On Friday, 16 June 2000, the day of “rest” between qualifying and the race, a reception was held in honour of Jacky Ickx in the great Georges Durand hall, during which he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the city of Le Mans, in recognition of his performances and his six victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans.

This award was presented to him (photo below) by the Mayor of Le Mans, Robert Jarry, in the presence of a small group of people invited as witnesses of the event. The opportunity for Jacky to say these few words: “This reward is not for me, it is for everyone of those who were invested, in any way, in my victories; mechanics, spectators … all. They all played a role”.

Jacky Ickx, with fifteen participations and six wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, plus some memorable moments of fine sportsmanship, embodies the magic of the Le Mans 24 Hours for many fans”, commented Monsieur Jarry. During the exhibition entitled “The Races of the Century at Le Mans and its region”, there was no great surprise that a jury of specialists from around the world (press, members of the ACO etc.) designated him unanimously “Driver of the Century of the 24 Hours of Le Mans”. Jacky Ickx certainly left his mark in the minds of many at Le Mans, not only for his talent but also for his exceptional personality as a gentleman and high-class champion… on or off the track.
Mr Jarry continues: “It is for these reasons that we wish to make Jacky Ickx an Honorary Citizen of Le Mans, this year at the time of the greatest endurance race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2000. It is an exceptional honour, only two drivers of the 24 Hours having already been awarded this title (‘Sammy’ Davis and Luigi Chinetti). But this title of Honorary Citizen confirms de facto his more popular title of “Mr. Le Mans” awarded by the press and the public many years ago!

When Michel Cosson met Jacky Ickx at the beginning of the month of May in Paris and confirmed to him the invitation sent by the ACO and the city of Le Mans, Jacky did not even try to hide the joy that was his to be honored as a citizen and driver.

When the time came to plan the myriad celebrations and events in his honour, the champion submitted two minor conditions to the ACO president. “Rest assured, I will be at your entire disposal for the whole week, I must, despite everything, inform you that, as usual since my first trip to Le Mans, I will spend the evening of Friday with my British friends at La Chartre sur le Loir. It was a habit when I ran and I am certain that you will understand that my visit has become a tradition for me.”

The second condition throws a special light on the great moral stature of the man who, although proud to be honored, never forgets the prerogatives of the moment. “My opinion is that my participation in the driver’s parade would be inappropriate. The real heroes of this race, seen as such by the public, are the drivers who will compete this Saturday. I would be delighted to give the start, but then I will slip in among the other spectators”. Despite his six victories, Jacky Ickx continues to demonstrate the qualities for which he is known: integrity, sportiness and respect for others and traditions.

One of the most famous moments in Jacky’s career was his protest over safety at the start of the 1969 edition, when, instead of running towards his car, he walked towards it. A deliberate decision to denounce this dangerous practice that led many drivers to start and embark on the race without even having attached their safety harnesses.

The 1969 edition was going to be that of Jacky’s first victory at Le Mans at the wheel of the Gulf Ford GT40, associated with Jackie Oliver. It was the tightest finish of the 24h of Le Mans, The GT40 beating Hermann’s Porsche 908 by only 120 meters !!!. Often the following question arose: ” and if he had lost with 100 meters delay, would he have regretted his departure while walking?” The response would probably have been negative, Jacky being a man of principle and his action from the start contributed to evolving security.

To reconstruct this moment that marked the history of Le Mans, Jacky wanted to repeat this act as a preamble to the 2000 race before driving his car around the circuit. This moving moment was followed on a giant video screen placed on the circuit. But, as in a theatrical staging, Jacky, this time…ran towards his car !!!

The vision and sound of the Ford GT40 driven by a Jacky Ickx without a helmet were a pleasure to enjoy. A magnificent and touching return to the past…!!!

Having played his part as a race driver, Jacky then took on the role of official starter of the event. When the pack led by the safety car appeared at the exit of the Ford chicanes at the end of the training lap, at exactly 4 p.m., it waved the tricolor flag of France, releasing the 48 competitors, with the Audi trio leading. A new chapter in the history of the race then opened.

The association of Jacky Ickx with Le Mans could not stop there and there are already plans to associate him more with the race, notably in a role as technical advisor. He will obviously be a true ambassador.

