Race and classic pictures

Titanic Toyota squad ready to roll

The 87^th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours takes place this weekend and the only question that begs an answer is which Toyota line-up will offer the manufacturer its second consecutive win in the classic endurance event.

In yesterday's first qualifying session, the #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez topped the time sheet while the championship leading its sister contender, steered by Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso, only clocked in fourth.

There was also drama for Toyota late in the session on Wednesday night when Conway was hit head-on at the Ford chicane by an errant DragonSpeed LMP2 car, an incident that required some heavy repair work for the Toyota Gazoo Racing crews.

Not the cleanest of starts for the mighty Japanese manufacturer. Could it foretell an upset looming ahead?

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.