ACO releases 2016 LeMans calendar
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| LeMans |
Last weekend the curtain came down on the 2015 season on the Le Mans 24-Hours circuits with the X30 World Final, the IAME International Final (karts). Now it's time to look ahead to 2016 and prepare for next year's races, all the more so as the Automobile Club de l'Ouest will celebrate the 110th anniversary of its creation! There are 21 rendezvous on the program of what promises to be a tightly-packed intense season, the highlight of which will be the 84th Le Mans 24 Hours on 18-19 June!
The motorbike riders will set the ball rolling on the Bugatti circuit on 26-27 March with the French Superbike Championship, and on 29-30 October the Rencontres Inter-Ecuries will bring a thrilling 2016 season, which began seven months earlier, to an end. In between no fewer than 19 events for cars, bikes, trucks, karts, bicycles, rollers and pedestrians will have taken place on the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's circuits.
2016 will be marked by an innovation as the Bugatti circuit will host for the first time a round of the French Historic Circuits' Championship / Historic Tour between 24-25 September. This event devoted to historic racing cars regroups the French historic trophies agreed by the FFSA.
For motorbike fans there are no fewer than six rendezvous. Speed kicks off the season as spectators can come and watch the French Superbike Championship (26-27 March), the French Motorbike Grand Prix (6-8 May) and then the Coupes de France Promosport (23-24 July). In endurance the 39th Le Mans 24 Heures Motos will take place on -10 April, and it will again be the opening round of the FIM EWC (Endurance World Championship). The pre-tests for the 24 Heures Motos will be held on 29-30 March. And don't forget the 23 Heures 60 Moto Power 25 on the Le Mans International karting circuit (16-17 July)
The V de V Endurance Series returns to Le Mans on 22-24 April, while for once the Fun Cup will not open the season and will be run on 21-22 May. The GT Tour/FFSA French Circuits Championship, which usually takes place in the spring, will move to 9-11 September. The 24 Heures Camions will be held on 8-9 October.
Obviously, the highpoint of the year will be the Le Mans 24 Hours on 18-19 June 2016 promises another closely-fought intense battle in the blue riband category, LM P1, and it will be the same scenario in all the other categories: LM P2, LM GTE Pro and LM GTE Am. And Ford is making its Le Mans comeback in GT, which can only boost the intensity of the on-track battle for victory in this category!
The Le Mans 24-Hours race is the summit of the Endurance Pyramid, and it is also the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The test day will take place two weeks beforehand on Sunday 5th June, and the Le Mans week will kick off with scrutineering in the town center on 12-13 June.
As 2016 is an even-numbered year Le Mans Classic, the biggest rendezvous in the world for historic racing cars devoted to the Le Mans 24 Hours, is on the calendar on 8-10 July.
A few weeks later all enthusiasts who own Beatles, Combis, Karmanns, Buggies and other derivatives of Volkswagen's famous flat 4 will gather for the third Super VW Fest on 29-31 July.
Karts haven't been neglected either in 2016 with several events on the International Le Mans kart circuit including the 24 Heures Karting on 17-18 September as well as the X30 World Final, the IAME International Final on 15-16 October.
The Bugatti circuit will host muscle-powered events, the 24 Heures Rollers (2-3 July), 24 Heures Velo (20-21 August) and the marathon on 2nd October.
2016 calendar
26 – 27 March: French Superbike Championship
29 – 30 March: Pre-test 24 Heures Motos
9 – 10 April: 24 Heures Motos
22 – 24 April: V de V Endurance Series
6 – 8 May: French Motorbike Grand Prix
21 – 22 May: Fun Cup (private races)
5th June: Le Mans 24-Hours Test Day
18 – 19 June: 84th Le Mans 24 Hours
2- 3 July: 24 Heures Rollers
8 – 10 July: Le Mans Classic
16 – 17 July : 23 Heures 60 Moto Power 25
23 – 24 July: Coupes de France Promosport
29 – 31 July: Super VW Fest
20 – 21 August: 24 Heures Velox
9 – 11 September : GT Tour / FFSA French Circuits Championship
17 – 18 September: 24 Heures Karting
24 – 25 September: FFSA French Historic Circuit Championship / Historic Tour
2 October: Marathon
8 – 9 October: 24 Hours for Trucks
15 – 16 October: X30 World Final / IAME International Final – Karting
29 – 30 October: Inter Ecuries