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From YourSITE.com Miscellaneous Features
As much a show as a car race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is steeped in tradition - an icon in the landscape of motorsport events. The circuit itself is as historic in sport as Fenway Park or Wimbledon and, given such comparison, it’s fair to say that the brick streets of Le Mans are becoming the race’s equivalent of Cooperstown. You see, bronze plaques adorn the narrow roadways, enscripted with the winning driver teams from years gone past. Each year, mid-way through Le Mans race week, last year’s drivers are celebrated with the dedication of their bronze square, complete with handprints and signatures. With a crowd of journalists and photographers on hand at the Place St. Nicolas, Audi Sport’s 2008 winning team of Dindo Capello, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish arrived for the ceremony as expected. This Wednesday afternoon, the three placed their hands on the bronze square where they’d initially left a print when the casting was being made. Interestingly there was a fourth handprint this year that, rumor has it, belongs to Audi Sport boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
Another note about the bronze plaque, Allan McNish’s name is spelled correctly. Those who’ve seen Audi’s Truth in 24 documentary that tells the story of the 2008 race will remember that Allan’s only other square here from 1998 sports the incorrect spelling of MacNish. Shutters clicked away as the three were mobbed by cameramen seeking to capture the event. And, after a few autographs, the three where whisked away to their awaiting Audi for a quick trip back to the track for a Q&A session with journalists in the race paddock. Later, they’ll take the R15’s first run around the full Le Mans circuit when the official test session begins.
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