Discussion
As a Le Mans 24hr regular since 1980, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the decision that my next Le Mans venture will probably be the 2018 Classic.
I enjoyed both events this year, especially the Classic with the great weather that we had, slightly less so the 24 hour with the dampness and what seems to be the trending weather over the last few years. (great race though and really showed that to finish first, first you have to finish)
Maybe it is an age thing, but my memories of my early Le Mans trips seemed to involve sunshine, something of a novelty these days.
I have many fantastic memories of all the races, funfairs and stuff in general that went on, except for the toilets !! we used to go as long as possible without using them because they quite frankly seemed dangerous places to be back then, now they are a pleasure to use.
Over the years we have camped (on and off circuit), slept in cars, hotels and Chateaux, driven down in a mixture of cars, some less exotic than others. Crossed the channel on every crossing available and stayed anything from Friday to Sunday - to arriving the Tuesday before and leaving the Tuesday after.
Our early years involved doing the pit timing for Hugh Chamberlain, hanging out the timing board at Mulsanne on the old pit wall at the golf club - happy days !!
Well one day we must write all our adventures down - could make for an amusing read.
So I have 6 months to change my mind, but I don't think it will happen somehow.
Bob
I enjoyed both events this year, especially the Classic with the great weather that we had, slightly less so the 24 hour with the dampness and what seems to be the trending weather over the last few years. (great race though and really showed that to finish first, first you have to finish)
Maybe it is an age thing, but my memories of my early Le Mans trips seemed to involve sunshine, something of a novelty these days.
I have many fantastic memories of all the races, funfairs and stuff in general that went on, except for the toilets !! we used to go as long as possible without using them because they quite frankly seemed dangerous places to be back then, now they are a pleasure to use.
Over the years we have camped (on and off circuit), slept in cars, hotels and Chateaux, driven down in a mixture of cars, some less exotic than others. Crossed the channel on every crossing available and stayed anything from Friday to Sunday - to arriving the Tuesday before and leaving the Tuesday after.
Our early years involved doing the pit timing for Hugh Chamberlain, hanging out the timing board at Mulsanne on the old pit wall at the golf club - happy days !!
Well one day we must write all our adventures down - could make for an amusing read.
So I have 6 months to change my mind, but I don't think it will happen somehow.
Bob
Most years Elroy, missed a few for births, deaths, marriages, that sort of thing, if we knew that we could not make the race we would certainly do the practice weekend that in those days used to be in May.
Slightly fallen out of love with the corporate ways that the race has fallen into, long gone are the days of sneaking onto the old pit balcony in the middle of the night. Photography is a passion of mine and nowadays that is pretty much killed by the fencing and stuff.
Also looking for something slightly different, maybe 'Circuit des Remparts' in Angouleme for September 2017 could be the answer. That would scratch the motorsport itch and still give us a our French trip fix (we love France and all that comes with it)
Slightly fallen out of love with the corporate ways that the race has fallen into, long gone are the days of sneaking onto the old pit balcony in the middle of the night. Photography is a passion of mine and nowadays that is pretty much killed by the fencing and stuff.
Also looking for something slightly different, maybe 'Circuit des Remparts' in Angouleme for September 2017 could be the answer. That would scratch the motorsport itch and still give us a our French trip fix (we love France and all that comes with it)
fatboy18 said:
We plan on doing Spa instead of Le mans Next year 
After spending a week in the rain up to the race this year I have had enough.
I went to Le Mans and Spa this year, I loved Spa it was a fantastic weekend and will be back in 2017, After spending a week in the rain up to the race this year I have had enough.
I to have just about had enough of Le Mans for lots of reasons and very much doubt ill be there next year.
But don't expect Spa to be dry, it has a very large average rainfall, our campsite got bogged down and my camper was stranded until i got out on the Sunday morning this was by eau rouge campsite, the same thing happened a couple of years ago when I went to spa for the F1 this time was the campsite by Les Combes.
