RE: Time For Tea? Derek Bell laps Le Mans
Discussion
Shuttle Cock said:
Get a copy of 'In car 956' for a proper qualifying lap with Mr Bell!
AGREED. This video is awesome, I've got a VHS copy at home its a prized possession (sad I know). But Derek Bell circa 1983 in his prime driving like a hero in an epic car is something to behold. No stupid kink in the Mulsanne back then either.There is some footage on a well known video hosting website but far be it for me to flout copyright law.
This video looks very tame by comparison but if I'm going half as fast in someone else's priceless car when I'm 70 odd I'll be more than happy!!
WMP said:
Shuttle Cock said:
Get a copy of 'In car 956' for a proper qualifying lap with Mr Bell!
AGREED. This video is awesome, I've got a VHS copy at home its a prized possession (sad I know). But Derek Bell circa 1983 in his prime driving like a hero in an epic car is something to behold. No stupid kink in the Mulsanne back then either.(although there was a 'kink' in the Mulsanne back then , just not those two tiresome chicanes)
Maldini35 said:
I totally agree.
(although there was a 'kink' in the Mulsanne back then , just not those two tiresome chicanes)
The car ran the long tail in the Group C race, as it would have done prior to the kinks, DB reckoned that the short tail would have been far more suited to the Le Mans track as it is now with the two chicanes on the Mulsanne, especially as the rain was torrential during the race, much of it under safety car following an accident on the first lap. Difficult for DB to go flat out as this wasn't his car, was an unknown quantity in terms of set up etc. (although there was a 'kink' in the Mulsanne back then , just not those two tiresome chicanes)
Would I ever be able to drive like that, not on your nelly, and not a chance that I could drive anywhere near that when I get to 70!
Maldini35 said:
WMP said:
Shuttle Cock said:
Get a copy of 'In car 956' for a proper qualifying lap with Mr Bell!
AGREED. This video is awesome, I've got a VHS copy at home its a prized possession (sad I know). But Derek Bell circa 1983 in his prime driving like a hero in an epic car is something to behold. No stupid kink in the Mulsanne back then either.(although there was a 'kink' in the Mulsanne back then , just not those two tiresome chicanes)
Of course I love the history and everything that goes with Le Mans, but I do think the chicanes improve the circuit from the old very long Mulsanne straight.
Sorry Banjo, I think the Mulsanne straight should have been left alone. There's no way you can get up to flat out speed with the chicanes there (well not for very long) 
It took a driver with a very large pair to go flat out down the Mulsanne, Hoping a slower car did not pull out in front of you and Braking at the end was the tricky bit!
It took a driver with a very large pair to go flat out down the Mulsanne, Hoping a slower car did not pull out in front of you and Braking at the end was the tricky bit!Maldini35 said:
WMP said:
Shuttle Cock said:
Get a copy of 'In car 956' for a proper qualifying lap with Mr Bell!
AGREED. This video is awesome, I've got a VHS copy at home its a prized possession (sad I know). But Derek Bell circa 1983 in his prime driving like a hero in an epic car is something to behold. No stupid kink in the Mulsanne back then either.(although there was a 'kink' in the Mulsanne back then , just not those two tiresome chicanes)
The video titled "Group C mercedes benz C11 lap record of lemans 2010" on youtube is worth a watch too, not sure who the driver is but there's no lack of commitment!
fatboy18 said:
Sorry Banjo, I think the Mulsanne straight should have been left alone. There's no way you can get up to flat out speed with the chicanes there (well not for very long) It took a driver with a very large pair to go flat out down the Mulsanne, Hoping a slower car did not pull out in front of you and Braking at the end was the tricky bit!
We'll have to disagree on this one then fatboy. You can get up to top speed before the first chicane and virtually top before the second - although agreed not for very long until those countdown metre boards come up! The run down to Indianapolis is the fastest section. Of course the cars would be geared differently in those days to take this into account.In fact with the old long Mulsanne straight, drivers used that part for a bit of a rest, talk to their engineers etc. Far more involving for the drivers these days! It took a driver with a very large pair to go flat out down the Mulsanne, Hoping a slower car did not pull out in front of you and Braking at the end was the tricky bit!Banjo47 said:
We'll have to disagree on this one then fatboy. You can get up to top speed before the first chicane and virtually top before the second - although agreed not for very long until those countdown metre boards come up! The run down to Indianapolis is the fastest section. Of course the cars would be geared differently in those days to take this into account.In fact with the old long Mulsanne straight, drivers used that part for a bit of a rest, talk to their engineers etc. Far more involving for the drivers these days!
