1985 24 Hours of Le Mans

1985 24 Hours of Le Mans

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The 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 53rd Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the fourth round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on 15 and 16 June 1985.

During Thursday's practice, Briton driver Dudley Wood in a John Fitzpatrick entered Porsche 962C tangled with the Swiss driver Jean-Pierre Frey in an Alba AR2 on the Mulsanne Straight at 200 mph (320 km/h). They crashed, and they both went over the barriers and into the trees, similar to John Sheldon's crash the year before. The impact was so hard, it even cracked the Porsche's engine. No one was killed. As a result, neither car started the race.

During qualifying, German driver Hans-Joachim Stuck recorded the fastest ever lap of Le Mans- at an average speed of 156.471 mph (251.815 km/h).

Klaus Ludwig took his third overall win, and his second in a row, in the same 956B chassis, 956B-117, which had won the 1984 race.

6-time winner Jacky Ickx finished his final 24 Hours of Le Mans in 10th place.

Official results

Le Mans in 1985

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Tyre	Laps
					Engine
1	C1	7	New-Man Joest Racing	Klaus Ludwig Paolo Barilla "John Winter"	Porsche 956B	D	374
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
2	C1	14	Richard Lloyd Racing	Jonathan Palmer James Weaver Richard Lloyd	Porsche 956 GTi	G	371
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
3	C1	2	Rothmans Porsche	Derek Bell Hans-Joachim Stuck	Porsche 962C	D	367
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
4	C1	33	John Fitzpatrick Racing	Jo Gartner David Hobbs Guy Edwards	Porsche 956B	Y	366
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
5	C1	10	Porsche Kremer Racing	Mario Hytten George Fouché Sarel van der Merwe	Porsche 956B	G	361
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
6	C1	4	Martini Lancia	Bob Wollek Alessandro Nannini Lucio Cesario	Lancia LC2	M	360
					Ferrari 308C 3.0 L Turbo V8
7	C1	5	Martini Lancia	Henri Pescarolo Mauro Baldi	Lancia LC2	M	358
					Ferrari 308C 3.0 L Turbo V8
8	C1	26	Obermaier Racing Team	Jürgen Lässig Jesús Pareja Hervé Regout	Porsche 956	G	357
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
9	C1	11	Porsche Kremer Racing	Jean-Pierre Jarier Mike Thackwell Franz Konrad	Porsche 962C	G	356
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
10	C1	1	Rothmans Porsche	Jacky Ickx Jochen Mass	Porsche 962C	D	348
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
11	C1	66	EMKA Productions, Ltd.	Tiff Needell Steve O'Rourke Nick Faure	EMKA C84/1	D	338
					Aston Martin-Tickford 5.3 L V8
12	C1	36	Tom's Team	Satoru Nakajima Masanori Sekiya Kaoru Hoshino	Tom's 85C-L	B	330
					Toyota 4T-GT 2.1 L Turbo I4
13	GTP	44	Jaguar Group 44	Bob Tullius Chip Robinson Claude Ballot-Léna	Jaguar XJR-5	G	324
					Jaguar 6.0 L V12
14	C2	70	Spice Engineering	Gordon Spice Ray Bellm Mark Galvin	Spice-Tiga GC85	A	312
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
15	B	151	Helmut Gall	Edgar Dören Martin Birrane Jean-Paul Libert	BMW M1	A	307
					BMW M88 3.5 L I6
16	C2	75	ADA Engineering	Ian Harrower Steve Earle John Sheldon	Gebhardt JC843	A	299
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
17	C1	42	WM Peugeot	Michel Pignard Jean-Daniel Raulet Jean Rondeau	WM P83B	M	299
					Peugeot PRV 2.6 L Turbo V6
18	C1	39	Bussi Racing	Bruno Sotty Jean-Claude Justice Patrick Oudet	Rondeau M382	D	291
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
19	C2	86	Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd.	David Kennedy Philippe Martin Jean-Michel Martin	Mazda 737C	D	283
					Mazda 13B 1.3 L 2-Rotor
20	C1	13	Primagaz	Yves Courage Alain de Cadenet Jean-François Yvon	Cougar C12	M	279
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
21	C2	99	Roy Baker Promotions Ford	Paul Smith Will Hoy Nick Nicholson	Tiga GC285	A	274
					Ford Cosworth BDT 1.7 L Turbo I4
22	C1	34	Kreepy Krauly Racing	Graham Duxbury Christian Danner Almo Coppelli	March 85G	Y	270
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
23	C2	95	Roland Bassaler	Roland Bassaler Dominique Lacaud Yvon Tapy	Sauber SHS C6	A	268
					BMW M88 3.5 L I6
24	C2	85	Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd.	Yoshimi Katayama Yojiro Terada Takashi Yorino	Mazda 737C	D	264
					Mazda 13B 1.3 L 2-Rotor
25 DSQ†	C1	41	WM Peugeot	Patrick Gaillard Pascal Pessiot Dominique Fornage	WM P83B	M	267
					Peugeot PRV 2.6 L Turbo V6
