1974 24 Hours of Le Mans
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The 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 42nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 15 and 16 June 1974. It was the fifth round of the 1974 World Championship for Makes.
Pre-race
In 1974, Ferrari retired from endurance racing. Matra had developed the Matra 670 into a more aerodynamic version, the 680. Three 670s and one 680 were entered. In addition, John Wyer entered two Gulf-GR7s.
Race
Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Larrousse's Matra 670 was leading at dawn. Around 10:00 a.m. the Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera running in second place lost its fifth gear, causing the car to lose around 40 seconds per lap to the leading Matra.
But just before 11:00 a.m., Pescarolo had a gearbox failure. The Porsche-designed Matra gearbox problem was easy to repair, but when Pescarolo returned to the race, he had lost 45 minutes. The Porsche 911 Turbo was now in the same lap, which was a surprising achievement for a road-car derivative car against the prototypes.
Rain began to fall during the final hour. Pescarolo managed to build a six-lap lead over the Porsche by the end. It was Matra's and Pescarolo's third consecutive Le Mans victory. At the end of the season Matra announced its retirement from racing.
Official results
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S 3.0 |
7 |  Équipe Gitanes
|
Henri Pescarolo Gérard Larrousse
|
Matra-Simca MS670C | Matra 3.0L V12 | 337 |
| 2 | S 3.0 |
22 |  Martini Racing Team
|
 Gijs van Lennep Herbert Müller
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo | Porsche 2.1L Turbo Flat-6 | 331 |
| 3 | S 3.0 |
9 | Équipe Gitanes
|
Jean-Pierre Jabouille François Migault
|
Matra-Simca MS670C | Matra 3.0L V12 | 324 |
| 4 | S 3.0 |
11 |  Gulf Research Racing Co.
|
Derek Bell Mike Hailwood
|
Gulf GR7 [1] | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8 | 317 |
| 5 | GT | 71 | Raymond Touroul
|
Cyril Grandet Dominique Bardini
|
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 | Ferrari 4.4L V12 | 313 |
| 6 | GT | 54 |  North American Racing Team
|
Dave Heinz Alain Cudini
|
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 | Ferrari 4.4L V12 | 312 |
| 7 | GT | 66 | Porsche Club Romand
|
Bernard Chenevière Peter Zbinden Michel Dubois
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | 312 |
| 8 | S 3.0 |
15 | Automobiles Ligier
|
Jacques Laffite Alain Serpaggi
|
Ligier JS2 | Maserati 3.0L V6 | 310 |
| 9 | S 3.0 |
1 | North American Racing Team
|
 Teodoro Zeccoli Jean-Claude Andruet
|
Ferrari 312P | Ferrari 3.0L V12 | 298 |
| 10 | GT | 70 | ASA Cachia
|
Raymound Touroul Henri Cachia Dennis Rua
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | 288 |
| 11 | GT | 56 | North American Racing Team
|
Christian Ethuin Lucien Guitteny
|
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 | Ferrari 4.4L V12 | 285 |
| 12 | GT | 69 | Lucien Negeotte
|
Lucien Negeotte Jean-Pierre Laffeach
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | 276 |
| 13 | GT | 59 | Pierre Mauroy
|
Anne-Charlotte Verney Pierre Mauroy Martine Rénier
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | 276 |
| 14 | GT | 63 | Jean-Claude Lagniez
|
Jean-Claude Lagniez Gérard Meo
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | 274 |
| 15 | T | 86 | Jean-Claude Aubriet
|
Jean-Claude Aubriet "Depnic"
|
BMW 3.0CSL | BMW 3.5L I6 | 269 |
| 16 | GT | 57 | Marcel Mignot
|
Marcel Mignot Harry Jones
|
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 | Ferrari 4.4L V12 | 266 |
| 17 | S 2.0 |
30 |  "Christine" - Écurie Seiko
|
Christine Beckers Yvette Fontaine Marie Laurent
|
Chevron B23 | Ford Cosworth FVC 2.0L I4 | 265 |
| 18 | GT | 51 | Henri Greder
|
Henri Greder Marie-Claude Charmasson
|
Chevrolet Corvette | Chevrolet 7.0L V8 | 253 |
| 19 | S 3.0 |
65 | Christian Poirot
|
Christian Poirot Jean Rondeau
|
Porsche 908/2 | Porsche 3.0L Flat-8 | 251 |
| 20 | GT | 73 | Paul Blancpain Toad Hall
|
Michael Keyser Milt Minter Paul Blancpain
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | 246 |
Not Classified
Failed to cover 70% of winner's laps (235 laps)
