Le Mans Racing History From a2z

a2z racing provides this Le Mans racing history from a2z, we'll go to a spot in Italy, called 'Circuit de la sarthe'. Several decades ago, 24 hour LeMans was largely considered a hallmark in the history of motorsports. One of the most evolutionary and momentous races in motor racing history spanned the late 1960's to the very early '70s. The novel technology and designs were being refined in auto racing, on a daily basis.Le Mans has the forum for such men and their machines to display their latest high tech and talent. The 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours, in particular, would illustrate the high apex of this experiential period in auto racing as no other auto racing venue would be successful in.
The FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) was established in 1904 as a s a non-profit association. It is widely known for being the governing body for many global racing events, like Fomula One. It created several new sporting groups for race cars throughout the 1960s. Their efforts set the stage for what was to become a breaking point of massive proportion that was to set two vehicle companies, Ferrari, from Italy and Porsche, from Germany , in an all-time War of the Worlds-type competition, with two of the most brilliant sports racing vehicles to ever roar through the Dunlop Curve.
Ferrari, based in Maranello, threw down their gauntlet by building the Ferrari 512M, a sleek red warhorse from Italy's heartland with an incredible 620 horsepower V-12 engine, mounted longitudinally behind the driver's cockpit and weighing in at 930kg.

Porsche's arsonal included the 917K, a tubular space frame chassis car boasting a 580 horsepower flat twelve motor planted mid-ship in the frame. Weighing in at 1763.7lbs, this German marvel encapsulated speed and engineering.

Seven Porsche 917s would arrive to take the grid against Ferrari. 3 of these 917s were prepared by the J.W. Automotive team with Porsche factory aid. While Ferrari would be well represented for the 1971 French classic, as some eight 512M models were arriving. Ferrari rose to the occasion, with a strong effort coming from their North American Race Team. For the 1971 race, three 512Ms were prepared by the new North American team.
Never had the earth witnessed such awe-inspiring machines designed to enter any other form of racing.
Two racers would be team-mates of the red and white #12 Ferrari 512M. One would be Mr. Sam Posey, a young American racer with an impressive road racing history. The other racer named to take up the mantle for Ferrari's Le Mans effort the year of 1971 was a young Tony Adamowicz. Tony, also known as Tony a2z, was a gifted young American racer with a Trans Am title and a F5000 title in his trophy case. So, in the Summer of 1971, with his mind set on winning the world's toughest endurance race, Tony traveled to France, with the goal to not only race at Le Mans, but also race a Ferrari sports prototype.

And so, in '71, Tony and Sam piloted their sizzling red with white and blue striped Ferrari 512M to a third place finish. The efforts and success of a podium finish by the two spunky American drivers was highly cheered by Ferrari. Far better than Ferrari's dreadful race in '70. Unfortunately, the FIA would make public a new displacement limit of no more than 3.0 liters for '72, in all, ending the days when true light-weight masters of the world's road circuits. For Ferarri, such an exploitwas most fitting, as this would be the last LeMans competition to see the screaming five liter machines take to the track.
Now, Tony offers the masses of racing followers a way to reconnect with auto racing history through his apparel company, a2z Racer Gear (www.a2zracergear.com) which has become known for its line-up of first-rate vintage racing apparel. The latest additions to the company are the new Ford Shelby Driving Shoes. These shoes are sure to provid the enthusiast a first-rate shoe suited for long strolls, day driving or the track. They are especially made for the racing aficionado in all of us. The strong leather and suede upper construction contribute to a long lasting, comfortable piece of footwear. Offering performance, quality fit, a stylized, vulcanized rubber sole and skid resistant flared and rolled heel that is excellent for heel-toe shifting and hi performance driving. They make connecting with one of the most indelible times in motor racing as easy as tying your shoes.