1985 24 Hours of Le Mans

1985 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Index: Races | Winners

The 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 53rd Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the fourth round of the 1985 World Endurance Championship. It took place at the Circuit de la Sarthe, France, on 15 and 16 June 1985.

During Thursday's practice, Briton driver Dudley Wood in a John Fitzpatrick entered Porsche 962C tangled with the Swiss driver Jean-Pierre Frey in an Alba AR2 on the Mulsanne Straight at 200 mph (320 km/h). They crashed, and they both went over the barriers and into the trees, similar to John Sheldon's crash the year before. The impact was so hard, it even cracked the Porsche's engine. No one was killed. As a result, neither car started the race.[1]

During qualifying, German driver Hans-Joachim Stuck recorded the fastest ever lap of Le Mans- at an average speed of 156.471 mph (251.815 km/h).

Klaus Ludwig took his third overall win, and his second in a row, in the same 956B chassis, 956B-117, which had won the 1984 race.

6-time winner Jacky Ickx finished his final 24 Hours of Le Mans in 10th place.

Official results

Le Mans in 1985
Pos Class No Team Drivers Chassis Tyre Laps
Engine
1 C1 7 Germany New-Man Joest Racing Germany Klaus Ludwig
Italy Paolo Barilla
Germany "John Winter"
Porsche 956B D 374
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
2 C1 14 United Kingdom Richard Lloyd Racing United Kingdom Jonathan Palmer
United Kingdom James Weaver
United Kingdom Richard Lloyd
Porsche 956 GTi G 371
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
3 C1 2 Germany Rothmans Porsche United Kingdom Derek Bell
Germany Hans-Joachim Stuck
Porsche 962C D 367
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
4 C1 33 United Kingdom John Fitzpatrick Racing Austria Jo Gartner
United Kingdom David Hobbs
United Kingdom Guy Edwards
Porsche 956B Y 366
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
5 C1 10 Germany Porsche Kremer Racing Switzerland Mario Hytten
South Africa George Fouché
South Africa Sarel van der Merwe
Porsche 956B G 361
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
6 C1 4 Italy Martini Lancia France Bob Wollek
Italy Alessandro Nannini
Australia Lucio Cesario
Lancia LC2 M 360
Ferrari 308C 3.0 L Turbo V8
7 C1 5 Italy Martini Lancia France Henri Pescarolo
Italy Mauro Baldi
Lancia LC2 M 358
Ferrari 308C 3.0 L Turbo V8
8 C1 26 Germany Obermaier Racing Team Germany Jürgen Lässig
Spain Jesús Pareja
Belgium Hervé Regout
Porsche 956 G 357
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
9 C1 11 Germany Porsche Kremer Racing France Jean-Pierre Jarier
New Zealand Mike Thackwell
Austria Franz Konrad
Porsche 962C G 356
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
10 C1 1 Germany Rothmans Porsche Belgium Jacky Ickx
Germany Jochen Mass
Porsche 962C D 348
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
11 C1 66 United Kingdom EMKA Productions, Ltd. United Kingdom Tiff Needell
United Kingdom Steve O'Rourke
United Kingdom Nick Faure
EMKA C84/1 D 338
Aston Martin-Tickford 5.3 L V8
12 C1 36 Japan Tom's Team Japan Satoru Nakajima
Japan Masanori Sekiya
Japan Kaoru Hoshino
Tom's 85C-L B 330
Toyota 4T-GT 2.1 L Turbo I4
13 GTP 44 United States Jaguar Group 44 United States Bob Tullius
United States Chip Robinson
France Claude Ballot-Léna
Jaguar XJR-5 G 324
Jaguar 6.0 L V12
14 C2 70 United Kingdom Spice Engineering United Kingdom Gordon Spice
United Kingdom Ray Bellm
Republic of Ireland Mark Galvin
