1978 24 Hours of Le Mans

1978 24 Hours of Le Mans

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The 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 46th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 10 and 11 June 1978.

Race

Le Mans in 1978

In 1978, the Renault V6 turbo, which had lost in 1976 and 1977 to the Porsche 936, finally managed to beat the German cars. Each company had brought no less than four cars, which after qualifying shared the first four rows. After Renault's hare, the brand new A443, holed a piston late on Sunday morning, the modified A442B with its bubble roof was able to hold off Jacky Ickx and the remaining factory Porsches in the closing stages. Mission accomplished at Le Mans, Renault concentrated their efforts on Formula One.

Official results

Pos	Class	No	Team	Drivers	Chassis	Laps
					Engine
1	S +2.0	2	Renault Sport	Didier Pironi Jean-Pierre Jaussaud	Renault Alpine A442B	369
					Renault 2.0L Turbo V6
2	S +2.0	6	Martini Racing Porsche System	Bob Wollek Jürgen Barth Jacky Ickx	Porsche 936/78	364
					Porsche Type-935 2.1L Turbo Flat-6
3	S +2.0	7	Martini Racing Porsche System	Hurley Haywood Peter Gregg Reinhold Joest	Porsche 936/77	362
					Porsche Type-935 2.1L Turbo Flat-6
4	S +2.0	4	Equipe Renault Elf Sport Calberson	Guy Fréquelin Jean Ragnotti José Dolhem Jean-Pierre Jabouille	Renault Alpine A442A	358
					Renault 2.0L Turbo V6
5	IMSA +2.5	90	Dick Barbour Racing	Brian Redman Dick Barbour John Paul Sr.	Porsche 935/77	337
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
6	Gr.5 +2.0	44	Porsche Kremer Racing	Jim Busby Chris Cord Rick Knoop	Porsche 935/77	336
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
7	Gr.5 +2.0	41	Mondelo ASA Cachia Team Pace	Alfredo Guaraná Paulo Gomes Mário Amaral	Porsche 935/77	329
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
8	Gr.5 +2.0	43	Martini Racing Porsche System	Manfred Schurti Rolf Stommelen	Porsche 935/78	326
					Porsche 3.2L Turbo Flat-6
9	GTP 3.0	72	Jean Rondeau	Jean Rondeau Bernard Darniche Jacky Haran	Rondeau M378	294
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8
10	S +2.0	10	Grand Touring Cars Inc.	Vern Schuppan Jacques Laffite Sam Posey	Mirage M9	293
					Renault 2.0L Turbo V6
11	S 2.0	31	ROC La Pierre du Nord	Michel Pignard Lucien Roussiaud Laurent Ferrier	Chevron B36	284
					ROC-Chrysler 2.0L I4
12	GT 3.0	66	BP Racing / Anne-Charlotte Verney	Anne-Charlotte Verney Xavier Lapeyre François Servanin	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	279
					Porsche 3.0L Flat-6
13	GTP 3.0	71	André Chevalley Racing	André Chevalley François Trisconi	Inaltera LM	279
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8
14	IMSA +2.5	97	Charles Ivey Racing	Larry Perkins Gordon Spice John Rulon-Miller	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	278
					Porsche 3.0L Flat-6
15	S +2.0	8	Alain de Cadenet	Alain de Cadenet Chris Craft	De Cadenet-Lola LM	273
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8
16	IMSA +2.5	86	Écurie Grand Competition Cars North American Racing Team	François Migault Lucien Guitteny	Ferrari 365 GT4/BB	262
					Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12
17	GT +3.0	62	"Ségolen"	Christian Bussi Jean-Claude Briavoine "Ségolen" (André Gahinet)	Porsche 934	259
					Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
18 NC	S 2.0	23	Artos Francy Sauber PP AG	Marc Surer Eugen Strähl Harry Blumer	Sauber C5	257
					BMW 2.0L I4
19 NC	S 2.0	20	C.H. Graeminger	Sandro Plastina Mario Luini Jean-Daniel Grandjean	Cheetah G601	250
					Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0L I4
20 NC	GT 3.0	64	Georges Bourdillat	Georges Bourdillat Alain-Michel Bernhard Jean-Luc Favresse	Porsche 911 Carrera RSR	241
					Porsche 3.0L Flat-6
21 NC	S 2.0	25	Team Pronuptia	Bruno Sotty Gérard Cuynet Jean-Claude Dufrey	Lola T294/6	238
					Ford Cosworth FVC 1.9L I4
22 NC	S 2.0	24	Team Pronuptia	Michel Elkoubi Pierre Yver Philippe Streiff	Lola T296	232
					Ford Cosworth FVC 1.9L I4
23 NC	S 2.0	28	Dominique Lacaud	Michel Lateste Jean-François Auboiron Dominique Lacaud	Lola T297	217
					BMW 2.0L I4
24 NC	Gr.5 +2.0	45	Porsche Kremer Racing	Louis Krages Dieter Schornstein Philippe Gurdjian	Porsche 935/77	182
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
25 NC	S 2.0	27	Mogil Motors Ltd. with Kores Racing	Tony Charnell Robin Smith Fréderic Alliot Richard Jones	Chevron B31	180
					Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0L I4
26 DNF	S +2.0	1	Renault Sport	Jean-Pierre Jabouille Patrick Depailler	Renault Alpine A443	279
					Renault 2.0L Turbo V6
