Friday, what's happening?

[silverback]

Excited to be going down this year after a break of a few years, arriving Thurs. What's happening Friday? Is there still that classic car show down near the Mulsanne corner? And the informal gatherings near the Shanghai restaurant on the straight? Is the Classic British Welcome worth turning up to? Does anyone head down the Hotel de France in La Chartre-sur-loir to mill about? Any other ideas? Heck I almost forgot about the drivers' parade! From memory most of the nutjobs doing burnouts round roundabouts stuff had been stamped out – or are there still some areas we should avoid? Lots of questions, sorry!

[LM240]

Teloche from 1500-2300. Particularly aimed at Porsche owners, which are all parked together. (There was an Alpine area also, but all other cars are directed to another parking area).

Based around the garage that Porsche once used to prep their cars.

Well organized. Quite a young event, but trying to grow.

[delta0]

On the silliness side, that is mostly around Arnage. There’s not much at the circuit these days.

[//j17]

silverback said:

Excited to be going down this year after a break of a few years, arriving Thurs. What's happening Friday? Is there still that classic car show down near the Mulsanne corner? And the informal gatherings near the Shanghai restaurant on the straight?

Clearly been a few years since your last trip. Rather than constantly opening/closing the public roads they are basically closed all week, through till after the race on Sunday now. On the negative side that means no more driving the (public parts of) the circuit - but on the positive fewer speeding tickets/accidents/track action almost every day.

Specific to Friday there's a 3hr Road To Le Mans race after which the whole circuit's open to the general entry tickets to walk/run/cycle, both public and normally private parts of the circuit.

There are a number of 'off site' events though. The Classic British Welcome is quite a big event these days and certainly worth the trip if you've never been before. And in more recent years there's been a more relaxed 'rival' show down in Mulsanne village.

silverback said:

Does anyone head down the Hotel de France in La Chartre-sur-loir to mill about? Any other ideas? Heck I almost forgot about the drivers' parade! From memory most of the nutjobs doing burnouts round roundabouts stuff had been stamped out  or are there still some areas we should avoid? Lots of questions, sorry!

Some people go to Hotel de France, but I don't think in huge numbers and not sure they run any sort of 'event'.

Yep, depsite constantly increasing numbers of people the ever-shortening driver's parade is still going strong - and a lot easier to get a beer than it used to be. If nothing else it's a great excuse to get out for a nice, non-BBQed meal!

Life in and around the circuit's a lot more civilized these days with some of the stupidity of the past having lead to a greater, less tollerant police presence. That did mean a few years of police vans driving around the problem spots tear gassing everyone but people seem to have gotten the "Don't be a dick" message so they have gone back to a lower profile, only coming out if/when necessary. Some people say that's taken the "fun" out of things - but as a classic convertable owner it's nice to be able to drive around top down (without worrying about getting sprayed with "water") and having to explain to (drunk) people that it's not that you won't do a burnout it's that you don't have the power to do one!



And Silverback - the Triumph Vitesse one?

[silverback]

Thanks for the info, I certainly wasn't aware about the roads being closed that does narrow options down a bit! Can you still stroll up the pit lane on Friday (once the circuit is open)? Triumph Vitesse? Not me I'm afraid, I'm going down in this unit.

[//j17]

silverback said:

Thanks for the info, I certainly wasn't aware about the roads being closed that does narrow options down a bit! Can you still stroll up the pit lane on Friday (once the circuit is open)?

Yep, pits plus the whole circuit open.

silverback said:

Triumph Vitesse? Not me I'm afraid, I'm going down in this unit.

There's a Triumph owner who used to own Vitesse race cars named "Silverback" and "Son Of Silverback" (built after Silverback ended upside down on the Nürburgring.

[RL17]

It was much better with no racing on the Friday and a pit walk Friday morning ( is this now just Tuesday?)

Track open to public in pm now but 3.30pm and although public you had to wait 15 to 20 mins in hot sun to be scanned out at Tertre Rouge.

There s a bar on Mulsanne just down on right and also beer at Hunardieres

Walking the track good but risk being chucked off early with long walks if weather iffy and police don t want to get wet. The time it opens has been pushed back again?


GBW great volunteer event - 2 doors good, 4 doors bad entry- good bbq and beer tent - may need cash

Road to Le Mans race much better than beetle racing though

[//j17]

Worth downloading the "24 Experience" app as that has the full programme (and easier to access than fighting the website).

Also as an alternative to leaving the track at Tetre Rouge you could walk down the top of the Mulsanne to the first roundabout and get if there. That puts you right next to the V&B bar/off licence for a nice beer/bit of aircon, amd just down from the tram station to head into town for the Drivers Parade.

[silverback]

//j17 said:

Worth downloading the "24 Experience" app as that has the full programme (and easier to access than fighting the website).

Good shout, that's much clearer than the website!

Also as an alternative to leaving the track at Tetre Rouge you could walk down the top of the Mulsanne to the first roundabout and get if there. That puts you right next to the V&B bar/off licence for a nice beer/bit of aircon, amd just down from the tram station to head into town for the Drivers Parade.

