The Alain Prost circuit will welcome the go-kart Le Mans 24 Hours on August 28-29. Forty contenders will battle for victory.

Go-kart regulars will be present like the local Sarthe RTKF team with two Sodi Kart chassis, and will try to score a 1-2 as they did last year. Other favourites include Paris MD or Seine et Marne PCC, currently 2nd and 3rd in the provisional standings of the Euro Endurance Series, and also Normandie-Technikart with factory driver Armand Convers, and the Englishmen from Brands Hatch.

The event will begin with technical verification and night testing on Thursday, and qualifying will take place on Friday afternoon. Hometown hero Sébastien Bourdais (a former winner of the race in 1996) will be the race starter on Saturday at 3 PM.

Minikarts and Kart Legend will act as a prologue to the 24 Hours. The younger will battle with the Minikarts in a 24-minute race, while the elder will come for a demonstration at the wheel of classic go-karts.

Admission is free under 16 years of age, ACO members and drivers with a go-kart license. Tickets are on sale through www.lemans.org and provided at the museum’s shop and the Tourist Office. Three-day pass: 5 euros per person. Three-day pass plus a 10-minute go-kart session: 12 euros per person. Go-kart renting is also available through the whole weekend, with a special offer to the ACO members with a 7-euro fee for a 10-minute session.

On Saturday and Sunday, a Défi Kart Jeunes challenge will take place to spot the young talents from go-kart rent who cannot afford go-kart racing? This selection is reserved to people from 12 to 22 years of age who do not have a racing license. Please visit www.kartjeunes.com for further information.