Le Mans 24 Hours 1981 - Racing Sports Cars

Event: 24 Heures du Mans		Date: 14.6.1981
Track: Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans (France), 13.626 kms	Organiser: Automobile Club de l'Ouest
Le Mans 24 Hours
World Championship for Drivers and Makes (round 8)

Weather:	warm, dry
Start time:	13/6 15:00
Grid:	unknown
Distance:	24 hours
Attendance:	170000

Entered:	73
Practiced:	63
Qualified:	55
Started:	55
Finished:	20
Classified:	18

Classes:	Pract	Start	Class
Group 6 - Sports +2000	14	12	3
Group 6 - Sports 2000	5	5	1
Group 5	15	14	5
Group 4 - Grand Touring	6	4	1
IMSA GTP	1
IMSA GTX	9	9	3
IMSA GTO	4	4	1
IMSA GTU	1
Le Mans GTP +3000	3	3	2
Le Mans GTP 3000	2	2	2
Group C	2	2

Photo Gallery Entered Cars Technical Data Appearance Race Results Grid Qualifying Lap Times

Race notes:
3 full-course cautions (50 min)

Pre-race sessions:
2 qualifying sessions held for a total of 480 minutes on 10-11/6

Winners:
Overall:	11	Porsche 936/81	Ickx / Bell
Group 6 - Sports 2000:	31	Lola T298 BMW	Grand / Courage
Group 5:	55	Porsche 935 K3	Cooper / Wood / Bourgoignie
Group 4 - Grand Touring:	70	Porsche 934	Bertapelle / Perrier / Salam
IMSA GTX:	47	Ferrari 512 BB/LM	Andruet / Ballot-Léna
IMSA GTO:	36	Porsche 924 Carrera GTR	Schurti / Rouse
Le Mans GTP +3000:	1	Porsche 944 LM	Barth / Röhrl
Le Mans GTP 3000:	8	Rondeau M379C Ford	Haran / Schlesser / Streiff
Fastest Laps:
Overall:	12	Porsche 936/81	Hurley Haywood (USA)	3:34.0000	229.2310 km/h
Pole Positions:
Overall:	11	Porsche 936/81	Jacky Ickx (B)	3:29.4400	234.2220 km/h
Group 6 - Sports 2000:	31	Lola T298 BMW	Grand / Courage	4:00.4200
Group 5:	59	Porsche 935 K3/81	Field / Whittington / Whittington	3:36.5400
Group 4 - Grand Touring:	71	BMW M1	Danner / von Bayern / Oberndorfer	4:00.1400
IMSA GTP:	90	McLaren M12 GT Chevrolet	Hervé Regout (B)	5:13.0600
IMSA GTX:	41	Porsche 935 K3	Henn / Chandler / Mignot	3:46.2200
IMSA GTO:	35	Chevrolet Camaro	Yarborough / Cooper / Hagan	3:59.5700
IMSA GTU:	39	Mazda RX-7	Vermeersch / Stiff / Ratcliff	4:21.9700
Le Mans GTP +3000:	5	WM P79/80 Peugeot	Fréquelin / Dorchy	3:39.7400
Le Mans GTP 3000:	7	Rondeau M379C Ford	Migault / Spice	3:43.9900
Group C:	82	WM P81 Peugeot	Boutsen / Pignard / Saulnier	3:37.8900
Notes of interest:
Top makes by numbers:	Porsche (18), BMW (6), Rondeau (5), Ferrari (5), Lancia (4), WM (4), Lola (4)
Top engines by numbers:	Porsche (18), Ford (11), BMW (9), Ferrari (5), Lancia (4), Peugeot (4)
Top car types by numbers:	Porsche 935 (10), BMW M1 (6), Rondeau M379 (5), Ferrari 512 BB (5)
Driver nationalities:	F (51), GB (21), USA (20), D (19), I (12), B (8), CH (3), IRL (3), J (3), E (2)
Team nationalities:	F (18), D (11), I (5), USA (5), GB (4), CH (3), J (3), B (2)
Most used colours:	white (43%), red (26%), blue (15%), yellow (4%)
Engine positions:	mid-engined (69%), rear-engined (20%), front-engined (11%)
Average engine size:	2970 cc (with regard to 45% turbocharged cars and 3% cars with rotary engine an applicable size is 3609 cc)
Oldest known drivers:	Tony Trimmer (60), Preston Henn (50), Billy Hagan (49)
Youngest known drivers:	Emanuele Pirro (19), Dale Whittington (22), Eddie Cheever (22)
Female drivers:	Anny-Charlotte Verney

Official Race Programme:

Cover	Entry List	Schedule	Track Map