When the Mulsanne was a 6km long straight, the fastest cars could be geared for 250mph plus (nicked this from Wikipedia):"Aerodynamics reached its peak in 1989, before the Mulsanne Straight was modified. During the 1988 race, the crew of a W.M. prototype taped over the engine openings and set a recorded speed of 404 km/h (251 mph) down the Mulsanne in a publicity stunt, although the car was almost undrivable elsewhere on the circuit and the engine was soon destroyed from a lack of cooling. However, for the 1989 event, the Mercedes-Benz C9 reached 399 km/h (248 mph) under qualifying conditions."
BelfastBoy said:
When the Mulsanne was a 6km long straight, the fastest cars could be geared for 250mph plus (nicked this from Wikipedia):
"Aerodynamics reached its peak in 1989, before the Mulsanne Straight was modified. During the 1988 race, the crew of a W.M. prototype taped over the engine openings and set a recorded speed of 404 km/h (251 mph) down the Mulsanne in a publicity stunt, although the car was almost undrivable elsewhere on the circuit and the engine was soon destroyed from a lack of cooling. However, for the 1989 event, the Mercedes-Benz C9 reached 399 km/h (248 mph) under qualifying conditions."
If you are going to the Autosport Show next week on the Sat, DB will be on stage with Henry Hope-Frost, hopefully the story of how he was told he was doing 246mph down the Mulsanne in a Porsche 917 will be told as they had no speedo in the car, just rpm."Aerodynamics reached its peak in 1989, before the Mulsanne Straight was modified. During the 1988 race, the crew of a W.M. prototype taped over the engine openings and set a recorded speed of 404 km/h (251 mph) down the Mulsanne in a publicity stunt, although the car was almost undrivable elsewhere on the circuit and the engine was soon destroyed from a lack of cooling. However, for the 1989 event, the Mercedes-Benz C9 reached 399 km/h (248 mph) under qualifying conditions."
Banjo47 said:
We'll have to disagree on this one then fatboy. You can get up to top speed before the first chicane and virtually top before the second - although agreed not for very long until those countdown metre boards come up! The run down to Indianapolis is the fastest section. Of course the cars would be geared differently in those days to take this into account.In fact with the old long Mulsanne straight, drivers used that part for a bit of a rest, talk to their engineers etc. Far more involving for the drivers these days!
LMP1's get to about 200-210mph before the first chicane these days. Bob Berridge in the Sauber Merc C11 was timed at 211mph before the first chicane last year in the Group C support race, 3mph faster than the highest top speed in qualifying for the main race by Anthony Davidson in the Toyota! The C11 has around 900 bhp on tap even now though.Edit: Reading somewhere else, it might have been Gareth Evans that postest the highest speed at Le Mans this year in the C9 Sauber Merc. Post before fact-check fail...
Edited by JBT on Friday 4th January 14:06
JBT said:
LMP1's get to about 200-210mph before the first chicane these days. Bob Berridge in the Sauber Merc C11 was timed at 211mph before the first chicane last year in the Group C support race, 3mph faster than the highest top speed in qualifying for the main race by Anthony Davidson in the Toyota! The C11 has around 900 bhp on tap even now though.
Edit: Reading somewhere else, it might have been Gareth Evans that postest the highest speed at Le Mans this year in the C9 Sauber Merc. Post before fact-check fail...
That sounds right, and the fact that the Sauber Merc can reach that speed in that distance is mighty impressive Edit: Reading somewhere else, it might have been Gareth Evans that postest the highest speed at Le Mans this year in the C9 Sauber Merc. Post before fact-check fail...
Edited by JBT on Friday 4th January 14:06
Heard an interview with DB. He said his most memorable experience at LM was doing 248mph in a 917 in 1971! Don't forget that the distance record set in that race wasn't broken until 2010 (I know the course has changed, but still shows how fast the 917s were). Interestingly, both records were set with 397 completed laps.
Re the 956 at the ring - pity they didn't have a camera in Belloff's car when he did the 6.11 in qualifying. He was better than Senna (just watch the wet Monaco race if you don't believe me).
Re the 956 at the ring - pity they didn't have a camera in Belloff's car when he did the 6.11 in qualifying. He was better than Senna (just watch the wet Monaco race if you don't believe me).
Edited by 993RSGT3 on Saturday 5th January 21:16
993RSGT3 said:
Re the 956 at the ring - pity they didn't have a camera in Belloff's car when he did the 6.11 in qualifying. He was better than Senna (just watch the wet Monaco race if you don't believe me).
I think the sheer size and weight of the cameras back then, would have slowed him down several secs (I believe the "in car 956 video" shows somewhere just how big they were)Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff