By alley - Jun 9, 2015, 1:07 PM ET

LM24: Top Kiwi drivers featured at Le Mans

Four of the world’s most impressive young New Zealanders will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, giving the South Pacific island of 4.5 million a strong representation as the legendary endurance event.

The factory Porsche team has claimed two Kiwis for its 919 Hybrid program, placing Brendon Hartley in the No. 17 car and Earl Bamber in the sister No. 19. Defending P2 winners Jota Sport have added the promising Mitch Evans to the No. 38 Gibson-Nissan, and Aston Martin Racing has young gun Richie Stanaway in the No. 99 V8 Vantage, giving New Zealanders representation in every class.

Three-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon has been the elder statesman among Kiwis racing on the international stage, and coming off his win last weekend on the 1.5-mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway, he shared his thoughts on the next generation making a name for themselves at Le Mans.

“For such a small country, racing’s always been such a big part of the culture, and knowing the backside of it, it’s that much more impressive,” Dixon told RACER. “Everybody involved with those four were involved with helping to get me along in my career. Hartley’s been making a name for himself for a while now, and Bamber’s deal was cool – he did a secret test and landed a drive in a P1 car, which is awesome. And Richie and Mitch have been showing people what kind of talent they have. With Mitch winning at Spa, it’s given some of the Kiwis in the lower classes a bit of the spotlight, too.”

Having four supremely talented Kiwis at Le Mans is rather amazing, given the relative size and financial assistance available to up-and-coming drivers.

“It’s hard for guys from New Zealand because the money isn’t there, and there are a handful of guys who still step up and help, but you don’t really see big companies in New Zealand putting money behind young guys to go abroad,” Dixon explained. “It’s great to see the results with the four younger guys at Le Mans getting there on talent and making the most of the opportunities they have.”

Given the chance, the 2006 Rolex 24 at Daytona winner says he’d love to add Le Mans to his CV, along with Australia’s greatest race.

“Le Mans is on the radar and something I’ve always wanted to do,” Dixon said. “The timing has been hard with IndyCar, but Le Mans and Bathurst are for sure the ones I want to do when the time is right.”

Hartley and Bamber shared their thoughts and experiences on the influx of Kiwis at Le Mans this year, and reveal their history growing up on the New Zealand karting scene in the video below: