| Automotive racing began, as a speed competition | | | | achievement aroused the anger of the residents |
| to see which make of car was the fastest. It | | | | living near the court. The result was the innovation |
| was a powerful marketing tool for automotive | | | | of The Double Twelve. In this event, drivers |
| manufacturers as the one with a winning car could | | | | would race on one day from eight in the morning |
| expect dramatic increases in sales. Later, | | | | until eight at night. The cars would then be locked |
| however, another form of motor sport | | | | in for the night to be sure there would be no |
| developed, the endurance race. It differed from | | | | attempts at maintenance. They would race the |
| earlier events in that it was designed to test not | | | | following day, again from eight until eight. |
| just speed, but also the dependability of the | | | | In 1923, the Automobile Club of Sarthe in France |
| machine. This competition would determine many | | | | established the first 24 hours of LeMans. It began |
| factors about a car. Could it hold together when | | | | on May 26, 1923 at four in the afternoon and |
| driven continuously at high speeds? Could it do this | | | | ended at the same time on the following day. This |
| over public roads? And could it do this in both | | | | competition differed from Brooklands in that part |
| nighttime and daytime? The one important | | | | of the race was on public roads. Supposedly the |
| difference between endurance racing and other | | | | desire to establish the dependability of headlights |
| motor sports is the requirement for driving at | | | | played a leading part in the organization of the |
| night. | | | | event. While headlights, like many other |
| The first endurance competition was held in | | | | accessories are taken for granted today, they |
| England as the first event on the newly | | | | were in their babyhood back then. With the |
| completed closed circuit track, Brooklands. The | | | | exception of the World War II years and 1936, |
| race was sparked by Selwyn Edge, a British | | | | this is now an annual event. However, when |
| Napier dealer, who publicly announced that he and | | | | LeMans was the scene of one of motor sports' |
| his team would drive continuously around the | | | | worst accidents in 1955, some regulations were |
| track for twenty-four hours at sixty miles per | | | | changed and new ones implemented to improve |
| hour without a rest stop. | | | | safety. |
| Edge was able to accomplish this. However, his | | | | |