On June 11th, otherwise cloudy conditions saw the sun occasionally poking through to reveal blue skies. Prior to the 2011 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, an exhibition run by the Mazda 787B was conducted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of victory for the Japanese car. Driving for the demo run was 1991 race winner Johnny Herbert.

The majority of spectators who come to the Circuit de la Sarthe are from France, but there are also scores of race fans that make the trip from the U.K., Germany, and other European countries with large numbers of motorsports fans. Some reports state that there are over 200,000 fans gathered in the areas surrounding the Sarthe circuit. The population of the city of Le Mans, normally around 100,000, swells to three times that size every year at this time. Just after 12:30, all participating racecars were instructed to wait before the final corner of the track. At this time, 1991 Le Mans winner Johnny Herbert got behind the wheel of the Mazda 787B for the first time in 20 years. He checked the pedals, shift lever and other switches. Despite a break of 20 years, he never lost touch with the car. "Because this is my car," he said. Upon the announcement of the demo drive, Herbert fired up the R26B engine and began to pull away smoothly. The shift-up point of the R26B 4-rotor engine was 8500rpm, the same as in race mode. The demo drive was originally scheduled as a two-lap affair, but because he maintained such a rapid pace in the 787B, the Englishman was able to complete an extra tour without going over the allotted time. When the Mazda 787B roared past the main grandstand, all of the spectators, including those who had never before heard the 4-rotor engine sound, shouted out in excitement.

When he came back to the pit lane and parked the 787B under the control tower, Herbert appeared to collapse on the rear cowling of the car just after exiting the cockpit, without even taking off his helmet. This was just acting, as many fans immediately realized. It was a reenactment of 20 years ago when Herbert was so exhausted after winning that he never actually stepped onto the winners' podium. This time however, Johnny was led up to the podium and given that winner's accolade some 20 years on. It was a wonderful present for Herbert, and a superb gesture by the ACO, moving some of the then Mazda Le Mans staff to tears. A huge thanks goes out to the ACO and to Eurosport. Finally, the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours has been made complete.