In honor of the 78th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010, the michelinracingusa.com staff offers 24 bits of Le Mans history, factoids and trivia. See www.michelinracingusa.com for updates, features and the complete list, plus Rick Dole photos.

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The No. 13 Lola Rebellion Coupe at sunset on Saturday. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Note 22 of 24: Sunrise, Sunset, Sport

Today is race day at Le Mans and while the signage and official race clock will indeed reflect 24 Hours, for the participating teams it is much closer to a 40-hour day/night/day marathon.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is held in early June, near the summer solstice, in part to provide maximum daylight during the 24 Hour race. There will be a bit more than 16 hours of daylight Saturday, from the 5:46 a.m. Saturday sunrise through the 3:00 p.m. local time race start and Saturday’s sunset at 9:55 p.m.

The teams will not only see Sunday’s sunrise but following the 3:00 p.m. checkered flag, some will begin packing up and preparing for the trip home. For the fortunate, there will be podiums and press conferences, photos and mini-celebrations. They will be lucky to find sleep before sunset Sunday evening.

Two years ago, following a fierce, full race battle with their archrivals from Peugeot, the exhausted, but victorious Audi team began a celebration in the Audi hospitality area. As a gesture of respect, they invited the Peugeot team. When the Peugeot drivers and mechanics arrived in their gesture of sportsmanship, the Audi team welcomed them with respect and a standing ovation . No one could better understand or appreciate what each had endured.

Le Mans is not just another race.