Will LM 2018 be Quieter than usual?
Discussion
Yes Ford had a sandmine onboard during the test day before they came back. Did it rather well too, all the cars were within a smidge so it looked like they were doing 100%. Of course these days with electronic engine management it is easy to tweak a parameter here and there to get the car to seem slower to benefit from an adjustment to the BOP or EOT.
OvalOwl said:
Yes Ford had a sandmine onboard during the test day before they came back. Did it rather well too, all the cars were within a smidge so it looked like they were doing 100%. Of course these days with electronic engine management it is easy to tweak a parameter here and there to get the car to seem slower to benefit from an adjustment to the BOP or EOT.
Although according to the ACO it wasn't possible to circumvent the 'auto' BoP....
Thread Update after the Event....
We travelled down, as usual, on Tuesday so arrive to a pretty empty campsite anyway.
We went into town on the Wednesday lunchtime and it was deserted. The outside seating in the Place de la Republique had next to no one sitting there, and those there were locals who just ate and left.
Trackside Weds and Thursday seemed quieter than normal, and the campsites were looking sparse still.
Friday we went down to Chartre-sur-le-loir (another regular haunt) and that was noticeably busier than it often is, but they had an organised Gulf Racing festival in the square which must have brought in more people.
Very few siren sounds, car engine or burnout noises on Friday evening (for good or ill).
However, trackside over the weekend seemed very busy. Perhaps more locals and casual fans?
We travelled down, as usual, on Tuesday so arrive to a pretty empty campsite anyway.
We went into town on the Wednesday lunchtime and it was deserted. The outside seating in the Place de la Republique had next to no one sitting there, and those there were locals who just ate and left.
Trackside Weds and Thursday seemed quieter than normal, and the campsites were looking sparse still.
Friday we went down to Chartre-sur-le-loir (another regular haunt) and that was noticeably busier than it often is, but they had an organised Gulf Racing festival in the square which must have brought in more people.
Very few siren sounds, car engine or burnout noises on Friday evening (for good or ill).
However, trackside over the weekend seemed very busy. Perhaps more locals and casual fans?
Truckosaurus said:
Thread Update after the Event....
We travelled down, as usual, on Tuesday so arrive to a pretty empty campsite anyway.
We went into town on the Wednesday lunchtime and it was deserted. The outside seating in the Place de la Republique had next to no one sitting there, and those there were locals who just ate and left.
Trackside Weds and Thursday seemed quieter than normal, and the campsites were looking sparse still.
Friday we went down to Chartre-sur-le-loir (another regular haunt) and that was noticeably busier than it often is, but they had an organised Gulf Racing festival in the square which must have brought in more people.
Very few siren sounds, car engine or burnout noises on Friday evening (for good or ill).
However, trackside over the weekend seemed very busy. Perhaps more locals and casual fans?
We arrived Weds to a fairly lightly populated Maison Blanche and a surprising number of the pitches remainder empty all weekend.We travelled down, as usual, on Tuesday so arrive to a pretty empty campsite anyway.
We went into town on the Wednesday lunchtime and it was deserted. The outside seating in the Place de la Republique had next to no one sitting there, and those there were locals who just ate and left.
Trackside Weds and Thursday seemed quieter than normal, and the campsites were looking sparse still.
Friday we went down to Chartre-sur-le-loir (another regular haunt) and that was noticeably busier than it often is, but they had an organised Gulf Racing festival in the square which must have brought in more people.
Very few siren sounds, car engine or burnout noises on Friday evening (for good or ill).
However, trackside over the weekend seemed very busy. Perhaps more locals and casual fans?
Definitely had the feeling that the whole event was less busy than previous years wherever we went - including Arnage on Fri night, Esses at race start and the pit straight at night.
I have never (and I have lived here 20 years) seen so many hotels advertising rooms to let. I was most amazed to see that the rather unusual hotel in the Technopark also had a sign on the wire fence announcing rooms available. Traffic was also far lighter than usual on my trips there and back from home Yet the ACO have come out with the statement that the attendance this year was 256,900. I just don't believe it because I was getting emails from the ACO saying that stand seats were still available even during the race!
Not withstanding a serious illness in the family which held me back, the weather reports in France this year were diabolical in the lead up and in some ways I was glad I gave it a miss. Camping with mud, anorak and wellies is not ideal, especially at Le Mans, and last years' hot weather rather spoilt me.
