Spectator announcement

[wsn03]

lowdrag said:

In 20 years the worst I have seen was 2008, when the tunnels were full to about 2.5 metres on the Wednesday. Up to the level of the railings in the tunnel inside the main entrance...

2008 was my first year - seemingly I was very lucky, We arrived Thurs evening to glorious weather, in what I am led to believe was Houx. Weather was glorious until sometime around Sunday 3 or 4am when the heavens opened, and Audi were able to grab the lead. Overcast after that, then early afternoon more heavy rain putting Audi in front again, able to win the race.It caused a major upset, a fantastic race.

2012 was good from arrival on Friday evening to Sunday. Missed the torrents of 2016, and in 2018 and 2019 we arrived Thu evening after all the rain.

I'm yet to endure the real Le Mans weather.

[Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35]

wsn03 said:

I'm yet to endure the real Le Mans weather.

I remember when this lot opened up on us on the Sat of 2016...

[cmsapms]

My first year was 2000. The sun was cracking the flags! I think the following year (or maybe '02) was quite wet (but warm) and I remember the tunnel near Tertre Rouge (glorified sewer pipe back then) being half full of water in the middle of the night and the lights - such as they were - had fused. It was like wading through thigh deep p1ss; the Le Mans equivalent of a sensory deprivation tank.

Every year I've travelled down from Yorkshire in my Westfield. To say I've had a few soakings is an understatement; the car doesn't even have a windscreen! The only year I traded down to a tin top was 2011 when the temperature at Porsche Curves at 03:30 on Sunday morning was seen to be 0 degrees on the Mazda's dashboard - lovely heated seats, in JUNE!!

[wsn03]

Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35 said:

wsn03 said:

I'm yet to endure the real Le Mans weather.

I remember when this lot opened up on us on the Sat of 2016...

Great pictures - they are the "moments before the pain starts" classics.
I had the great pleasure of watching that race live...from Warwick, from the comfort of the sofa.That race starting under a safety car made for fascinating viewing - from the comfort of home.
Yet, as is probably the case for anyone about to get the sickness of Le Mans addiction, I was still wishing I was there and plotting to make it for 2017, 5 years after my last visit.

2017 was the polar opposite, it was so hot and dry we kept going out in the car just for the air conditioning.
No rain, the usual aroma of piss was more than a vague pleasant reminder of my surroundings - instead it was the only smell I experienced. It was so bad that one night after washing myself and all my clothes I couldn't actually shake it. I think rain might have been easier to live with than that heat.

[Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35]

wsn03 said:

2017 was the polar opposite

Ah yes...2017...this is the only pic I took of the track during the 24, I have no I idea why I took a pic of empty track? LOL



EDIT: I selected the wrong pic which does have a car in it...LOL

[wsn03]

Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35 said:

wsn03 said:

2017 was the polar opposite

Ah yes...2017...this is the only pic I took of the track during the 24, I have no I idea why I took a pic of empty track? LOL



EDIT: I selected the wrong pic which does have a car in it...LOL

Carry on straight ahead, over the track and down the slope (where the people are sat in your pic)...and you have my start of race and finish of race perches, right in view of the big screen :-)

You appear to be in the shaded area, where we went about 20 mins after the race started for a rest...and it is there that I picked up the strong smell of piss I couldn't shake off - probably after sitting in it

Edited by wsn03 on Wednesday 8th July 17:05

Edited by wsn03 on Wednesday 8th July 17:06

[Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35]

wsn03 said:

Carry on straight ahead, over the track and down the slope (where the people are sat in your pic)...and you have my start of race and finish of race perches, right in view of the big screen :-)

You appear to be in the shaded area, where we went about 20 mins after the race started for a rest...and it is there that I picked up the strong smell of piss I couldn't shake off - probably after sitting in it

Yeah, we were under a tree just outside Tertre Rouge where we camped. That was my first time at TR.

[//j17]

cmsapms said:

...I remember the tunnel near Tertre Rouge (glorified sewer pipe back then) being half full of water in the middle of the night and the lights - such as they were - had fused. It was like wading through thigh deep p1ss...

I remember that tunnel. It probably WAS thigh deep p1ss!

[Tyre Smoke]

Quite like sitting in the caravan watching the neighbours trying to fry an egg on their little Camping Gaz ring while settling down to a full English, tea and toast. Seems even more smug if it's pouring with rain and they are stood out in it. Similar if it's boiling hot and we have cold beer.

