Le Mans 24h - Race of Dreams

It's been well established that motorbikes are like a drug. It's the closest possible comparison we can make. Once you've had a taste, you want more. And more is never enough. Occasionally people try and get away from it, but they always end up coming back. At 11 years old I asked my Dad to sell my motorbike and buy me a guitar. He did. He thought he was safe. At 19 years old I asked him to drive to Galway to buy me an R125. He did. He knew he was in trouble.

When we weren't out for spins, at Mondello, in the shed or racing, there were motorbikes on the tv. It was hooked to my veins, and I was happy about it. Imagine then, how delighted I was when I discovered there were motorbike races that lasted an entire 24 hours. I grabbed a blanket and some snacks, and never moved from the sofa. What a time to be alive.

One of the rounds of the Endurance World Championship takes place in Le Mans, France. This particular race is world famous. Partially because of the iconic track, but mostly because of the absolute chaos that is the race weekend. Fans of the sport flock in their thousands to the surrounding campsites, where it's not uncommon for bikes to be revved until they blow up, with megaphones attached to their exhausts to amplify the noise for miles. Bonfires, chainsaws, homemade motorbikes and even flame throwers are all part of it. There's nothing more akin to a mad max movie than the campsite at Le Mans.

For me, the beauty is in the race. Teams of three riders take turns on their superbikes to race for 24 hours straight. At the start, the riders must line up at the pitwall, while their mechanic holds their bike at the other side of the track. At the gun, they must sprint to their bike, hop on, and begin the race. It's a famous starting procedure which adds excitement from the very beginning.

The competitors will each do a certain amount of stints in the race. They'll compete in extreme temperatures, and changing dynamics. Some races it can be 30 degrees during the day, and 4 degrees in the middle of the night. Adjusting to this on the go isn't easy, especially when grip levels and visibility are also always changing. It's an extreme race, some even call it a form of torture.

The real stars of the show are the mechanics. They normally arrive on the Monday of race week, and begin the garage and bike build. They'll work all week setting everything up ahead of practice, checking and rechecking the bikes and parts. Building, stripping, rebuilding. After all, one small mistake will end their entire race. It would be a disaster.

The mechanics, after working all week, will then be awake from the crack of dawn on the Saturday of the race start, and won't sleep for around two days. They'll work throughout the race, waiting, in case of a crash or a technical failure on the bike, where they'll spring into action. The speed that they can repair these bikes at is nothing short of mind blowing. They know every part inside and out. Each second spent in pitlane counts for the overall victory. They can't afford to make mistakes.

The work that the racers, mechanics and teams put into the race are what makes it special. Usually the most exciting part is between three and five am, as this is when everyone is exhausted, bikes begin to fail, mistakes can happen. It's absolutely heartbreaking to see when so much hard work and determination goes up in smoke after an issue for a team. It's equally as inspiring as when it all goes to plan.

The Le Mans 24h race will be on 17-20th April this year. I already can't wait to watch it. Even better this year, Motocraft will be heading to the famous circuit in June for two epic days on track. I'll be joining them on my R6, and you can be sure when my visor is down, I'll be pretending to be one of the 24h racers. A girl can dream...