27 DNF	S +2.0	5	Martini Racing Porsche System	Jacky Ickx Henri Pescarolo Jochen Mass	Porsche 936/78	255
					Porsche Type-935 2.1L Turbo Flat-6
28 DNF	IMSA +2.5	88	Pozzi-Thompson JMS Racing	Jean-Claude Andruet Spartaco Dini	Ferrari 512BB	251
					Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12
29 DNF	IMSA +2.5	87	Luigi Chinetti Sr.	Jacques Guérin Jean-Pierre Delauney Gregg Young	Ferrari 512BB	232
					Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12
30 DNF	IMSA +2.5	89	Pozzi-Thompson JMS Racing	Claude Ballot-Léna Jean-Louis Lafosse	Ferrari 512BB	218
					Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12
31 DNF	S +2.0	19	IBEC Racing Developments, Ltd.	Guy Edwards Ian Grob	Ibec-Hesketh 308LM	195
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8
32 DNF	S 2.0	30	ROC La Pierre du Nord	Jacques Henry Albert Dufrene Max Cohen-Olivar	Chevron B36	195
					ROC-Chrysler 2.0L I4
33 DNF	GTP +3.0	78	WM A.E.R.E.M. / Team Esso Aseptogyl	Christian Debias Xavier Mathiot Marc Sourd	WM P78	186
					Peugeot PRV 2.7L Turbo V6
34 DNF	GTP 3.0	76	WM A.E.R.E.M. / Team Esso Aseptogyl	Christine Dacremont Marianne Hoepfner	WM P76	171
					Peugeot PRV 2.7L V6
35 DNF	GT +3.0	68	Hervé Poulain	Edgar Dören Gerhard Holup Hervé Poulain Roman Feitler	Porsche 934	167
					Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
36 DNF	S +2.0	3	Renault Sport	Derek Bell Jean-Pierre Jarier	Renault Alpine A442A	162
					Renault 2.0L Turbo V6
37 DNF	IMSA +2.5	91	Dick Barbour Racing	Bob Garretson Steve Earle Robert Akin	Porsche 935/77	159
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
38 DNF	S 2.0	29	ROC Modylook	Michel Dubois Daniel Gache Julien Sanchez	Chevron B36	142
					ROC-Chrysler 2.0L I4
39 DNF	Gr.5 +2.0	48	Haberthur Mecarillos-Cégécol Racing Team	Herbert Müller Claude Haldi "Nico" (Nick McGranger)	Porsche 935/76	140
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
40 DNF	S 2.0	26	G.V.E.A.	Georges Morand Eric Vaugnat Christian Blanc	Lola T296	130
					Ford Cosworth BDG 2.0L I4
41 DNF	S 2.0	21	Jean-Marie Lemerle	Jean-Marie Lemerle Alain Levié Pierre-François Rousselot	Lola T294	126
					ROC-Chrysler 2.0L I4
42 DNF	GT 3.0	65	Joël Laplacette	Antoine Salamin Gerard Vial Yves Courage Joël Laplacette	Porsche 930	116
					Porsche 3.3L Turbo Flat-6
43 DNF	S 2.0	34	BMW Great Britain Toleman Delivery	Dieter Quester Tom Walkinshaw Rad Dougall	Osella PA6	113
					BMW 2.0L I4
44 DNF	S 2.0	32	Dorset Racing Associates with Kelly Girl	Ian Harrower Tony Birchenhough Miss Juliette Slaughter Brian Joscelyn	Lola T294	61
					Ford Cosworth FVC 2.0L I4
45 DNF	GT +3.0	61	Auto Daniel Urcun	Guy Chasseuil Jean-Claude Lefévre Marcel Mignot	Porsche 934	61
					Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
46 DNF	GTP +3.0	77	WM A.E.R.E.M. / Team Esso Aseptogyl	Jean-Daniel Raulet Marcel Mamers	WM P77	44
					Peugeot PRV 2.7L Turbo V6
47 DNF	Gr.5 +2.0	94	Whittington Bros. Racing	Don Whittington Bill Whittington Franz Konrad	Porsche 935/77	41
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
48 DNF	IMSA +2.5	85	Ecurie Francorchamps	Teddy Pilette Jean Blaton Raymond Touroul	Ferrari 512BB	39
					Ferrari 4.9L Flat-12
49 DNF	GT +3.0	69	Ravenel Frères	Willy Braillard Philippe Dagoreau Jean-Louis Ravenel Jean Ravenel	Porsche 934	35
					Porsche 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
50 DNF	Gr.5 +2.0	46	Porsche Kremer Racing	Martin Raymond "Steve" (Jean-Pierre Wielemans) Mike Franey	Porsche 935/77	34
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
51 DNF	S +2.0	11	Grand Touring Cars Inc.	Sam Posey Michel Leclère	Mirage M9	33
					Renault 2.0L Turbo V6
52 DNF	IMSA +2.5	84	Brad Frisselle Racing Wynn's Belgium	Brad Frisselle Robert Kirby John Hotchkis	Chevrolet Monza	30
					Chevrolet 5.7L V8
53 DNF	S 2.0	33	Dorset Racing Associates Cloud Engineering	Bob Evans Martin Birrane Richard Down Richard Bond	Lola T294	23
					Ford Cosworth FVC 2.0L I4
54 DNF	Gr.5 +2.0	47	Weisberg Gelo Team	John Fitzpatrick Toine Hezemans	Porsche 935/77	19
					Porsche Type-935 3.0L Turbo Flat-6
DQ	S +2.0	12	Simon Phillips Racing BATCO France	Nick Faure John Beasley Simon Phillips Martin Raymond	De Cadenet-Lola T380	99
					Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8

Statistics

• Pole Position - #6 Martini Racing Porsche System (Jacky Ickx) - 3:27.06
• Fastest Lap - #1 Renault Sport (Jean-Pierre Jabouille) - 3:34.20
• Distance - 5044.53 km
• Average Speed - 210.188 km/h

Trophy Winners

• Index of Thermal Efficiency - #6 Martini Racing Porsche System

External links

• https://web.archive.org/web/20090622133455/http://wsrp.ic.cz/nonchamp1978.html#2