24h Le Mans
The LMGT1 victory Saleen S7-R entered by Larbre Compétition at the Le Mans 24 Hours offers the opportunity to review the career of its creator Steve Saleen, ten years after the presentation of the street version of the S7.
The LMGT1 victory Saleen S7-R entered by Larbre Compétition at the Le Mans 24 Hours offers the opportunity to review the career of its creator Steve Saleen, ten years after the presentation of the street version of the S7.
Born in 1949, Steve Saleen first built up his reputation as a driver in Formula Atlantic and SCCA-TransAm Series. He founded Saleen Autosport in 1983, and manufactured special sports versions of street cars and also racing cars, notably becoming one of the best specialists of the Ford Mustang.
On August 19, 2000, he unveiled the first car bearing his name on the Laguna Seca circuit: the Saleen S7, at the time the fastest production car in the world. Its racing version, named S7-R, played an active part in the rebirth of GT and endurance racing, alongside the Corvette, Ferrari 550 Maranello, Aston Martin DBR9 and Maserati MC12, and Larbre’s Le Mans win will probably remain the finest achievement of its race record. In 2003, the Saleen S7 also appeared in the ‘Bruce Almighty’ blockbuster, with Jim Carrey at the wheel.
In 2008, Steve Saleen formed a new company named SMS (the initials of his full name Steve Mark Saleen) Supercars, whose specialty is supercar versions of Ford Mustangs, Dodge Challengers and Chevrolet Camaros, among others.
