Event
24 Heures du Mans Camions — Le Mans, France.
The 24 Heures du Mans Camions is the French round of the European Truck Racing Championship, held every September at the Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans. Unlike its better-known 24-hour passenger-car sibling, the truck event is a sprint-race weekend rather than a 24-hour endurance run — but it shares the location, atmosphere and professional grandstand crowd of the famous circuit.
Laatst bijgewerkt 24 april 2026
When and where
The 24 Heures du Mans Camions is held annually in mid-to-late September over three days (Friday to Sunday).
Location: Circuit Bugatti, 72100 Le Mans, France. This is the shorter circuit within the Le Mans motorsport complex — the full Circuit de la Sarthe is for the June passenger-car event. The Bugatti circuit hosts the FIA ETRC truck round.
Fan access is extensive: paddock passes are available on the day, and the proximity of the Bugatti circuit to the main Le Mans attractions makes this an easy weekend destination.
What makes Le Mans different
Le Mans is a more "motorsport-heritage" event than the Nürburgring round. The 24-hour passenger-car event a few months earlier stamps the circuit's identity; the truck grand prix in September fits into that tradition rather than being its own festival.
The paddock is smaller than Nürburgring's, but the French commercial-vehicle scene dominates — Renault Trucks, Iveco and the French Renault Trucks racing team have their strongest home-round support here. Expect more French-spec trucks on display, more French-audience commentary, and a slightly different demographic than Truckstar's Benelux crowd.
The truck-festival side
The racing is one element; the accompanying truck festival is the other. Public trucks can register to drive the Bugatti circuit in parade-runs, similar to Truckstar's TT circuit parade. French show-truck owners, Benelux visitors and an increasing Spanish and Italian contingent bring hundreds of professionally-lit and painted trucks to the paddock.
For an aftermarket-lighting supplier, Le Mans is where you see French-market preferences: slightly more conservative on visible LED strips, stronger on traditional round-driving-lamp bull-bar setups, and preferring amber-and-white DRL colour combinations over pure cold white.
Practical attendance notes
Tickets and event info at 24heuresdumans.com (search "Grand Prix Camions"). The event is smaller than its passenger-car cousin, so advance booking is rarely essential — walk-up attendance works.
For professional exhibitors: the paddock rental is less than Nürburgring, but the French market is distinct enough that showing up with Dutch-language signage only will leave sales on the table. Bilingual (French + English) display materials pay back.