The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) has today announced that three major figures from the automotive world will be honoured at the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours race which will start on Saturday 13th June.
William Clay Ford Jr, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, will be honorary starter for the third round of the World Endurance Championship - one of the world's biggest sporting events - while Audi Sport ambassador and the 24-hour race's most successful driver, Tom Kristensen, will be Grand Marshal.
Bill Ford commented: "The history of my family is very closely linked to the legendary La Sarthe circuit event. Fifty years ago, the duel with Ferrari out on the track became one of milestone periods in the history of motor sport. It’s a great honour to come to the Le Mans 24 Hours this year and drop the flag to start this legendary endurance race as my uncle did back in 1966.”
An equally important name is that of former Toyota Racing Team President, Yoshiaki Kinoshita, who will be awarded the Spirit of Le Mans Trophy at the ACO's annual press conference on Thursday 11th June. His name will be added to a list of endurance racing’s elite which includes Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Gérard Larousse and Henri Pescarolo. The award has, since 2001, been presented to participants who have epitomized the spirit of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Kinoshita san’s association with Le Mans dates back to the 1990s when he was an engineer on the TS010. More recently, he was a driving force behind Toyota's return to World Championship endurance racing at Le Mans in 2012.
His time as Team President culminated in the Japanese automotive giant winning the 2014 Manufacturers’ World Championship alongside the Drivers’ crown which was won by Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi. In April this year he began a new assignment at TOYOTA TECHNOCRAFT Co. Ltd. in Japan.
Quote and information from both ACO and Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Photos: From top - Toyota's Yoshiaki Kinoshita; Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman, Bill Ford; 'Mr Le Mans', Tom Kristensen.
