Le Mans Addict, Hugues de Chaunac : « The Bernard Darniche marketing ploy »

“Four years after my first experience with the Alpine in 1977, ORECA was back at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The conditions were very different. We were in the shoes of a little team entered in group 5, with a BMW M1. We had managed to get together a trio composed of Bernard Darniche, Johnny Cecotto and Philippe Alliot.

“The means were more limited than with the Alpine, the team was smaller and we were all sharing the Trigano caravans, whose dealer was making a year’s worth of revenue during the Le Mans 24 Hours. This was long before the motorhomes we now know. We were there with great humility, unpretentious, and no other ambition than to finish the race.

“Given that Bernard Darniche already had a reputation, having been French and European Rally Champion, I remember we had the TV honors on the grid. I found Bernard very relaxed. I never doubted for a second what was going to happen.. The start was given; the first lap went well if I remember correctly, then Bernard came back to the pits with the M1. I was very surprised and I wondered what was going on with the car since it had a reputation for being reliable. I was also quite ashamed to see that our car was the first to stop..

“The mechanics then rushed as I approached Bernard, who was still in the cockpit, to try to understand. He was talking in a way that I couldn’t understand him. I asked him to repeat and he grabbed me by the jacket. He simply stated to me: “Do not worry, I’ll leave again. Look at the number of cameras that are in front of you!” I realized right away and I waved to the mechanics that it was going good. It was just surreal.

“I had just understood that Bernard Darniche voluntarily stopped because the first half of the race was broadcast live on television. Therefore, by stopping in the pits, he knew that we would have a big spotlight on the car and the sponsors. On that day, Bernard realised an incredible marketing ploy. And in the end, it did not have any real consequence on our race. At that time, Le Mans was not played on a pit-stop of one or two minutes. In fact, we finished the race, completing our goal with a 16th place finish. It was the first time ORECA made it to the finish… After a start I will never forget!”

Hugues de Chaunac