CHARLOTTE, N.C. – FOX Sports is gearing up for its annual coverage of the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, the definitive sports car endurance race held annually since 1923. FOX Sports hosts Bob Varsha and Brian Till kick off the twice-around-the-clock, multi-platform coverage, which begins Saturday, June 17 (8:30 a.m. ET) on FS1 and FOX Sports GO.
With dozens of stories to cover throughout the exhausting race, Varsha believes one story may just rise above the rest.
“This year, no story is bigger than Toyota’s comeback from the most heartbreaking finish I can recall,” Varsha said. “After years of trying and massive effort on every front, they were leading comfortably last year when a mundane part failure caused the No. 5 car to roll to a stop at the start of the very last lap.”
Referred to as Audi Sports’ “Mr. Everything” by Autosport magazine, Brad Kettler makes his broadcast booth debut with FOX Sports, serving as a race analyst for the 10-person on-air team.
“You name it and he’s done it,” Varsha said. “He has a long list of victories with Audi at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans, but he’s an all-around car guy who will be able to give fans a window into the functioning of the teams and the thinking on the pit wall. I don’t want to put pressure on him, but I think he’s a big addition, and I can’t wait to work with him.”
“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity with the FOX Sports team,” Kettler said. “That alone I’m recognizing is special in the depth of experience that is brought to the production. Being part of it and having the chance to contribute is meaningful to me”.
Tommy Kendall, Calvin Fish and Jamie Howe also serve as race analysts, with Justin Bell and Andrew Marriott reporting from the pits at the 8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans.
Sam Posey returns to deliver his signature vignettes and RACER magazine’s Marshall Pruett also provides insight.
FOX Sports GO, now accessible to more than 95 million users in the U.S. through their participating pay-TV providers, offers uninterrupted coverage of endurance racing’s defining event.
FOX Sports 24 Hours of Le Mans schedule (all times ET and subject to change):
· June 17 – FS1 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
· June 17 – FS2 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. (June 18)
· June 17 – FS1 1:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (June 18)
The entire race is streamed live on FOX Sports GO.
Follow the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Twitter: @bobvarsha, @calvinfish, @justinbelltv, @briantill19, @1JamieHowe, @Pitlaneandy, @TommyKendall11, @marshallpruett, @24HoursofLeMans, #LeMans24h, @FOXSports, @FS1