Thanks for this tip too – we're staying with Team Languostine at Tertre Rouge so that's well handy.

[silverback]

LM240 said:

Teloche from 1500-2300. Particularly aimed at Porsche owners, which are all parked together. (There was an Alpine area also, but all other cars are directed to another parking area).

Based around the garage that Porsche once used to prep their cars.

Well organized. Quite a young event, but trying to grow.

That sounds cool – shame I don't have a Porsche!

[andy_mc]

LM240 said:

Teloche from 1500-2300. Particularly aimed at Porsche owners, which are all parked together. (There was an Alpine area also, but all other cars are directed to another parking area).

Based around the garage that Porsche once used to prep their cars.

Well organized. Quite a young event, but trying to grow.

This sounds cool. My web search didn't show up any more details of this link. Does anybody have a link to this event? Thanks

[andy_mc]

andy_mc said:

This sounds cool. My web search didn't show up any more details of this link. Does anybody have a link to this event? Thanks

Forget this - found the event listed in the "24 experience" app... (FYI - you can use your existing ACO login with this app - if you have one. Else just register for a new account).

[G4T]

andy_mc said:

LM240 said:

Teloche from 1500-2300. Particularly aimed at Porsche owners, which are all parked together. (There was an Alpine area also, but all other cars are directed to another parking area).

Based around the garage that Porsche once used to prep their cars.

Well organized. Quite a young event, but trying to grow.

This sounds cool. My web search didn't show up any more details of this link. Does anybody have a link to this event? Thanks

porsche-christophorus-le-mans-legend-garage-teloche

https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/christophorus/pors...

[Dickie Dastardly]

silverback said:

Thanks for this tip too  we're staying with Team Languostine at Tertre Rouge so that's well handy.

I'm also on the TL site (upgraded this year as my better half is attending for the first time)....

[RL17]

//j17 said:

Worth downloading the "24 Experience" app as that has the full programme (and easier to access than fighting the website).

Also as an alternative to leaving the track at Tetre Rouge you could walk down the top of the Mulsanne to the first roundabout and get if there. That puts you right next to the V&B bar/off licence for a nice beer/bit of aircon, and just down from the tram station to head into town for the Drivers Parade.

We weren't leaving the track! About a thousand people were held up on track walk. They were ticket checking you for Friday GE access as you went from Tertre Rouge to Mulsanne - huge delay over nothing and so not all track really 'public'.

[//j17]

RL17 said:

//j17 said:

Worth downloading the "24 Experience" app as that has the full programme (and easier to access than fighting the website).

Also as an alternative to leaving the track at Tetre Rouge you could walk down the top of the Mulsanne to the first roundabout and get if there. That puts you right next to the V&B bar/off licence for a nice beer/bit of aircon, and just down from the tram station to head into town for the Drivers Parade.

We weren't leaving the track! About a thousand people were held up on track walk. They were ticket checking you for Friday GE access as you went from Tertre Rouge to Mulsanne - huge delay over nothing and so not all track really 'public'.

The first year they opened things there were no checks on the circuit but that meant they needed pass scanning staff stationed at every circuit entry/exit point (or random people could easilly walk in and access everything you're meant to need a ticket for and even just hang outuntil Sat and get to see the race for free). That's got to be a massive PITA to staff, keep swapping charged scanners for low ones, etc so they may have just simplified things and scanned people in and out at Tetre Rouge and Porsche Curves. Only 2 additional points to staff and minimal delays...provided they have more than 1 person doing the scanning. I'm guessing that was the issue.

[Nickg67]

//j17 said:

The first year they opened things there were no checks on the circuit but that meant they needed pass scanning staff stationed at every circuit entry/exit point (or random people could easilly walk in and access everything you're meant to need a ticket for and even just hang outuntil Sat and get to see the race for free). That's got to be a massive PITA to staff, keep swapping charged scanners for low ones, etc so they may have just simplified things and scanned people in and out at Tetre Rouge and Porsche Curves. Only 2 additional points to staff and minimal delays...provided they have more than 1 person doing the scanning. I'm guessing that was the issue.

Thanks for advice. Last year I don’t make it to track as I was “hydrating” in the PH tent due to the weather listening to the Valkyrie drivers ( thanks to Radio LM)

[//j17]

Have to say it's one of those 'one off' things, a bit like the pit lane walk.

Never done it? Definitely do it at some point.
Done it before? Yea, quickly becomes just walking down a long, empty road (or shuffling in a huge crowd to generally get bored before getting near enough to see anything in the case of the pit walk) so no need to rush back.

[VladD]

The 24h Experience app is saying that there will be around 900 Italian cars at Mulsanne for the track walk this year. There should be some photogenic examples in that lot.

[davidd]

//j17 said:

Have to say it's one of those 'one off' things, a bit like the pit lane walk.

Never done it? Definitely do it at some point.
Done it before? Yea, quickly becomes just walking down a long, empty road (or shuffling in a huge crowd to generally get bored before getting near enough to see anything in the case of the pit walk) so no need to rush back.

Completely agree, once is enough. I'd say the same for the CBW as well.

Edited by davidd on Friday 15th May 11:28