Memories of 24 Hours

Twenty-four years ago, Mazda became the first - and so far only - Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Mazda North American Operations Vice President of Operations Robert Davis, who also happens to be a racer himself, says he is often asked when he will stop talking about Mazda's 1991 victory in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. His stock answer is, "When another Japanese manufacturer wins."

So far that hasn't happened. Mazda is the first, and so far only, Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On the eve of this year's edition, it seems fitting to look back on that victory.

In 1991, Group C, which formed the top class of endurance racing, was in a state of transition. The rules had changed for that year, with the prototypes using the same engine rules that Formula 1 was using at the time, 3.5-liter, normally aspirated, piston engines. The only problem is there simply weren't enough of the cars that complied with the new rules to fill the grid. So older Group C cars were allowed to compete in the race – the only reason the Mazda R26B 2.4-liter four-rotor-powered 787Bs were able to start.

The plan was to reserve the top 10 spots on the grid for the cars meeting the current rules. However, several manufacturers that had both chose to race the older-spec cars, meaning only Peugeot raced cars meeting the 1991 regulations.