Gunning for glory at 24 Hours Le Mans

New York

THE 24 Hours of Le Mans started in 1923 in a tiny town in the French countryside 130 miles (209 km) from Paris. The storied endurance race pits some old European brands - Peugeot, Renault, and Matra, among others - against the likes of Audi and Porsche, in cars piloted by relatively unknown drivers. It lasts for more than 3,000 miles around a single track, and it doesn't draw celebrities like the more glamorous European Formula 1 races.

And yet, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most prestigious, and most important, race of its kind.

"Every kind of racing has its Kentucky Derby, like the Monaco Grand Prix for Formula 1," said John Paolo Canton, head of communications for McLaren in North America. "Le Mans is that for sports cars. If you look a…