Americans fill 19 spots for Le Mans

There will be 19 American drivers among the 150 who will compete Saturday and Sunday in the 71st running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race.

In the history of the French race, considered the most prestigious sports car event in the world, there have been 12 Americans reaching Victory Lane.

Interest in Le Mans among Americans had waned until the birth of the American Le Mans Series, which began in 1999 and uses the same rules and many of the same drivers and cars that compete at Le Mans.

Among the 50 cars that will start the race, 21 regularly compete in ALMS events and 32 were in the field for 12 Hours of Sebring that started the 2003 season in March.

Though drivers from the United States have scored class wins in recent years, including 2002, the last American to be part of the team that won the overall title was Davy Jones in 1996.

Le Mans is one of the most difficult races in the world to win, with car preparation, pit work and driver ability and concentration all coming into play even more than usual.

"You can't leave anything undone," said Terry Borcheller of Phoenix, a driver for Risi Competizione in a Ferrari 360 Modena. "Everything has to be thought through, from food to preparation of the drivers and team. Nothing can be left undone or you're going to have problems."

Phil Hill, Al Holbert and Hurly Haywood were each three-time overall winners, with Hill's victory in 1958 the first for a native American. Luigi Chinetti raced to his third Le Mans win in 1949 after becoming an American citizen.

Other overall winners include A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Price Cobb, Masten Gregory, Carroll Shelby and Bill and Don Whittington.

Johnny O'Connell was part of the Corvette team that won the GTS class last year, while Butch Leitzinger helped Bentley win the GTP class in the same event. Kevin Buckler was both driver and owner of the car that won the GT class.