I'm going to see what other options there is for next year but i'll be avoiding the trackside campsite's, I might try the campsites that pop up in francorchamps village.
indyxe said:
fatboy18 said:
We plan on doing Spa instead of Le mans Next year
After spending a week in the rain up to the race this year I have had enough.
I went to Le Mans and Spa this year, I loved Spa it was a fantastic weekend and will be back in 2017, After spending a week in the rain up to the race this year I have had enough.
I to have just about had enough of Le Mans for lots of reasons and very much doubt ill be there next year.
But don't expect Spa to be dry, it has a very large average rainfall, our campsite got bogged down and my camper was stranded until i got out on the Sunday morning this was by eau rouge campsite, the same thing happened a couple of years ago when I went to spa for the F1 this time was the campsite by Les Combes.
I'm going to see what other options there is for next year but i'll be avoiding the trackside campsite's, I might try the campsites that pop up in francorchamps village.
what Hotel you in, I might look into that option also, indyxe said:
fatboy18 said:
think the Hotel will be lovely and Dry and hoping the Bar will be very wet
what Hotel you in, I might look into that option also, http://www.booking.com/hotel/be/verviers.en-gb.htm...
Good car park
Very short drive to and from the circuit on dual carriageways with great views.
I very much align with the OP's sentiment and experience. I too started going to Le Mans with a group of about 10 family/friends in the very early 80's and it was a very, very different experience back then. Heat&Dust was a well placed metaphor for La Sarthe back in the day.
I think I've done the 24 hour race 32 times - 6 or 7 of them from the USA, so something of a travel commitment also.
My most recent attendance was 2014 - more a sense of duty than a real desire to continue to experience the spectacle and the party. I didn't enjoy it at all. The weather was mediocre, the ceaseless construction of concrete fortifications between the paying public and the track, the obnoxious anti-social aresholes on Houx - and worst of all the banishment of BYOB - the gate staff would not allow us to bring any of our own booze into the enclosures - and that nixed it for me.
I am very lucky in that I live within an hours drive of both Daytona International Speedway and Sebring. The Rolex 24 is a great event - but the 12 hours of Sebring is genuinely fantastic - albeit not WEC sanctioned of late. It has a vibe very much like Le Mans was in the 80's and 90's - accessible, friendly, few rules for fans and awesome weather (usually). It is a very good alternative to Le Mans - and airfare aside, a damn sight cheaper as well.
The "Audification" of Le Mans was one of my irritations. I do wonder what difference Audi's withdrawal from the WEC will make to the Le Mans experience - presumably everything that had 'Audi' printed/painted on it will now be converted to read "Porsche".
I think I've done the 24 hour race 32 times - 6 or 7 of them from the USA, so something of a travel commitment also.
My most recent attendance was 2014 - more a sense of duty than a real desire to continue to experience the spectacle and the party. I didn't enjoy it at all. The weather was mediocre, the ceaseless construction of concrete fortifications between the paying public and the track, the obnoxious anti-social aresholes on Houx - and worst of all the banishment of BYOB - the gate staff would not allow us to bring any of our own booze into the enclosures - and that nixed it for me.
I am very lucky in that I live within an hours drive of both Daytona International Speedway and Sebring. The Rolex 24 is a great event - but the 12 hours of Sebring is genuinely fantastic - albeit not WEC sanctioned of late. It has a vibe very much like Le Mans was in the 80's and 90's - accessible, friendly, few rules for fans and awesome weather (usually). It is a very good alternative to Le Mans - and airfare aside, a damn sight cheaper as well.
The "Audification" of Le Mans was one of my irritations. I do wonder what difference Audi's withdrawal from the WEC will make to the Le Mans experience - presumably everything that had 'Audi' printed/painted on it will now be converted to read "Porsche".
Matt - Heat and Dust, perfectly sums up early Le Mans for me. It used to take weeks to get that bloody orangey grey dust out of all the little nooks and crannies, but hey that was part of the deal.
