proGrAM
The 24H Motos funfair is always a great hit with fans. A magnificent Ferris wheel, white-knuckle rides, dodgems, shooting galleries and all the usual attractions await!
Teams have a two-hour free practice session to work on their machines’ settings before qualifying and the race itself. They can rotate their riders as they see fit during free practice. Depending on their race strategy, they may decide to give more laps to one of their riders but, generally, the amount of time the three riders spend on track is roughly equal. The riders on each bike wear different coloured armbands to tell them apart.
Since 1999, the Proclassic association has been organising an annual speed and endurance championship for enthusiasts of classic sport or competition motorbikes. The championships are organised within the framework of official FFM events and benefit from optimal safety conditions. The rules are updated regularly and motorbikes built until the end of 2005 are allowed to participate. The association encourages the spirit of competition while promoting mutual aid and camaraderie between riders, without the need to be a former rider to participate. The Le Mans round is the first of five events on the 2023 calendar.
The PMR Bridgestone Cup is a motorcycling championship for riders with disabilities, created in 2017 with the support of the FIM and FFM. The 2023 season, consisting of four races, will start with the first round at the 24 Heures Motos and the Bugatti circuit. The machines are adapted according to the disabilities, with, for example, a hand gear and rear brake system for paraplegics.
The qualifying sessions are organised by colour of the riders’ armband: blue, yellow and red, plus green for substitute riders. There are two sessions per colour and, therefore, per rider. At the end of Q1, the average of the two best times achieved by each trio is calculated to establish the preliminary standings and the provisional pole position.
This session offers riders an opportunity to find their bearings in reduced visibility. Night practice is also useful to check lights and luminous markers on the bikes and, particularly, for timekeepers to get used to spotting their team’s machine. In the hours of darkness during the race, they will have to maintain visual contact with the competitors to signal to them at the right time in the straight.