26 NC	C2	77	Spice Engineering	Tim Lee-Davey Neil Crang Tony Lanfranchi	Tiga GC84	D	226
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
27 NC	C2	74	Team Labatt Gebhardt Engineering	Frank Jelinski John Graham Nick Adams	Gebhardt JC853	A	224
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
28 NC	C2	98	Roy Baker Promotions Ford	François Duret David Andrews Duncan Bain	Tiga GC284	A	150
					Ford Cosworth BDT 1.7 L Turbo I4
29 NC	C2	93	Automobiles Louis Descartes	Louis Descartes Jacques Heuclin Daniel Hubert	ALD 01	A	141
					BMW M88 3.5 L I6
30 DNF	C1	18	Brun Motorsport	Massimo Sigala Oscar Larrauri Gabriele Tarquini	Porsche 956	D	323
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
31 DNF	C1	19	Brun Motorsport	Walter Brun Joël Gouhier Didier Theys	Porsche 962C	D	304
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
32 DNF	C1	3	Rothmans Porsche	Al Holbert Vern Schuppan John Watson	Porsche 962C	D	299
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
33 DNF	C1	31	Primagaz	Pierre Yver Pierre-François Rousselot François Sérvanin	Rondeau M382	D	286
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
34 DNF	C1	8	New-Man Joest Racing	Paul Belmondo Mauricio de Narváez Kenper Miller	Porsche 956	D	277
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
35 DNF	C2	80	Carma F.F.	Martino Finotto Aldo Bertuzzi Guido Daccò	Alba AR6	A	228
					Carma FF 1.9 L Turbo I4
36 DNF	GTP	40	Jaguar Group 44	Brian Redman Hurley Haywood Jim Adams	Jaguar XJR-5	G	151
					Jaguar 6.0 L V12
37 DNF	C1	67	Jean-Philippe Grand	Patrick Gonin Pascal Witmeur Pierre de Thoisy	Rondeau M482	M	143
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
38 DNF	C1	38	Dome Team	Eje Elgh Geoff Lees Toshio Suzuki	Dome 85C-L	D	141
					Toyota 4T-GT 2.1 L Turbo I4
39 DNF	C2	90	Jens Winther Denmark	Jens Winther David Mercer Margie Smith-Haas	URD C83	A	141
					BMW M88 3.5 L I6
40 DNF	B	157	Angelo Pallavicini	Enzo Calderari Angelo Pallavicini Marco Vanoli	BMW M1	A	116
					BMW M88 3.5 L I6
41 DNF	B	156	Raymond Touroul Team	Raymond Touroul Thierry Perrier Philippe Dermagne	Porsche 911SC	P	107
					Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6
42 DNF	C1	43	WM Peugeot	Claude Haldi Roger Dorchy Jean-Claude Andruet	WM P83B	M	73
					Peugeot PRV 2.8 L Turbo V6
43 DNF	C2	104	Ecurie Blanchet Locatop	Michel Dubois Hubert Striebig Noël del Bello	Rondeau M379	A	65
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
44 DNF	C1	24	Cheetah Automobiles Switzerland	Bernard de Dryver Claude Bourgoignie John Cooper	Cheetah G604	D	53
					Aston Martin-Tickford 5.3 L V8
45 DNF	C2	79	Ecurie Ecosse	Mike Wilds Ray Mallock David Leslie	Ecosse C285	A	45
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
46 DNF	C1	46	Bussi Racing Roland Bassaler	Christian Bussi Jack Griffin Marion L. Speer	Rondeau M482	M	36
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
47 DNF	B	152	Vogelsang	Harald Grohs Altfrid Heger Kurt König	BMW M1	A	32
					BMW M88 3.5 L I6
48 DNF	C2	100	Goodmands Sound Bartlett Chevron Racing	Richard Jones Robin Smith Max Cohen-Olivar	Chevron B62	A	19
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
49 DNF	C2	82	Grifo Autoracing	Paolo Giangrossi Pasquale Barberio Mario Radicella	Alba AR3	D	5
					Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
DNS	C1	61	Sauber Racing	John Nielsen Dieter Quester Max Welti	Sauber C8	D	-
					Mercedes-Benz M117 5.0 L Turbo V8
DNS	C2	81	Carma F.F.	Loris Kessel Ruggero Melgrati Aldo Bertuzzi Jean-Pierre Frey	Alba AR2	A	-
					Carma FF 1.9 L Turbo I4
DNS	C2	97	Strandell Porsche	Stanley Dickens Martin Schanche	Strandell 85	A	-
					Porsche Type-934 3.3 L Turbo Flat-6
DNQ	C2	106	Bruno Sotty	Martin Wagenstetter Kurt Hild	Lotec C302	D	-
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
DNQ	C1	55	John Fitzpatrick Racing	Kenny Acheson Dudley Wood Jean-Louis Schlesser	Porsche 962C	Y	-
					Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6

† – #41 failed post-race inspection for being underweight. Finished 24th prior to disqualification.

Statistics

• Pole Position: #2 Rothmans Porsche - 3:14.80
• Fastest Lap: #1 Rothmans Porsche - 3:25.10
• Distance: 5088.507 km
• Average Speed: 212.021 km/h

References

• "FIA World Endurance Championship 1985 - 24 h Le Mans". World Sports Racing Prototypes. 2005-10-02. Archived from the original on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-29. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
• "Le Mans 24 Hours 1985". Racing Sports Cars. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-06-29.