any body of to le mans 24hr

[biggs682]

i understand this is not cycle related but just wondered if anybody was going .

last time i went was mid 90's its a fantastic event and use to have a great atmosphere with loads of other things going on apart from cars going round and round for 24 hrs .

 

[Stephen brown]

Yep, just off to stay at a mates now, then I think we are on the 5.30 in Chunnel

Travelling in a bit of comfort this year, normally we bu a banger or some ridiculous car but going Ian friends disco this year which will be nice

We will be camping with the yobbos in Expo, that said we are normally the ones laughing when it rains

Don't spend much time at the track as the race is boring as @rseholes IMO

 

[vernon]

I used to go to the motorcycle 24hr race at Le Mans. It was a blast.

 

[laurence]

i've not been for years, but it is THE BEST motorsport event. i went in the late 80s when jaguar and porsche did battle... sat up all race cheering the final jag on the year before they won... sat up all night the year they won, it was an epic battle in the wee small hours.

one of my most vivid memories is sitting outsise a refreshment tent, sipping a very large coffee and dunking a croissant in it at about 4am - whilst listening to the engine notes to check the cars were still doing ok.

the build up to the start of the race is incredible. words cannot describe.

 

[biggs682]

laurance you are totally right

 

[colly]

You should organise a CC trip there next year Biggsy. Cycle down get p****d cycle back. I'm sure there would hundreds of takers a couple of idiots.

 

[vernon]

You should organise a CC trip there next year Biggsy. Cycle down get p****d cycle back. I'm sure there would hundreds of takers a couple of idiots.

Transporting the alcohol could be a problem. On site, the beer costs a small fortune and it's a bit of a trek to the nearest supermarket to get supplies in. I don't know if it applies to the car race, but after a spate of drink aggravated fatal motor cycle crashes, supermarkets within quite a wide area used to remove alcohol from their shelves prior to the Le Mans 24hr motorbike race. I think seven riders died in one crash.

A nice feature of the Le Mans weekend was the grand depart for the ferry ports. The roads would be lined for thirty or so kilometres by the locals waving goodbye to the motorcyclists as they made their way home after the racing.

Sadly for me, the 24hr rce was moved from Easter hols to September during term time making it impossible for me to attend.

 

[mattobrien]

Le Mans? Oh yeah!

Car packed. Alarm is set for 02:30 Thursday morning for the 06:40 ferry over to France. This will be the third year for me and to say I am looking forward to it would be an understatement.

 

[Stephen brown]

Mr plod is out in force today, just been through several speed traps that are being set up behind the bridges

Usually plenty of beer in the Carrefour supermarket or the mini supermarket just a few hundred yards from the pub

 

[Stephen brown]

On and the tunnel is shut at Ruen meaning a trip through the city centre which is a bit painful

 

[Stephen brown]

Bring wet gear it is unbelievably wet, flooding everywhere

 

[4F]

i've not been for years, but it is THE BEST motorsport event. i went in the late 80s when jaguar and porsche did battle... sat up all race cheering the final jag on the year before they won... sat up all night the year they won, it was an epic battle in the wee small hours.

one of my most vivid memories is sitting outsise a refreshment tent, sipping a very large coffee and dunking a croissant in it at about 4am - whilst listening to the engine notes to check the cars were still doing ok.

the build up to the start of the race is incredible. words cannot describe.

That was about the time I went there, a real party atmosphere the year the jags one and one of the last years before they added the kinks in the straight. We used to set up base at the end of the Mulsanne straight with radio Le Mans plumbed into our ear defenders.

Added highlights used to be the dodgy fairground in the middle and the 300 a side football match at the campsite England V Germany.

 

[laurence]

That was about the time I went there, a real party atmosphere the year the jags one and one of the last years before they added the kinks in the straight. We used to set up base at the end of the Mulsanne straight with radio Le Mans plumbed into our ear defenders.

Added highlights used to be the dodgy fairground in the middle and the 300 a side football match at the campsite England V Germany.

the old section from the start to the esses was amazing too. i remember standing across the track from the fairground watching the jags and porsches battling it out in the very small hours - it was the year jaguar won (88?) and the porsches were using the strategy of going as fast as possible in the hope to break the jags and also hoping for rain so they could turn down the boost as they were over their fuel quota. the rain came in the morning and they got back on schedule. there was half a lap in it as the flag dropped - i seem to recall the jag couldn't slow to cross the line at 3pm as the porsche would catch it, so did an extra lap. Jan Lammers took the flag in the 2 car and the place went bonkers. there was a plea over the radio to the crowd to stop opening champagne as the straight was littered with corks!

the sun came out with half an hour to go and the crowd started singing - for the first time really. incredible atmosphere. the previous year they had cheered and sung for hours - as a way of showing support for the jag team and the lone survivor limping around the track. that year the pit crew spray painted "we WILL be back" on signs and showed them to the crowd opposite. Tom Walkinshaw said it would take three years to win the race and he was right.

that was one of those eras in motorsport that won't be repeated. sports car racing was better than F1 - and then the FIA took care of that!

 

[Glenn]

There is live coverage on Eurosport;

All on Eurosport
Wednesday 20.30 - 23.00
Thursday 18.00 - 23.00
Saturday 13.15 - Sunday 14.15

I'll be back next year after a 2 year break, for the race with the cars running under the new 2014 regs. Porsche are making a return to the prototypes. so there could be 3 manufacturers or more assuming Audi stay.

 

[mattobrien]

Here now and loving it. Now can someone arrange for the sun to make an appearance please.