A new Michelin landmark for Le Mans

The main straight of the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit is to gain a strong Michelin presence. The French tyre maker has entered into an agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) to be the exclusive partner for the new standings tower erected beside the pit-lane exit on the main straight. This 25-metre tall edifice will display the provisional order throughout the race and will be known as the “Michelin Ranking Tower”.

The Michelin Ranking Tower will be operational at June’s 90th anniversary Le Mans 24 Hours’ race. It will provide a solution to a problem often associated with 24-hour racing by allowing spectators to follow changes in the leader-board more easily.

In the course of the Le Mans 24 Hours’ long history, a number of systems have been employed. The inaugural race in May 1923, for example, saw the ACO use a huge board which was lit up at night by acetylene gas lights. In 1925, sponsors took advantage of this opportunity to display their brand names alongside the race positions. In the 1930s, and up to the outbreak of World War 2, the ACO made use of this highly visible tool – which was especially effective when lit up at night – to keep the public up to speed with its latest news.

The leader-board returned at the end of the 1940s, but was now located behind the pits. Then, in the 1950s, it was lifted to a higher position when it was fixed to a tubular frame structure built in the garden of the former ‘Welcome’ building.

From the mid-sixties and through to the early 1990s, several different solutions were tried, including a three-sided board which displayed the race order day and night thanks to thousands of light bulbs. Some may also remember the airship-mounted leader-board, which floated in the sky above the circuit. When new pits were built in 1991, a number of trackside giant screens appeared, and these were used to provide regular classification updates.

“The erection of the “Michelin Ranking Tower” at Le Mans has given us a chance to provide a permanent landmark for one of endurance racing’s most iconic locations where our tyres have won every Le Mans 24 Hours’ race since 1998,” said Olivier Vialle, Michelin Competition’s marketing director. “It is also our way of celebrating the legendary race’s 90th anniversary. Last but not least, this new structure in Michelin’s colours symbolises the aim we share with the ACO to promote a form of motorsport that genuinely serves to enhance mobility.”