Le Man your favorite memory
Discussion
Hi Guys
This year my wife, daughter and son in law came with me to to the race, it was their first time and a bit of a shock for me, having the family in tow. The highlight was standing at Arnage Corner with my 3 year old grandson in my arms, and when the cars came into view after rounding Indianapolis, he shouted faster faster,and his little face was a picture as he really does love cars. The memory of the afternoon will stay with me forever.
It got me thinking, lets hear your favorite memories of your times at Le Man, there must be one special moment for each and everyone of you
This year my wife, daughter and son in law came with me to to the race, it was their first time and a bit of a shock for me, having the family in tow. The highlight was standing at Arnage Corner with my 3 year old grandson in my arms, and when the cars came into view after rounding Indianapolis, he shouted faster faster,and his little face was a picture as he really does love cars. The memory of the afternoon will stay with me forever.
It got me thinking, lets hear your favorite memories of your times at Le Man, there must be one special moment for each and everyone of you
Edited by hilly10 on Friday 27th November 13:36
Edited by hilly10 on Friday 27th November 14:18
Think mine was 2008, we decided to walk away from the town centre and was standing waiting for the tram after the drivers parade, nobody else around when Allan mcnish came strolling around the corner. He could have quite easily shuffled by us but instead gave us the time for a handshake and chat. Real class guy
Jesus, just one moment?
First time out on the Mulsanne at night. The noise. The drama.
A surreal night in the Danish bar on the campsite. Alcohol is the universal language of Le Mans. And Viking hats apparently.
I think my favourite is actually quite low key. Can't even remember what year. Wandered off from our team and found myself on the near empty tribunes. Grabbed a goats cheese panini, found a random bottle of red, plonked myself down and just took it all in. Sun going down, warm as anything, the sounds, the smells, distant sounds from the campsite. Spent most of the night.
What a place.
First time out on the Mulsanne at night. The noise. The drama.
A surreal night in the Danish bar on the campsite. Alcohol is the universal language of Le Mans. And Viking hats apparently.
I think my favourite is actually quite low key. Can't even remember what year. Wandered off from our team and found myself on the near empty tribunes. Grabbed a goats cheese panini, found a random bottle of red, plonked myself down and just took it all in. Sun going down, warm as anything, the sounds, the smells, distant sounds from the campsite. Spent most of the night.
What a place.
1997, first year at Le Mans. Stood in the bushes just behind the armco at the bar by the Chinese restaurant on the Mulsanne at about 2.00am, beer in hand, watching cars fly by at 200+mph. No high barriers or green mesh 'screening' then.
And blagging something similar at the Le Mans Classic in 2010 - stood behind the armco just after Arnage, watching Cobras, E-Types, etc., etc. all flying by in the early hours of the morning.
Easy, about midnight, in the rain at Café Des Hunadieres on the Mulsanne, 1995 and watching JJ Lehto in the McLaren lapping 20 odd seconds faster than anyone else. He was the only person pushing, everyone else was tip toeing round. Then, later in the morning lying in my tent, listening to the McLaren's lapping, the sound was and is the best ever!
Mark B said:
Easy, about midnight, in the rain at Café Des Hunadieres on the Mulsanne, 1995 and watching JJ Lehto in the McLaren lapping 20 odd seconds faster than anyone else. He was the only person pushing, everyone else was tip toeing round. Then, later in the morning lying in my tent, listening to the McLaren's lapping, the sound was and is the best ever!
Good one. I was watching by the Essess approaching Tetre Rouge, even in the pitch black, soaking wet JJ was so much quicker than anything, I am sure he was drifting it around the curves.Another rain fest was the Roundeu win in 1980. the last hour really pushing the car with J Ickx hunting him down, pouring with rain, somehow keeping the tired Roundeu on the track.
And perhaps the saddest was the Repsol Porsche, second place most of the race behind the Jag only for a 50p oil seal to fail 20 min from the flag end their race.
First year we went, 1997, we arrived at around 0:30 or 1:00am on the Saturday morning... We were 'camping' in Parking Blanc and a Panoz (I think) was doing some testing runs up and down the airstrip - an amazing sound, cutting through all the quiet and darkness!
Standing down at Tetre Rouge (as was) when the Toyota GT-Ones (98 and 99) came blasting through, loads of flames and brake discs glowing as they worked hard.
Standing down at Tetre Rouge (as was) when the Toyota GT-Ones (98 and 99) came blasting through, loads of flames and brake discs glowing as they worked hard.
At age 53, it was my first time this year with my youngest son...
(half) sleeping in the tent at Porsche Curves, on Saturday night, listening to the Ferrari 458s approaching from Arnage, hammering through Porsche Curves, up to Ford Chicane, then all the way up the start/finish straight and gradually fading out as they went under the Dunlop bridge. Everything else was (relatively) quiet by comparison
Didn't get much sleep, so we ambled up to the Dunlop bridge at about 4:00am to get some photos and watch from one of the few places where you can see over the fence, rather than through it
Second memory was the epic thunderstorm on Friday night where the rain came through the tent fabric and turned into a fine mist inside the tent....
(half) sleeping in the tent at Porsche Curves, on Saturday night, listening to the Ferrari 458s approaching from Arnage, hammering through Porsche Curves, up to Ford Chicane, then all the way up the start/finish straight and gradually fading out as they went under the Dunlop bridge. Everything else was (relatively) quiet by comparison
Didn't get much sleep, so we ambled up to the Dunlop bridge at about 4:00am to get some photos and watch from one of the few places where you can see over the fence, rather than through it
Second memory was the epic thunderstorm on Friday night where the rain came through the tent fabric and turned into a fine mist inside the tent....
