Peugeots placed 1-2 in the 2009 24 Hours LeMans

There's no greater test of cars, drivers, teams, technologies ... and race fans.

Peugeot broke Audi's five-year domination at the 24 hours of LeMans this weekend, winning the overall victory of the world's most important sports car race for the first time for the French company in 16 years.

Marc Gene, David Brabham of Britain and Alexander Wurz of Austria completed 382 laps in 24 hours, one lap more than the second-place Peugeot No. 8 driven by French trio Sebastien Bourdais, Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin.

Bourdais is best-known in the US as a former Indy Racing League champion and Indy 500 competitor. He was born and raised in the small town of LeMans near the Circuit Sarthe, the track which 77 times counting this year has combined public and purpose-built roads to create the legendary super-high speed racing venue.

Both the Peugeot and Audi LMP1-class cars, the fastest and most-exotic on the near-eight-mile long track, were powered by V12 turbodiesel engines producing some 600-horsepower in whisper-quiet, fuel-efficient fashion.