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | S 3.0 |
25 |  Mazda Automotive
|
Yasuhiro Okamoto Harukuni Takahashi Yojiro Terada
|
Sigma MC74 | Mazda 12A 1.2L 2-Rotor | 155 |
Did Not Finish
| Pos | Class | No | Team | Drivers | Chassis | Engine | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | GT | 72 | Polifac Gelo Racing Team
|
Franz Pesch Jürgen Barth
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 23 | GT | 62 | Ecurie Francorchamps
|
Hughes de Fierlandt Richard Bond
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 24 | GT | 67 | Porsche Club Romand
|
William Vollery Eric Chapuis Roger Dorchy
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 25 | S 2.0 |
44 | Gérard Cuynet
|
Gérard Cuynet Yves Evrard Jean-Louis Gama
|
Porsche 910 | Porsche 2.0L Flat-6 | |
| 26 | T | 90 | Shark Team
|
Jean-Claude Guérie Serge Godard Dominique Fornage
|
Ford Capri RS | Ford 3.0L V6 | |
| 27 | S 2.0 |
43 | Racing Organisation Course
|
Robert Mieusset Fred Stalder François Sérvanin
|
Lola T292 | ROC-Chrysler 2.0L I4 | |
| 28 | S 3.0 |
10 | Alain de Cadenet
|
Chris Craft John Nicholson
|
De Cadenet LM | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8 | |
| 29 | GT | 64 | Polifac Gelo Racing Team
|
Georg Loos Clemens Schickentanz
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 30 | T | 87 | BMW Jolly Club
|
Manfred Mohr Martino Finotto Carlo Facetti
|
BMW 3.0CSL | BMW 3.5L I6 | |
| 31 | GT | 61 | Robert Buchet
|
Claude Ballot-Léna Vic Elford
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 32 | S 3.0 |
17 |  Ortega Ecuador Marlboro Team
|
Fausto Merello Guillermo Ortega Lothar Ranft
|
Porsche 908/2 | Porsche 3.0L Flat-8 | |
| 33 | S 3.0 |
6 | Équipe Gitanes
|
Jean-Pierre Beltoise Jean-Pierre Jarier
|
Matra-Simca MS680 | Matra 3.0L V12 | |
| 34 | S 3.0 |
8 | Équipe Gitanes
|
Jean-Pierre Jaussaud Bob Wollek José Dolhem
|
Matra-Simca MS670B | Matra 3.0L V12 | |
| 35 | S 3.0 |
14 | Automobiles Ligier
|
Guy Chasseuil Michel Leclère
|
Ligier JS2 | Maserati 3.0L V6 | |
| 36 | S 3.0 |
28 | Michel Dupont Scato
|
Heinz Schulthess Michel Lateste
|
Lola T284 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8 | |
| 37 | S 3.0 |
21 | Martini Racing Team
|
 Helmut Koinigg Manfred Schurti
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo | Porsche 2.1L Turbo Flat-6 | |
| 38 | S 3.0 |
46 |  Rebaque-Rojas Racing Team
|
Guillermo Rojas Héctor Rebaque
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 39 | GT | 68 | Samson Kremer Racing
|
Hans Heyer Paul Keller Erwin Kremer
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 40 | S 3.0 |
19 | Wicky Racing Team
|
André Wicky Jacques Boucard Louis Cosson
|
Porsche 908/2 | Porsche 3.0L Flat-8 | |
| 41 | S 3.0 |
12 | Gulf Research Racing Co.
|
 Vern Schuppan Reine Wisell
|
Gulf GR7 [1] | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0L V8 | |
| 42 | S 2.0 |
23 | Mamers-Grac-Gotti-Meca
|
Max Mamers Xavier Lapeyre
|
Grac-Gotti MT20 | Chrysler-Simca JRD 2.0L I4 | |
| 43 | GT | 58 |  Escuderia Montjuich
|
Claude Haldi José-Maria Fernandez Jean-Marc Seguin
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 44 | GT | 60 | Louis Meznarie
|
Hubert Striebig Helmut Kirschoffer Jean-Louis Chateau
|
Porsche 911 Carrera RSR | Porsche 3.0L Flat-6 | |
| 45 | GT | 52 | Wicky Racing Team
|
 Max Cohen-Olivar Philippe Carron
|
De Tomaso Pantera | Ford 5.8L V8 | |
| 46 | S 3.0 |
18 | North American Racing Team
|
Jean-Louis Lafosse Giancarlo Gagliardi
|
Ferrari 308 GT4 | Ferrari 3.0L V8 | |
| 47 | S 2.0 |
27 | Michel Dupont Scato
|
Michel Dupont Gregor Fischer Daniel Brillat
|
Chevron B23/26 | Ford Cosworth BDG 1.8L I4 | |
| 48 | S 3.0 |
31 | Écurie Tibidabo
|
Francisco Torredemer Juan Fernandez Bernard Tramont
|
Porsche 908/3 | Porsche 3.0L Flat-8 | |
| 49 | GT | 55 | North American Racing Team
|
Jean-Pierre Paoli Alain Couderc
|
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 | Ferrari 4.4L V12 |
Statistics
- Pole Position - #7 Equipe Gitanes - 3:35.18
- Fastest Lap - #6 Equipe Gitanes - 3:42.70
- Distance - 4606.571 km
- Average Speed - 191.940 km/h
Trophy Winners
- Index of Thermal Efficiency - #71 Raymond Touroul