To be honest, it's not long before we take pity in either scenario. We're not totally heartless!

[wsn03]

Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35 said:

wsn03 said:

Carry on straight ahead, over the track and down the slope (where the people are sat in your pic)...and you have my start of race and finish of race perches, right in view of the big screen :-)

You appear to be in the shaded area, where we went about 20 mins after the race started for a rest...and it is there that I picked up the strong smell of piss I couldn't shake off - probably after sitting in it

Yeah, we were under a tree just outside Tertre Rouge where we camped. That was my first time at TR.

There is a big area of trees somewhere just around there, it was so hot we just had to shade from the sun...bloody hell it stank.
I stayed in Tertre Rouge in 2012, my second visit like my first was organised by other people (the ring leader sadly emigrated to Australia).
They had a trackside pitch, brilliant for seeing cars on the track, not so brilliant my own experiences - Friday night discovering I was right next to a bell end with his own discotheque with really st rave type music, and Saturday morning (my first morning) popping my head out the tent to see a French penis peeking through the wire ejecting a full flow of piss.

And that was the last time I elected to camp at Tertre Rouge.

[lowdrag]

I have to say that the aircon in the house plus the swimming pool (30C) did help make it bearable that year

[Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35]

wsn03 said:

And that was the last time I elected to camp at Tertre Rouge.

LOL...

After 2017 LM, I decided not to head back with the lads on the Monday. They headed to Dieppe for the ferry back to the UK whilst I headed down to Cote d'Azur in the South of France for a "recovery week". I found a campsite and dug in, with the Panzer, for the week...awesome way to recover from a week at the LM24 (even though I had forgot about the swear words and penis art work on my bonnet, my neighbour pointed them out and I soon washed it all off LOL):

Edited by Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35 on Wednesday 8th July 18:40

[gt6]

Camping against the fence in TR looks great when you turn up, however it has disadvantages as mentioned and when you actually want to watch cars going around all you can see is a sea of other peoples backs. Obviously all those people where not there when you set up camp thinking you would have a clear view.

[gt6]

Not sure if it was just me but got an email from the ACO today about September. Asked me to fill in another survey, questions about what i intended to do during the period Wednesday to Sunday and if i intended to use members area's each day and what tickets i have.

[Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35]

gt6 said:

Camping against the fence in TR looks great when you turn up, however it has disadvantages as mentioned and when you actually want to watch cars going around all you can see is a sea of other peoples backs. Obviously all those people where not there when you set up camp thinking you would have a clear view.

Not for us...

Edited by Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35 on Wednesday 8th July 18:53

[gt6]

That is the solution, but we prefer to camp the other side of the site and have a little more privacy, i think we have been in almost exactly the same spot for 10 years now after slowly drifting from the stage end of the site to close to the main entry.

[Truckosaurus]

gt6 said:

Not sure if it was just me but got an email from the ACO....

I've just checked my email and I did have one from the ACO, but it was just an advert for baseball caps.

[FredericRobinson]

wsn03 said:

Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35 said:

wsn03 said:

2017 was the polar opposite

Ah yes...2017...this is the only pic I took of the track during the 24, I have no I idea why I took a pic of empty track? LOL



EDIT: I selected the wrong pic which does have a car in it...LOL

Carry on straight ahead, over the track and down the slope (where the people are sat in your pic)...and you have my start of race and finish of race perches, right in view of the big screen :-)

You appear to be in the shaded area, where we went about 20 mins after the race started for a rest...and it is there that I picked up the strong smell of piss I couldn't shake off - probably after sitting in it

Edited by wsn03 on Wednesday 8th July 17:05

Edited by wsn03 on Wednesday 8th July 17:06

Or turn round, I'm sat on the van behind you

[Powerfully Built PSC Director - Outside IR35]

gt6 said:

That is the solution, but we prefer to camp the other side of the site and have a little more privacy, i think we have been in almost exactly the same spot for 10 years now after slowly drifting from the stage end of the site to close to the main entry.

We superglue 1 and 2 euro coins to that path in front and then water pistol anyone who tries to pick them up...all good fun

[Chrisgr31]

Truckosaurus said:

gt6 said:

Not sure if it was just me but got an email from the ACO....

I've just checked my email and I did have one from the ACO, but it was just an advert for baseball caps.

And I had one which was a schedule of the action for the event. So had details of scrutineering, practice, qualifying etc. No timetable of support events