Spice-Tiga GC85 A 312
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
15 B 151 Germany Helmut Gall Germany Edgar Dören
Republic of Ireland Martin Birrane
Belgium Jean-Paul Libert
BMW M1 A 307
BMW M88 3.5 L I6
16 C2 75 United Kingdom ADA Engineering United Kingdom Ian Harrower
United States Steve Earle
United Kingdom John Sheldon
Gebhardt JC843 A 299
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
17 C1 42 France WM Peugeot France Michel Pignard
France Jean-Daniel Raulet
France Jean Rondeau
WM P83B M 299
Peugeot PRV 2.6 L Turbo V6
18 C1 39 France Bussi Racing France Bruno Sotty
France Jean-Claude Justice
France Patrick Oudet
Rondeau M382 D 291
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
19 C2 86 Japan Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Republic of Ireland Dave Kennedy
Belgium Philippe Martin
Belgium Jean-Michel Martin
Mazda 737C D 283
Mazda 13B 1.3 L 2-Rotor
20 C1 13 France Primagaz France Yves Courage
United Kingdom Alain de Cadenet
France Jean-François Yvon
Cougar C12 M 279
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
21 C2 99 United Kingdom Roy Baker Promotions Ford United Kingdom Paul Smith
United Kingdom Will Hoy
United States Nick Nicholson
Tiga GC285 A 274
Ford Cosworth BDT 1.7 L Turbo I4
22 C1 34 South Africa Kreepy Krauly Racing South Africa Graham Duxbury
Germany Christian Danner
Italy Almo Coppelli
March 85G Y 270
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
23 C2 95 France Roland Bassaler France Roland Bassaler
France Dominique Lacaud
France Yvon Tapy
Sauber SHS C6 A 268
BMW M88 3.5 L I6
24 C2 85 Japan Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Japan Yoshimi Katayama
Japan Yojiro Terada
Japan Takashi Yorino
Mazda 737C D 264
Mazda 13B 1.3 L 2-Rotor
25
DSQ
C1 41 France WM Peugeot France Patrick Gaillard
France Pascal Pessiot
France Dominique Fornage
WM P83B M 267
Peugeot PRV 2.6 L Turbo V6
26
NC
C2 77 United Kingdom Spice Engineering United Kingdom Tim Lee-Davey
Australia Neil Crang
United Kingdom Tony Lanfranchi
Tiga GC84 D 226
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
27
NC
C2 74 Germany Team Labatt
Germany Gebhardt Engineering
Germany Frank Jelinski
Canada John Graham
United Kingdom Nick Adams
Gebhardt JC853 A 224
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
28
NC
C2 98 United Kingdom Roy Baker Promotions Ford United Kingdom François Duret
United Kingdom David Andrews
United Kingdom Duncan Bain
Tiga GC284 A 150
Ford Cosworth BDT 1.7 L Turbo I4
29
NC
C2 93 France Automobiles Louis Descartes France Louis Descartes
France Jacques Heuclin
France Daniel Hubert
ALD 01 A 141
BMW M88 3.5 L I6
30
DNF
C1 18 Switzerland Brun Motorsport Italy Massimo Sigala
Argentina Oscar Larrauri
Italy Gabriele Tarquini
Porsche 956 D 323
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
31
DNF
C1 19 Switzerland Brun Motorsport Switzerland Walter Brun
France Joël Gouhier
Belgium Didier Theys
Porsche 962C D 304
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
32
DNF
C1 3 Germany Rothmans Porsche United States Al Holbert
Australia Vern Schuppan
United Kingdom John Watson
Porsche 962C D 299
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
33
DNF
C1 31 France Primagaz France Pierre Yver
France Pierre-François Rousselot
France François Sérvanin
Rondeau M382 D 286
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
34
DNF
C1 8 Germany New-Man Joest Racing France Paul Belmondo
Colombia Mauricio de Narváez
United States Kenper Miller
Porsche 956 D 277
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6
35
DNF