Arnage in the dark a few years back when it started raining - watching the 911s hunker down at the back and fire off towards the Porsche Curves while everyone else had to tickle the loud pedal to try avoid breaking traction.
Oh, and hearing how Mary Hinge would we driving the Tuscan back after Mr Hinge had discovered the police WERE out with the radar guns around the public part of the circuit that day always gives me a chuckle ^_^
Oh, and hearing how Mary Hinge would we driving the Tuscan back after Mr Hinge had discovered the police WERE out with the radar guns around the public part of the circuit that day always gives me a chuckle ^_^
Ambling up to the pit straight on my first visit for Wednesday qualifying, coming out of the tunnel and hearing feeling a corvette rumble past.
Most poignant memory: TK bringing home the Audi for his 9th win and kissing the Danish flag on his helmet in memory of his compatriot who had died whilst the race had been underway for but a few laps.
Most poignant memory: TK bringing home the Audi for his 9th win and kissing the Danish flag on his helmet in memory of his compatriot who had died whilst the race had been underway for but a few laps.
I have a hell of a lot of fave memories...And an awful lot of Bad memories 
Watching my Cobra go up in flames in 2004 on the way to the Drivers parade was not a good moment
Driving my Viper on D roads (by myself) all the way from Dunkirk to Le mans was a really great moment
1994 sitting and sleeping on the banking at Maison Blanc having eaten a whole fresh b-bqued Chicken was great. And a baking Hot weekend.
Sitting on the banking at Tet Rouge a couple of years back with Don1, Both of us had picnic hamper rucksacks red wine, sundried tomatoes, stuffed olives, tons of cheese, bread, Did I mention Wine, Sparkling water, cold meat platter, Cars whizzing past, the drooling of the people around us sitting there with a packet of crisps or a carton of soggy chips, we just kept pulling more and more fine foods from the rucksacks.....Finally someone from the crowd around us said 'is there anything else left in that rucksack' It was at that point the dessert came out
You can't beat a creme brullee 
Great weekend with a Top mate 
Watching my Cobra go up in flames in 2004 on the way to the Drivers parade was not a good moment
Driving my Viper on D roads (by myself) all the way from Dunkirk to Le mans was a really great moment
1994 sitting and sleeping on the banking at Maison Blanc having eaten a whole fresh b-bqued Chicken was great. And a baking Hot weekend.
Sitting on the banking at Tet Rouge a couple of years back with Don1, Both of us had picnic hamper rucksacks red wine, sundried tomatoes, stuffed olives, tons of cheese, bread, Did I mention Wine, Sparkling water, cold meat platter, Cars whizzing past, the drooling of the people around us sitting there with a packet of crisps or a carton of soggy chips, we just kept pulling more and more fine foods from the rucksacks.....Finally someone from the crowd around us said 'is there anything else left in that rucksack' It was at that point the dessert came out
You can't beat a creme brullee Great weekend with a Top mate FraMac said:
Taking part in the Drivers' Parade in 2007 riding a Raleigh Chopper.
Surreal.
'Taking Part' in the 1999, 2000 & 2001 Drivers parades in a Mk4 Cortina Estate painted in Silk Cut Jaguar colours by getting through the crowd barrier and blagging. Getting the bonnet signed by drivers and then getting pissed and going on the old karting track in 2001 in Garage Vert and rolling the car, ending up in Le Mans hospital. Surreal.
Same Cortina a few years earlier into the 60th anniversary opening ceremony and going the wrong way down the track towards a rocket car on the start grid
Hundreds of similar japes. Lucky to be alive TBH.
FraMac said:
Taking part in the Drivers' Parade in 2007 riding a Raleigh Chopper.
Surreal.
Getting chucked out of two drivers parades by the daft organiser chappie on a push bike and being sworn at in french.Surreal.
Getting arrested for having a jolly jape getting into the Le Mans swimming pool at 1am.
Nicking the ford starter motor the next day from a french car we had seen parked at said pool that night. Ours had gone kaput.
Getting onto the closed track every year on the Friday night and driving through the pits in our own cars.
Finding a woodyard with no gate lock for camp fire fuel 5 years running
Painting 'Bertha Boys' on the track so it came up on the helicopter TV footage every lap
And so much other stuff that I cant divulge
And thanks to Spadge, Wozza, Shirley, Mr McC, Big Ray and the lads for 14 years of carnage.
There are some brilliant memories there chaps. It's just a fantastic place to be if you are a petrolhead. One memory of mine was 2003 coming round Arnage on the Friday, me and my mate in his Griff three abreast with a Caterham and an Aston, going at it hammer and tongues up to PC. Just lucky there was nothing coming the other way.
The best bit for me is the very close friends I've made because of the race.
There are so many great memories, each year seems to add something new to the legend that it is for me.
However, to honestly answer the best memory has to be my little lad, 9 at the time, getting a lift with Nigel Mansell round the drivers parade. With supporting thanks to Greg & Leo for their assistance.
There are so many great memories, each year seems to add something new to the legend that it is for me.
However, to honestly answer the best memory has to be my little lad, 9 at the time, getting a lift with Nigel Mansell round the drivers parade. With supporting thanks to Greg & Leo for their assistance.
Edited by ellroy on Sunday 6th December 12:34
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