24 Hours of Le Mans Web Gems

A History of Hard Crashes

Racing at Le Mans has never been for the faint of heart. It takes a certain level of grit and determination in order to survive 24 hours of racing on one of the largest racetracks in the world. Allan McNish is just one of those legends that embodies the spirit and drive that it takes to compete at Le Mans. He is a three-time winner of the 24-hour race, including two with the great Audi squads of the 2000s.

Of course, even the best drivers have had their share of grizzly crashes at the Circuit de la Sarthe. For McNish, likely his worst came in 2011. It was in the first hour of the race, and he was battling for the lead with his fellow Audi teammate of Romain Dumas near the Dunlop bridge, when he made contact with a slower Ferrari GT machine, sending the two crashing into the tire barrier. McNish’s car would flip violently against the barrier, shredding the car and spewing debris across the run off area and the nearby stewards.

Both drivers involved in the accident climbed out and were okay, but the incident was a sobering reminder of what the race track can do – chew cars up and spit them right out.

Next: Steve McQueen the Racing Machine