Every so often we get a wet one but fingers crossed for next year.
Weather apart, my co-pilot son referred back to the vintage years - the Portsmouth ferry and pub yard before hand watching the cars roll up, race cars that excite like the flying Mercs, the rumbling Panoz and Astons, the Friday burnouts along the Indianapolis straight and the final mussel dinner at Ouisterham in the Boule D'Or ( remember Rene ? ) before catching the ferry home.
Somehow nostalgia got the better of me and I fear for the impact of the ACO rule changes making this event slightly more ordinary. I'll give it a go in 2019 and hope that the race will not be the predictable end that this year was.
Every so often we get a wet one but fingers crossed for next year.
Weather apart, my co-pilot son referred back to the vintage years - the Portsmouth ferry and pub yard before hand watching the cars roll up, race cars that excite like the flying Mercs, the rumbling Panoz and Astons, the Friday burnouts along the Indianapolis straight and the final mussel dinner at Ouisterham in the Boule D'Or ( remember Rene ? ) before catching the ferry home.
Somehow nostalgia got the better of me and I fear for the impact of the ACO rule changes making this event slightly more ordinary. I'll give it a go in 2019 and hope that the race will not be the predictable end that this year was.
Chr1sch said:
I really fear for LeMans, it will eventually end up a bit like the Diesel era with Electric cars at the front, if it doesnt there appears to be such a threat from Formula E as the defacto development path that it will get all the investment
Does Formula E get much of an audience? I can see it being around for a few years as the new fad, but then disappearing because it's not what proper racing fans want to see, or more importantly hear.I wonder if there is now a "Classic year Effect" ?
I have seen crowds come and go since 1980 when I first went, and with the availability of getting a "relaxed fix" in July did not attend the race this year.
What I have seen however (having been to them all) is that the Classic has grown greatly in popularity. Heck I think there was even a stickered up for the classic thread on here (please dont!)
Will be interesting to see how many (and type of) people attend the classic this year !
Bob
I have seen crowds come and go since 1980 when I first went, and with the availability of getting a "relaxed fix" in July did not attend the race this year.
What I have seen however (having been to them all) is that the Classic has grown greatly in popularity. Heck I think there was even a stickered up for the classic thread on here (please dont!)
Will be interesting to see how many (and type of) people attend the classic this year !
Bob
lowdrag said:
I have never (and I have lived here 20 years) seen so many hotels advertising rooms to let. I was most amazed to see that the rather unusual hotel in the Technopark also had a sign on the wire fence announcing rooms available. Traffic was also far lighter than usual on my trips there and back from home Yet the ACO have come out with the statement that the attendance this year was 256,900. I just don't believe it because I was getting emails from the ACO saying that stand seats were still available even during the race!
I think people were camping elsewhere - there was a random 'other' campsite set up next to Epinettes. The grandstands certainly seemed less busy than in previous years - the ACO certainly seem to be milking a lot of money out of people at the moment, beer and food more expensive than before and the quality not quite there.Traffic was a lot lighter than before - but then there did seem to be a lot of people at the circuit on Saturday evening, especially for the Texas concert (oddly enough - although to be fair I have seen Texas a long time ago and they are good live - but I was there to watch the racing).
lowdrag said:
2002 was 30,000, 2016 113,000 at the Classic. In the beginning it was mainly the Brits, but now vast numbers come from the rest of Europe and of course further afield.
It's certainly very popular and now they're including newer cars in the Classic it's appeal will only grow. The sound and sight of some of the entries is certainly something to behold and experience!lowdrag said:
The local paper had a half-page article today on the lack of people, with many hotels bemoaning a dearth of customers. Private camping sites say they are full for the Classic but had plenty of empty places for the 24 Hours.
Maybe the main race is losing customers to the Classic then. It'll be interesting to see what attendances for the main race are like next year when the classic is on.Lowdrag, have you driven the E-Type and/or XKSS round a full lap of the track at any point? That would be a bit special.
Tertre Rouge had quite a few empty pitches and when we went on a last-minute baguette run a couple of hours before the race, the N138 was deserted apart from an Aston convertible & a large swarm of bees.
TR was busy as ever on race day, I think lots of people take advantage of the tram nowadays.
TR was busy as ever on race day, I think lots of people take advantage of the tram nowadays.
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