ADAM DESPERATE TO LIGHT IT UP AT LE MANS

JONNY ADAM is relishing the chance to fulfil a childhood dream by winning the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. The 32-year-old Fifer is the only Scot competing in this year’s edition of the event — and will start his Aston Martin V8 Vantage in pole position in the GTE class this afternoon. His place at the front of the pack came after the team blitzed their way to a new qualifying lap record, with Adam keen to translate that pace into victory. ‘Le Mans remains the pinnacle for GT racing, the elite race that everyone wants to drive in — and to win,’ he said. ‘I’ve only been racing GT for about seven years and it was always an ambition to get here. ‘I had done other big 24-hour races and last year ticked a box, getting here. ‘But it also brings big pressure, driving for Aston Martin, because they have such a history in this race. ‘This is the blue-riband event for them, so there is more added pressure than ever this weekend. They’ve won the race often, they’ve had class wins in ’08 and ’09, so it’s a lot to live up to. ‘I’m at Le Mans, I’m in an Aston Martin. And, because so many Brits come here, you can hear the reaction when that V8 comes roaring around the track. ‘If somebody had said to me back when I started karting that I’d be racing an Aston Martin at Le Mans, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s slightly surreal. ‘We all want to get on that podium in front of everyone with a trophy, the rock star moment that all the previous winners talk about.’ Racing in front of 250,000 fans at the Circuit de Sarthe, and sharing the car with two co-drivers, Adam (left) knows he is likely to be confronted with serious discomfort, stifling heat and physical exhaustion. But, having raced for over 90 minutes without power steering — and ending up with badly blistered hands — in a British GT event at Silverstone last weekend, he is well prepared. ‘Yeah, that wouldn’t be much fun at Le Mans,’ he laughs. ‘But I have recovered fully and am raring to go now.’