TEN FACTS ABOUT LE-MANS YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW!
Discussion
FACT 1: The first Le-Mans was held in May 1923 and it rained and hailed so badly for the first 4 hours it was decided to more the event to the second week of June
FACT 2: The part of the track called Indianapolis was so named because it was surfaced with bricks just like the Indianapolis race track.
FACT 3: During the second world war LeMans was a Gerwan Air base and the Mulsanne straight was used for bomer/fighter take offs and landings.
FACT 4: The ACO (the club that has always organised the race) was formed 100 years ago in Jan 1906
FACT 5: During the first race after the WW2(1949)spectators were warned not to venture onto may parts of the circuit as it was still covered with mined areas left by the Germans when they retreated from Le-Mans in 1944.(The germans also blew up all the original pits,grandstands and mined the race circuit before they left!)
FACT 6: In 1908 the Wright Brothers made the first European flight in one of their crude aero machines and took off from a field located between Mulsanne road and Houx
FACT 7: The last classified finisher of the 1923 race averaged 23.45mph!
And only 6 car were unable to complete the race!
FACT 8: In the 1923 race the French Army were called in with there search lamps to light the circuit as most cars had such feeble lights the drivers couldn`t see the track at night!
FACT 9: Aston Martin have appeared at LeMans more times than any other British Team(that one surprised me!)
FACT 10: The oldest remaining building at LeMans yet to be bulldozed is the original ACO grandstand that was built for the first race after the war in 1949(located next to the massive 4 story job).Up until this year the next oldest building was at the end of the pit exit(bulldozed a few moths ago)this was an observation post and was built in 1949 also, but even before then in 1933 the first race control tower was built on that spot (blown up by the germans in 1944)
.......Off to spot some trains now!
FACT 2: The part of the track called Indianapolis was so named because it was surfaced with bricks just like the Indianapolis race track.
FACT 3: During the second world war LeMans was a Gerwan Air base and the Mulsanne straight was used for bomer/fighter take offs and landings.
FACT 4: The ACO (the club that has always organised the race) was formed 100 years ago in Jan 1906
FACT 5: During the first race after the WW2(1949)spectators were warned not to venture onto may parts of the circuit as it was still covered with mined areas left by the Germans when they retreated from Le-Mans in 1944.(The germans also blew up all the original pits,grandstands and mined the race circuit before they left!)
FACT 6: In 1908 the Wright Brothers made the first European flight in one of their crude aero machines and took off from a field located between Mulsanne road and Houx
FACT 7: The last classified finisher of the 1923 race averaged 23.45mph!
And only 6 car were unable to complete the race! FACT 8: In the 1923 race the French Army were called in with there search lamps to light the circuit as most cars had such feeble lights the drivers couldn`t see the track at night!
FACT 9: Aston Martin have appeared at LeMans more times than any other British Team(that one surprised me!)
FACT 10: The oldest remaining building at LeMans yet to be bulldozed is the original ACO grandstand that was built for the first race after the war in 1949(located next to the massive 4 story job).Up until this year the next oldest building was at the end of the pit exit(bulldozed a few moths ago)this was an observation post and was built in 1949 also, but even before then in 1933 the first race control tower was built on that spot (blown up by the germans in 1944)
.......Off to spot some trains now!
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