, most demanding and most challenging race track. You can follow the race live on your web browser on the official website of the race!
What to expect?
Porsche and BMW, last year's winner with the M3 GT2 will be there as usual. But this year you might want to keep an eye on James Glinkenhaus' Ferrari P4/5 Competizione which is based on a Ferrari F430 Scuderia and developped especially for the event. The Aston Martin V8 Zagato presented at the Concorso D'Elegenza Villa D'este last month will be there too. Last year, the total number of participants was 197. For more information about last year's edition you can chekch this link.
Pikes Peak International Hill climb:
When?
June 26th
Why should i watch it?
This is the second oldest race in America after the Indy 500, it is known as the "race to the clouds". The course is a a 19.98 Km (12.42 miles) long mixture of gravel and pavement with 156 turns. It starts at an elevation of 2 862 m (9,390 ft.) and ends up at 4 300 m (14,110 ft.). Weather conditions are a major factor of this race and they can make the challenge even harder. Check this link for more information about this iconic race.
What to expect?
Rhys millen will be coming back with his updated 700 Hp Hyundai Genesis PM580. Tagima "Monster", last year's winner and record holder with a 10:01 run in 2007 will be there to defend his title and make a sub 10 minutes run, and Paul Dallenbach will be joining the unlimted class too with a 1,307 Hp openwheel beast. It's going to be a very exciting race so make sure not to miss it and if you live somewhere near the Colorado Springs, you don't have an excuse. Just go there and send some nice pictures!
Hope you'll enjoy the races!
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