CLAAS successfully supports “24 Hours of Le Mans” race with HVO-driven SCORPION telehandlers

More than 329,000 spectators on site and more than 100 Mio. TV viewers worldwide watched the highlight in the international car racing scene and the world’s most prestigious endurance race from Saturday June 15 to Sunday June 16: the “24 Hours of Le Mans”. Both the TV viewers and the spectators on site will have noticed the 21 SCORPION 741 VARIPOWER 2 telehandlers provided from CLAAS. “Thanks to its gentle, precise handling, the SCORPION offered great safety and comfort to the pilots, who remained in their cars while the car was being returned to the track”, summarizes Dr. Martin von Hoyningen-Huene, Executive Vice President BU Tractors & Implements / SU Engineering. “Our CLAAS assistance team demonstrated its professionalism and efficiency, enabling the volunteer drivers to carry out their work in the best possible way.”

Starting in early 2024, CLAAS became an “Official Supplier” of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, the organizer of the popular race. The three-year agreement between two companies includes the supply of CLAAS SCORPION telehandlers as recovery vehicles for car and truck races at the Le Mans racetrack and is in line with the ACO's CSR commitments and its desire to work with local partners.

To meet public demands for more sustainability in the racing business, ACO as well as the racing teams are making great efforts to reduce carbon footprint and emissions. “We are also proud to point out that our reliable SCORPION contributed to the race's objective of reducing its impact on CO2 emissions, running entirely on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), a renewable fuel which can help reducing carbon footprint by up to 90 percent”, continues von Hoyningen-Huene. “This approach corresponds with our CLAAS corporate strategy to offer competitive, affordable and versatile solutions to enable farmers and contractors to work more sustainable. Our tractors as well as combine harvesters and forage harvesters have a full approval for HVO since 2023, whilst we additionally do the first fill in our factories Harsewinkel and Le Mans with HVO100 since October 2023.”

Behind the scenes: Weeks of preparations and instructions

A true open-air laboratory, the Le Mans track represents an essential vector of innovation, because the extreme constraints of endurance – race duration and high mileage. But every adventure must be properly prepared. At CLAAS, prior to the race, the task was to bring together 25 identical machines that meet the requirements of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and, for the technical trainers at the CLAAS FRANCE Academy in Ymeray, to train more than 70 drivers in handling the agile seed green telehandlers. 

Prior to the test days, the SCORPION assisted the scrutineering of the race cars – the technical control and conformity including the weighing of the cars. Agro-equipment students from the local Agricultural High School of Rouillon then helped to transport and place the 21 out of 25 SCORPION along the 13.626 km track. The students then also fitted all machines with FIA WEC* approved hooks and lifting bars. During the test days, previous races and finally the Le Mans 24 hours day & night, the CLAAS technical assistance team gave instructions to drivers to ensure the best utilisation of the machine. And that is exactly how it was. “Our SCORPION telehandlers have proven as efficient, agile, reliable and easy to handle machines”, resumes Dr. Martin von Hoyningen-Huene. “In this way, they have met the same requirements that demanding farmers and contractors place on our machines.”

Some of the race-proven SCORPION will be returning to farms, while others will be supporting upcoming races such as Classic Days (July 6 and 7), Porsche Sprint Challenge (September 20-21) and the “24 Heures Camions” truck race (September 27-28).

*Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile - World Endurance Championship

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CLAAS Group, Group Communications
Inquiries to pr@claas.com