1969 – 1975 – 1976 – 1977 – 1981 – 1982

Jacky Ickx took part in the race fifteen times. Its first appearance dates from 1966 and its first victory took place when John Wyer engaged the Gulf-Ford GT40 in 1969. It was the first time that the event was broadcast with live streams all over the world, with cameras on helicopters to follow the cars around the circuit. Jacky remembers: “the Breguet-Atlantique flying above us, cutting the circuit between the curves in order to keep us in the focus of his cameras, while our cars were faster than him”. Since the early morning, after the very fast Porsche 917 had given up, it was a neck and neck between the Ford GT40 of Ickx/Oliver and the Porsche 908 of Hermann/Larousse. The two crews were very close to each other. They exchanged the first place at many times during the last hours of racing, especially during the final laps. After several hours of intense struggle between the two cars, it is finally the GT40 that will prevail by this tiny gap of 120 meters. Legendary victory that one never stops talking to Jacky Ickx throughout the world.

With the first oil shock in the early 1970s, Le Mans introduced fuel consumption rules in 1975 to put an end to critics who accused motor racing of being nothing but a waste. Twenty laps were required between two refueling stops. That year, John Wyer entrusted Jacky with a Mirage Gulf powered by a Cosworth DFV engine derived from Formula 1… not necessarily the most economical!!! Jacky and his partner Derek Bell drove with very light feet and also had to endure a terrible vibration that threatened to break the transmission into pieces. “The car made a terrible noise in all the curves on the right. We ended up driving ‘on eggs’. I must admit that this victory did not have a great impact on me!” Jacky remembered.

When the era of John Wyer ended, Jacky joined the ranks of Porsche. In the 1976 edition, he was teamed up with veteran Dutch driver Gijs van Lennep (already winner in 1971) at the wheel of the new Porsche 936. The duo almost led from start to finish. It was Van Lennep’s farewell to the competition and Jacky offered him the most beautiful retirement gift, giving him the car for the final sprint. The 936 passed under the checkered flag with 11 laps ahead of the car ranked second. “It was undoubtedly the easiest of my victories at Le Mans” said Jacky.

And then came 1977, by far the best moment in Jacky’s memory. This race that he himself still considers today as the most beautiful of his career!!! Here is what he says about his fourth victory in Sarthe: Frankly, talking about this race always gives me a special feeling of pleasure! It was the most perfect race that could be achieved. From the drivers to the team members, there was such a spirit that animated us all, that it gave us this very particular osmosis that led everyone to transcend. Quickly problems ended the race of the 936 N°3 that he shared with Henri Pescarolo. Jacky, then, on his side was able to continue the race on the N°4, the sister car of Jurgen Barth and Hurley Haywood on which he was registered as a substitute driver. At that moment, this car was in the forty-first position in the race standings!!!

“From there, continues Jacky, something exceptional happened. Something that I have never encountered in my career. I drove like I had never driven before and, on his side, the whole team surpassed each other as I have already said. There was a true state of grace that reigned and turned into victory… Not without some additional anxieties during the last hour and this final lap when Jürgen, at the wheel, was driving the moribund car on five cylinders. For all the gold in the world I would not have exchanged my place with him!!!”

                                                                    photo by Duncan Frost

After the historic victory of Jean Rondeau in 1980 when, associated with Reinhold Joest, Jacky had finished in second place, he had announced his retirement. “I will come back at Le Mans only as a spectator” he said. But a year later to everyone’s surprise, he was back at Le Mans… as a driver!!! In order to prepare for the new Group C that would come into force from 1982, Porsche committed two updates 936s (now called 936-81s, the photo above) and had persuaded our retiree to reconsider his decision and to leave his retirement on this occasion. Jacky had however set a condition: that of having Derek Bell as a partner because the transmission would need to be treated with care and for that he had complete trust in Derek… At the end of the first hour, the two cars were already out of reach and gained an even greater lead than in 1976, in conditions of scorching heat.

For 1982, Porsche put on the track the 956. It was with this new car that the German manufacturer had attracted the attention of Jacky Ickx, strongly involved from the beginning in the development program of this car which would become the absolute weapon of group C for many years. At Le Mans, in 1982, the three factory Porsche achieved the triple… in the order of their race numbers: 1, 2 and 3!!!

In 1983, once again Jacky shared the steering wheel of the number 1 Porsche 956 Rothmans with Derek Bell. After having caught up with an initial delay due to a collision with Jan Lammers (the Dutch driver had missed his braking at Mulsanne and hit Jacky Ickx during the second lap), the Porsche N°1 approached, at the end of the race, the sister car number 3 of Haywood/Schuppan/Holbert then in the lead. This one slowed down considerably in the final minutes of the race due to an engine dying.

While Al Holbert started his last lap, smoke was coming out of his Porsche exhausts and Derek Bell felt that he could offer Jacky the pleasure of a seventh victory at Le Mans. He increased the pressure on Holbert who was sparing his dying 956 in the last lap. Derek was getting closer but finally failed within a half turn of Holbert who victoriously crossed the finish line… in a plume  of smoke!!! An additional lap and the victory would have chosen another crew…