C2 80 Italy Carma F.F. Italy Martino Finotto
Italy Aldo Bertuzzi
Italy Guido Daccò
Alba AR6 A 228
Carma FF 1.9 L Turbo I4
36
DNF
GTP 40 United States Jaguar Group 44 United Kingdom Brian Redman
United States Hurley Haywood
United States Jim Adams
Jaguar XJR-5 G 151
Jaguar 6.0 L V12
37
DNF
C1 67 France Jean-Philippe Grand France Patrick Gonin
Belgium Pascal Witmeur
France Pierre de Thoisy
Rondeau M482 M 143
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
38
DNF
C1 38 Japan Dome Team Sweden Eje Elgh
United Kingdom Geoff Lees
Japan Toshio Suzuki
Dome 85C-L D 141
Toyota 4T-GT 2.1 L Turbo I4
39
DNF
C2 90 Denmark Jens Winther Denmark Denmark Jens Winther
United Kingdom David Mercer
United States Margie Smith-Haas
URD C83 A 141
BMW M88 3.5 L I6
40
DNF
B 157 Switzerland Angelo Pallavicini Switzerland Enzo Calderari
Switzerland Angelo Pallavicini
Switzerland Marco Vanoli
BMW M1 A 116
BMW M88 3.5 L I6
41
DNF
B 156 France Raymond Touroul Team France Raymond Touroul
France Thierry Perrier
France Philippe Dermagne
Porsche 911SC P 107
Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6
42
DNF
C1 43 France WM Peugeot Switzerland Claude Haldi
France Roger Dorchy
France Jean-Claude Andruet
WM P83B M 73
Peugeot PRV 2.8 L Turbo V6
43
DNF
C2 104 France Ecurie Blanchet Locatop France Michel Dubois
France Hubert Striebig
France Noël del Bello
Rondeau M379 A 65
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
44
DNF
C1 24 Switzerland Cheetah Automobiles Switzerland Belgium Bernard de Dryver
Belgium Claude Bourgoignie
United Kingdom John Cooper
Cheetah G604 D 53
Aston Martin-Tickford 5.3 L V8
45
DNF
C2 79 United Kingdom Ecurie Ecosse United Kingdom Mike Wilds
United Kingdom Ray Mallock
United Kingdom David Leslie
Ecosse C285 A 45
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
46
DNF
C1 46 France Bussi Racing
France Roland Bassaler
France Christian Bussi
United States Jack Griffin
United States Marion L. Speer
Rondeau M482 M 36
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
47
DNF
B 152 Switzerland Vogelsang Germany Harald Grohs
Germany Altfrid Heger
Germany Kurt König
BMW M1 A 32
BMW M88 3.5 L I6
48
DNF
C2 100 United Kingdom Goodmands Sound
United Kingdom Bartlett Chevron Racing
United Kingdom Richard Jones
United Kingdom Robin Smith
Morocco Max Cohen-Olivar
Chevron B62 A 19
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
49
DNF
C2 82 Italy Grifo Autoracing Italy Paolo Giangrossi
Italy Pasquale Barberio
Italy Mario Radicella
Alba AR3 D 5
Ford Cosworth DFL 3.3 L V8
DNS C1 61 Switzerland Sauber Racing Denmark John Nielsen
Austria Dieter Quester
Switzerland Max Welti
Sauber C8 D -
Mercedes-Benz M117 5.0 L Turbo V8
DNS C2 81 Italy Carma F.F. Switzerland Loris Kessel
Italy Ruggero Melgrati
Italy Aldo Bertuzzi
Switzerland Jean-Pierre Frey
Alba AR2 A -
Carma FF 1.9 L Turbo I4
DNS C2 97 Sweden Strandell Porsche Sweden Stanley Dickens
Norway Martin Schanche
Strandell 85 A -
Porsche Type-934 3.3 L Turbo Flat-6
DNQ C2 106 France Bruno Sotty Germany Martin Wagenstetter
Germany Kurt Hild
Lotec C302 D -
Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 L V8
DNQ C1 55 United Kingdom John Fitzpatrick Racing United Kingdom Kenny Acheson
United Kingdom Dudley Wood
France Jean-Louis Schlesser
Porsche 962C Y -
Porsche Type-935 2.6 L Turbo Flat-6

 – #41 failed post-race inspection for being underweight. Finished 24th prior to disqualification.

Statistics

References

World Sportscar Championship
Previous race:
1985 1000 km of Silverstone
1985 season Next race:
1985 1000 km of Hockenheim