Daytona and Sebring are still on my bucket list, I managed to scratch my Nascar itch at Charlotte a couple of years ago (BOA 500,what a show those boys put on) and I thought Le Mans was cheap !
I still love Le Mans, but feel a year off will do me good (and my racing buddy who has been with me for all my trips)
Looked at some options, Angouleme, and recently Classic Race Aarhus (Denmark) as this is a place I visited a lot when I worked in the UK for a Danish company. Scandinavians are great by the way, really fun people, so that would be good.
Not renewed my ACO membership that has just expired, so that finally means no LM14 next year by the way.
Bob
Daytona and Sebring are still on my bucket list, I managed to scratch my Nascar itch at Charlotte a couple of years ago (BOA 500,what a show those boys put on) and I thought Le Mans was cheap !
I still love Le Mans, but feel a year off will do me good (and my racing buddy who has been with me for all my trips)
Looked at some options, Angouleme, and recently Classic Race Aarhus (Denmark) as this is a place I visited a lot when I worked in the UK for a Danish company. Scandinavians are great by the way, really fun people, so that would be good.
Not renewed my ACO membership that has just expired, so that finally means no LM14 next year by the way.
Bob
Sorry, my last Le Mans was 2015, not 2014 - just goes to show how they all kind of merge together - either that, or I'm getting senile.
Daytona and Sebring are well worth it.
That said, I do have some very happy memories of Le Mans. I also suppose that for those going in more recent years, they will look back with the same fondness - just a different experience.
Daytona and Sebring are well worth it.
That said, I do have some very happy memories of Le Mans. I also suppose that for those going in more recent years, they will look back with the same fondness - just a different experience.
We - me and mrsrlw - have been every year from 1981, including the first Classic, but I really couldn't be bothered this year. The ACO let us down again - third year on the trot - on T18 tickets and I really didn't want to sit in an open(ish) grandstand - again - risking wind, rain etc so I made the decision to sell all the tickets and watch it on Eurosport player.
It was a great success. RLM for the commentary and a choice of views. I missed about 30 minutes of the whole race, was warm and dry, had access to great food and proper toilets, and I saved about £1000 in total.
The early years were brilliant as it was still a bit wild. I remember having the most fantastic steak and chips and a bottle of wine down near the old Esses, consumed in almost total darkness and prepared by a little local restaurant who had been on that pitch for years. The track was different, the crowds were different, the weather was better too. Everything was better. It was a lot less commercial and a lot more open. TBH, I blame Jaguar for the whole corporate thing starting and for bringing in a whole new bunch of young and "patriotic" fans.
I always intended to do 50 on the trot but I can't say that I enjoyed the last few nearly so much as the first ones. Maybe I'm just turning into an old git or - more likely - I miss the sounds and sights of a turbocharged flat six too much.
It was a great success. RLM for the commentary and a choice of views. I missed about 30 minutes of the whole race, was warm and dry, had access to great food and proper toilets, and I saved about £1000 in total.
The early years were brilliant as it was still a bit wild. I remember having the most fantastic steak and chips and a bottle of wine down near the old Esses, consumed in almost total darkness and prepared by a little local restaurant who had been on that pitch for years. The track was different, the crowds were different, the weather was better too. Everything was better. It was a lot less commercial and a lot more open. TBH, I blame Jaguar for the whole corporate thing starting and for bringing in a whole new bunch of young and "patriotic" fans.
I always intended to do 50 on the trot but I can't say that I enjoyed the last few nearly so much as the first ones. Maybe I'm just turning into an old git or - more likely - I miss the sounds and sights of a turbocharged flat six too much.
Matt Harper said:
Sorry, my last Le Mans was 2015, not 2014 - just goes to show how they all kind of merge together - either that, or I'm getting senile.
Daytona and Sebring are well worth it.
That said, I do have some very happy memories of Le Mans. I also suppose that for those going in more recent years, they will look back with the same fondness - just a different experience.
