This was the last “LE MANS” type start… This photo was taken a second after the drop of the flag! Vic Elford at the wheel of the Porsche 917 Long-tail #25 - FIRST AWAY... With his friend and fierce competitor JO SIFFERT (Gulf Wyer #20) closing the door on NINO VACCARELLA's FERRARI #6!!! Then, PEDRO RODRIGUEZ (#21).

VIC on that first lap: "The first lap of the race in 1970 will stay forever in my memory. Jo Siffert beat me away from the start and we swept down through the esses, Jo, then me in the only Longtail 917, then Pedro Rodrigues in the second Gulf-Wyer car. Through Tertre Rouge corner close together, I had only to sit and wait for the slippery shape of the longtail to come into play. As it did I went past Jo and with a 25 mph speed advantage pulled out a huge lead by the time we came to Mulsanne corner. Jo did everything he could to try and get back to me, but as we passed the start/finish line the first time around I had the satisfaction of an empty rear view mirror and a lead of about two hundred yards!"