The 24 Hours of Le Mans is celebrating its anniversary: the 90th running of the legendary long-distance classic starts in France on June 11 at 4:00 p.m. Proton Competition and Dempsey Proton Racing are at the party at the Circuit 24 Heures, fielding a total of five Porsche 911 RSR. For the successful teams from Ummendorf in Swabia, Le Mans is the biggest challenge of the year.

The fight for the most prestigious victory of the season will once again be particularly exciting in the GTE-Am class. No fewer than 23 cars from Porsche, Aston Martin and Ferrari are on the grid in what is traditionally the hardest-fought category in the World Sportscar Championship. For Proton Racing, the trip to France is the return to the place of its greatest triumph: In 2018, the 911 RSR with starting number 77 won the toughest car race in the world.

After two years of Corona, the anniversary race will again take place in front of full grandstands. Far more than 200,000 fans will make their way to the French provinces. A total of 62 cars with 186 drivers face the greatest challenge motorsport has to offer in the third race of the season in the Sports Car World Championship. Anyone who is successful in Le Mans benefits twice: Traditionally, double WEC points are awarded in this race.

Dempsey Proton Racing: Christian Ried (Germany) shares driving duties with the Brits Harry Tincknell and Sebastian Priaulx in the number 77 911 RSR. The Americans Fred Poordad and Maxwell Root drive the number 88 together with Jan Heylen (Belgium). The team is owned by Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey, who fulfilled his racing dream in 2015 by finishing second at Le Mans.

Proton Competition: The drivers of the 911 RSR with starting number 93 are Michael Fassbender (Ireland), Matt Campbell (Australia) and Zach Robichon (Canada). Cooper MacNeil (USA), Julien Andlauer (France) and Thomas Merrill (USA) share the cockpit of the 911 RSR, which Proton Competition uses with starting number 79 for the WeatherTech Racing team. In addition, Proton Competition looks after the 911 RSR with starting number 99 from Hardpoint Motorsport with drivers Andrew Hariyanto (Indonesia), Martin Rump (Estonia) and Alessio Picariello (Belgium).

Quotes on the race
Michael Ried, team owner and technical director : “It is a huge challenge for our team to field five 911 RSR in such a demanding classic as Le Mans. But we're all looking forward to it. With good preparation, we have created the conditions for being able to play an important role in our incredibly strong class. We will use the traditional pre-test to optimize the processes in the team and fine-tune our 911 RSR perfectly together with the drivers. Then we will be ready for the biggest race of the year.”

Christian Ried (Porsche 911 RSR #77) : “Le Mans is the absolute highlight of the season. Every driver dreams of winning this race. We managed to do that in 2018. This success was a milestone in the history of our team and the greatest thing I've experienced as a racing driver. The memory of this is the greatest motivation for all of us to do our best. Meeting the challenge of Le Mans means pushing your limits even under the most difficult conditions.”

Harry Tincknell (Porsche 911 RSR #77) : “A year ago, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was my first race with this team. It would be great if we got our first win together this time.”

Sebastian Priaulx (Porsche 911 RSR #77) : “I can hardly wait. Driving the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the 911 RSR is the greatest thing for me. This is a dream come true.”

Cooper MacNeil (Porsche 911 RSR #79): “I'm really looking forward to my eighth start at Le Mans. It's the toughest car race in the world. I've already driven the long-distance classics at Daytona and Sebring with Julien this season, and I think that we'll be well prepared for Le Mans as a result. Le Mans is completely new territory for Thomas, but together with the Proton Competition crew we will do our utmost to support him on his debut.”

Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 RSR #79) : “This race outshines everything. The 24 hours are full of great challenges. It is important to stay out of all turbulence. A lost lap is very difficult to make up for. I often think of 2018 when I was one of the drivers of the winning #77 car. That motivates me a lot.”

Fred Poordad (Porsche 911 RSR #88) : “There's no question that Le Mans is the highlight of the year for us. We face this challenge fully motivated and with great passion – and we hope that we can be among the front runners in our strong class.”

Michael Fassbender (Porsche 911 RSR #93) : “With the start in Le Mans, my dream as a racing driver has come true for me. That's what I've been working towards for the last few years. I'm happy to have such an experienced team and such strong teammates at my side in this legendary race."

Zach Robichon (Porsche 911 RSR #93) : “The 24 Hours of Le Mans has always been my dream. I can't believe it's coming true now."

Andrew Hariyanto (Porsche 911 RSR #99) : “Le Mans is a unique race. It places the highest demands on drivers and teams. One of the keys to success will be setting a high pace from the start, staying out of trouble and being there at the end.”

The race track
The 13.629-kilometer Circuit des 24 Heures is unique with its mixture of permanent race track and ordinary country roads. The Mulsanne and Tertre Rouge curves are legendary, as is the almost five-kilometer-long Hunaudières straight. The long-distance classic, which was held for the first time in 1923, can look back on an eventful history full of triumphs and tragedies. The best racing drivers have immortalized themselves in the list of winners of the most famous long-distance race in the world. Hollywood has also erected a monument to the prestigious 24-hour hunt in the French provinces: "Le Mans" starring Steve McQueen was released 51 years ago and is still considered the best racing film of all time.

The car
The engine of the Porsche 911 RSR, with which Proton Competition and Dempsey Proton Racing are at the start in Le Mans, is installed in front of the rear axle and, depending on the size of the restrictor, has an output of around 378 kW (515 hp). The large rear diffuser in combination with the suspended rear wing ensures aerodynamic efficiency and a high level of downforce.

The times
The 24 Hours of Le Mans starts on Saturday, June 11, at 4:00 p.m. RTL NITRO will broadcast the full length of the race live on free TV. Eurosport also reports extensively on its channels. Live timing is available at www.fiawec.com.

The series
In the sports car world championship WEC (World Endurance Championship), sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTE-Pro and GTE-Am. They drive together in a race, but are scored separately. Dempsey Proton Racing competes with the Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class against strong competitors from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche.