Two Unique Ways to Watch the 24 Hours of Le MansJamey Price (Jamey Price)Not everyone can afford to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but everyone wants to go. Well, now two great car museums here in the US, one in Los Angeles, one in Philadelphia, have ways for you to get the twice-round-the-clock experience.The Petersen Museum in Los Angeles will hold something of a watch party for eight of the first 24 hours of the race with its program celebrating 120 years of the ACO.But the race starts in France at 7 a.m. Los Angeles time, and the museum lets you in at 10 a.m., so you'll miss the first three hours of the 24. Then the party closes down at 6 p.m., so you have to hurry home and watch the rest of the race on MotorTrend TV via cable or live TV streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV. For global and ad-free coverage, you can stream the entire race on FIA WEC+.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Follow every lap on the Bruce Meyer Family Gallery's LED wall, enjoy a private breakfast with fellow enthusiasts, explore Le Mans-focused exhibits, and take part in simulator sessions, trivia, and a live fireside chat with drivers and insiders," the museum says.Last year's race winners, the #50 Ferrari AF Corse, drivers Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen.James Moy Photography - Getty Images (James Moy Photography - Getty Images)Never mind that you can't actually follow every lap, just the middle of the first day, and you have to buy museum admission, which their website only sells for $51 because it doesn't list admission without a Vault Tour, and you have to pay $24 for parking, but the rest looks like fun.The Petersen package includes: Le Mans simulator sessions, live fireside chat with drivers and experts, Le Mans trivia and special exhibits, early access to the museum, early access to the broadcast of Le Mans. And entry into the exclusive WEC Lone Star Le Mans race weekend raffle.The featured panelist at the Pete will be Hervé Guyomard, who holds the title of longest-serving Le Mans Circuit Director (1971-2006). He is the founder of the ACO's heritage department and the official historian of the 24 Hours Le Mans. He's also the author of books on Le Mans, the ACO, and pioneering aviator Wilbur Wright. He currently serves as an ambassador and guide for the Le Mans Circuit, the M24 Museum, and the Porsche Experience Center.AdvertisementAdvertisementBack east, the Simeone Automotive Museum in Philadelphia is going the full 24, hosting its fourth annual 24 Heures du Simeone June 13-14, co-presented with the actual Automobile Club de l'Ouest, host of the race.Simeone Foundation Museum.' expand='Google Earth (Google Earth)The Simeone houses one of the world's greatest collections of racing sports cars with more than 75 historically significant automobiles spanning racing history from 1907 to the 2000s.This year's watch party theme, "The Americans at Le Mans," examines the history of American participation at the Circuit de la Sarthe, from the earliest American entries in the 1920s through the defining campaigns of the 1960s. The program moves chronologically through that history, with more than 40 demonstrations organized around figures including Briggs Cunningham, John Fitch, Phil Hill, and Carroll Shelby, with cars of the type they raced.The Simeone says that live programming will include interviews with historic drivers and competitors, and real-time check-ins from drivers and engineers on the ground at Le Mans as the race unfolds.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe weekend will also mark the public unveiling of the latest addition to the Simeone permanent collection. The museum has not disclosed what the acquisition is, describing it only as "a significant addition to one of the world's great collections of racing sports cars."The #08 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa closely pursued by a Ferrari.James Moy Photography - Getty Images (James Moy Photography - Getty Images)The ACO's partnership, now in its second-consecutive year, brings an expanded presence to the event: three racing simulators, a custom Le Mans trivia game, an ACO Members Lounge, exclusive swag bags for new ACO members, and a raffle for WEC Lone Star Le Mans weekend tickets. And unlike the Petersen's party, live coverage of the race streams throughout the museum for the full 24 hours."The Americans at Le Mans is a story about ambition and persistence," said Kevin Kelly, executive director of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. "It's about individuals—Briggs Cunningham, John Fitch, Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby—who believed they belonged at the greatest race in the world. We're telling that story with the cars that wrote that history."The event takes place during America's 250th anniversary summer, lending particular context to a program centered on American achievement in international motorsport. The event draws more than a thousand guests over the course of the weekend. Unlike El Pete, overnight visitors at the Simeone are welcome to bring sleeping bags and tents and remain on site for the entire race.General admission to the Simeone is $30 for guests 12 and older. ACO members receive discounted admission at $17. Children under 12 are free. Free parking is available on site.
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