Fantatic pics Matt, thanks for posting those Daytona and Sebring are well worth it.
That said, I do have some very happy memories of Le Mans. I also suppose that for those going in more recent years, they will look back with the same fondness - just a different experience.
But sadly it's just not like that anymore
Some Gump said:
rlw,
has it ever struck you that you were once a young fan?
The more young fans the ACO can get the better IMO. Class seeing the little dudes waving their little Audi flags excitedly in front of 56 racecars flying under the Dunlop bridge =)
I was never a young fan - first one I went to I was 29. I used to camp and loved it but hordes of pissed and noisy Brits put an end to that.has it ever struck you that you were once a young fan?
The more young fans the ACO can get the better IMO. Class seeing the little dudes waving their little Audi flags excitedly in front of 56 racecars flying under the Dunlop bridge =)
Sorry, for me it's too corporate now and the glamour and excitement has gone. And the shambles with the tickets - bear in mind that the ACO wrote to me every year for 22 years asking if I would like the same tickets as last year (and for most of that time I sat next to a grumpy Frenchman who we saw once a year but we always shook hands and exchanged pleasantries after the first couple of years)- was the tipping point. If they didn't give the tickets to the tour companies it would help but they probably get a good bung from them so that won't stop.
I enjoy watching it on the TV. Since the atmosphere has gone, that's better than being there.
This will sound terribly snobby but Le Mans has in recent years transformed from "race" to "event", and that is bad news for anyone who appreciates the history of the place and the pure motorsport element.
Not that there is so much history left with all the "improvements" that have been made.
Audi's dominance, and domineering presence, certainly didn't help (several of my mates stopped going years ago because they were sick of the result being a foregone conclusion) but the ACO selling out to the corporate dollar was the clincher for me. The 'new Village' and the cordoned-off, VIP-only paddock area are just s
t compared to the old days when they were 'our' spaces.
I still love the race but since I don't feel the ACO particularly welcomes my meagre contribution I'll keep it in my pocket!
Not that there is so much history left with all the "improvements" that have been made.
Audi's dominance, and domineering presence, certainly didn't help (several of my mates stopped going years ago because they were sick of the result being a foregone conclusion) but the ACO selling out to the corporate dollar was the clincher for me. The 'new Village' and the cordoned-off, VIP-only paddock area are just s
t compared to the old days when they were 'our' spaces.I still love the race but since I don't feel the ACO particularly welcomes my meagre contribution I'll keep it in my pocket!
greeny12 said:
Not that there is so much history left with all the "improvements" that have been made.
Yea, the circuit's not been the same since it was shortened and the drivers didn't have to tackle the Pontlieue hairpin.Times change and things like race circuits have to change with them. Personally I'm happy that I've been going to about 15 years, seen many big crashes but only had to witness one death.
greeny12 said:
Audi's dominance, and domineering presence, certainly didn't help (several of my mates stopped going years ago because they were sick of the result being a foregone conclusion)
Yea, much better in:- The mid 50's when it was really a question of which D-Type would win.
- The late 60's when it was really a question of which GT40 would win.
- The whole of the 80's when it was really a question of which Porsche would win
Audi came in to the sport, did a better job than everyone else and actually stayed committed to the sport long after it made real marketing sense.
greeny12 said:
but the ACO selling out to the corporate dollar was the clincher for me. The 'new Village' and the cordoned-off, VIP-only paddock area are just st compared to the old days when they were 'our' spaces.
I still love the race but since I don't feel the ACO particularly welcomes my meagre contribution I'll keep it in my pocket!
And your meager contribution doesn't really go very far in paying for the race to be held each year. I don't imagin the ACO are rolling in cash even with the corporate dollars.t compared to the old days when they were 'our' spaces.I still love the race but since I don't feel the ACO particularly welcomes my meagre contribution I'll keep it in my pocket!
Edited by //j17 on Friday 25th November 13:18
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