HISTORY. PASSION. PRESSURE. AND HONOR.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most prestigious endurance road race in the world and, along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco, one of three greatest racing events that exist. Nothing prepares you for the majestic power of Le Mans. When you first step off the train in that postcard town in the French countryside, you can feel the presence of the race immediately. And when you first see the track in person and realize that some of the surrounding roads make up the actual Circuit de la Sarthe, the entire history of the place begins to come into focus. (You can watch a stunning lap on the old, pre-chicane circuit from 1983 with Derek Bell driving a Porsche 956 here. 240+mph on the Mulsanne. Incredible. -WG)

Though Le Mans is relatively glass smooth compared to the venerable Sebring circuit here in the U.S. - which is so crushingly rough it rivals the streets in the Motor City - the French circuit is, nonetheless, the toughest endurance test in the world. Why? First of all, the drivers run flat-out for well over 85 percent of each lap, which, though exhilarating and the essence of what driving a race car is all about, is tremendously taxing mentally. And though there are three drivers per car, it takes its inevitable toll. If you've ever had the privilege of attending the race, the sheer speed of Le Mans - especially at night - is a sight one soon won't forget.

And because of the prestige of Le Mans, and the fact that it is the biggest road racing event in the world, there's an intense pressure that comes with it. This pressure permeates the garage area throughout practice, qualifying and the race itself. The participating auto manufacturers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to win. Let me reiterate that. To win. To place or show is nice, but ultimately that doesn't count for much in the Big Picture. Winning at Le Mans is absolutely everything to these manufacturers, and they expect nothing less. And every driver and team member carries that pressure on their shoulders.

But then again this is part and parcel of the Le Mans experience. Ask the drivers and teams who have been fortunate to win there and they will speak in reverential tones, saying it's unlike any other feeling in the world. Ask the members of Corvette Racing - or other Americans who have had the opportunity to win there - what it feels like to be representing the United States when they play our country's National Anthem after victory at Le Mans. And they will shake their heads and almost tear up, quietly saying something like, "It's simply indescribable."

This weekend's race will be a feast for racing enthusiasts, especially in the LMP1 class, where the 1,000HP+ monsters - and mind-boggling technical wonders - from Audi, Porsche and Toyota battle for supremacy and the bragging rights that go along with winning the most prestigious race in the world. And it will be a flat-out Battle for the Ages in the GTE PRO class, where Corvette Racing will battle Ford, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin for the class victory.

When watching this weekend it is important to remember that a team can be riding high and in the lead right up until the last few moments of the race, and then something can happen to derail any hopes of winning. The ugly reality? Though no one comes to lose, Le Mans can be particularly cruel.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is about history, passion, pressure and honor.

And there's simply nothing else like it.

That's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Practice and qualifying takes place Wednesday and Thursday, including mandatory night running. Here's the weekend television schedule for the race:

• 8:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m., Saturday  (FOX Sports 1)
• 2:00-4:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX Sports 2)
• 6-6:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX Sports 2)
• 7-7:30 p.m., Saturday (FOX Sports 2)
• 10:30 p.m., Saturday-2:30 a.m., Sunday (FOX Sports 2)
• 2:30-9:30 a.m., Sunday (FOX Sports 1)

In addition, the full race will be streamed on FOX Sports GO.

Editor's Note:  Ford has just released "The Road to Le Mans" and "The Driver's Perspective" - the fourth and fifth (final) chapters in “The Return,” which is a long-form documentary that follows the development of both the street car and race car versions of the Ford GT from the decision to build the cars to the return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Watch chapter one, "The Decision," here, chapter two, "The Cutting Edge," here and chapter three,   "Let's Race," here. (FYI: The Autoextremist makes a cameo appearance in chapters one, four and five.) -WG

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Le Mans, France, June 19, 1966. Dan Gurney stands next to the No. 3 Shelby American-entered Ford Mk II that he shared with Jerry Grant before that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gurney put his 427 Ford-powered machine on the pole, but the car suffered a holed radiator and did not finish the race. The race marked the first overall victory for an American manufacturer at Le Mans. In a contrived formation finish, Bruce McLaren/Chris Amon (No. 2 Shelby American Ford Mk II) won the race, Ken Miles/Denny Hulme (No. 1 Shelby American Ford Mk II) finished second and Ronnie Bucknum/Dick Hutcherson (No. 5 Holman & Moody Ford Mk II) came in third. The orchestrated finish by Ford executives cost Ken Miles and Denny Hulme the win, which enraged Miles and left him bitter, never forgiving - or forgetting - how and why it happened. Ford remains the only American automobile manufacturer to ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Watch an excellent Ford-produced video here.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD