Classic Le Mans - Hints & Tips

Classic Le Mans - Hints & Tips

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Stitch

Original Poster:

933 posts

216 months

Sunday 3rd January 2010
quotequote all
After a very enjoyable time at the Goodwood Revival in 2009, I have decided to do the Classic after recommendations from people on here.

For a first timer, any hints and tips would be greatly appreciated.

Mark B

1,621 posts

264 months

Sunday 3rd January 2010
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Practice starts midday Friday, I think, or certainly early afternoon. The circuit is busy with parade laps, classic car track laps, little big Le Mans right up to the 4pm kick off.

This year, it will be started with grid 3 or 4 rather than the vintage racers which should be good.

Must sees:
Night racing - particularly arnage
Paddocks
Multimarque parking areas
market/sales stalls

Loads to read up on the official website, it's a great event.

Our group are going down Friday and staying just outside Le Mans in a hotel we have used for the past 3 events. We have parking secured within the Multimarque area and will have the following cars joining us: 7 Elises, 18 Caterhams, 5 Jaguars, TVR's, Aston's, BMW's and maybe an old Alvis if we can persuade the owner to bring her along.. 19 of us are doing track laps on Saturday and otherwise it will be another weekend of driving, laughs, racing and a few beers... Can't wait...

I've a lot of organising to do first though... smile

Stitch

Original Poster:

933 posts

216 months

Monday 4th January 2010
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Thanks sounds like you are in the same "official organiser" boat as me - but with the advantage of having done it before.

Is a hotel very close to the track a must have or are you as well staying some distance away and travelling in when you want to?

Also any idea how a tour/package compares to doing it yourself in terms of cost?

Longers

4,492 posts

227 months

Monday 4th January 2010
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From Marks B's list my top tips would be:

Night racing - particularly arnage. It's good there during daylight hours, but is a completely different spectacle at night when the lights/noise must be seen/heard!! And while there you may as well head to the Mulsanne corner which is a also a good spot (for me not as good as Arnage although still worth a visit).
Paddocks. Agreed, you can get close to the cars and chat to the drivers.
Track laps on Saturday morning. Defo a great experience wink

As for hotels, I wouldn't want to stay too far from the track so you can easily get there and back when you want to.

Longers

Mark B

1,621 posts

264 months

Monday 4th January 2010
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We stay about 25km out, it's no major hardship and is a nice place with a small village close by for additional resource. It does make Saturday a very long day, but with less traffic about and a couple of nice smaller roads we have a good blat in and out..

Last year we went to the Porsche curves too, which was great! Nice place to watch and very few people around.






Edited by Mark B on Monday 4th January 13:43

The Leaper

4,935 posts

205 months

Monday 4th January 2010
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Never been able to get a hotel really close to the circuit even though I've usually tried to do so 9 months or so ahead of the event. The problem is that the agencies sign them all up well in advance, or regular fans book them a year in advance ie when they are actually staying there (can't blame them for doing so!).

For Le Classic 2010 and previous years I have stayed 20 miles or so away. This gives the option of getting to/from the circuit with a reasonably quick journey, or sleeping in the car Saturday night, which I think is a better option.

For the 24 Hours event, I have sometimes stayed 75 miles or so away, so using that hotel for the Saturday night is not really an option.

Even at these distances from the circuit the hotels are not cheap; they charge a significant premium over normal rates.

R.

Mark B

1,621 posts

264 months

Monday 4th January 2010
quotequote all
The Leaper said:
Even at these distances from the circuit the hotels are not cheap; they charge a significant premium over normal rates.
This year particularly..

Also, for the Classic, remember there are over 900 drivers taking part, so hotels are booked up well in advance.

The Leaper

4,935 posts

205 months

Monday 4th January 2010
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MarkB,

Yes, you are right of course. Every time I've been to Le Classic there has always been a team staying at the hotel I have used.

The combined teams & their support plus fans attending must be much less tha for the 24 Hours, so there's never enough hotel rooms available. I suppose we cannot expect more bearing in mind there's only one very major event a year and two on alternate years (I know I'm excluding the "bikefest" in March which lasts a week, I think, and one or two lesser events at the circuit).

R

Riley15/6

105 posts

189 months

Tuesday 5th January 2010
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Chaps,

can anyone recommend someone who can do hotel accomodation for the classic, at a not exorbitant cost? After 08 my old dad has declared that he will never go to Le Mans again unless he can stay in a hotel! Long gone are the days of minimal comfort back in the 80's.

Also can anyone suggest the best place to get a couple of laps? I managed to get some laps in 08 off of the RS Spyder club (top blokes), but I suspect the ACO will be continuing to clamp down on us all.

Many thanks

Mr. Magoo

686 posts

227 months

Tuesday 5th January 2010
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sorry to diverge on this topic but my mother in law's family house is in St Jean D'asse which I think is only a few K's away. Having not been to Le Mans events before I wondered if this would be a good property to do up and let out for these events? What are people prepared to pay?

tonycordon

284 posts

229 months

Wednesday 6th January 2010
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Hi, after attending the 'normal'Le mans for the last 5 years we are going to the classic this year (by TVR). Looking forward to it enormously! Hopefully a bit more civilised and less chavish! I have just come across this http://www.lemansclassic.com/en/let-s-make-a-dream...
How well supported is this dress code? Is it just a few or would non conformers feel 'out of it'?

Stitch

Original Poster:

933 posts

216 months

Sunday 10th January 2010
quotequote all
OK - hotel booked.... bit of a journey to get to the circuit but will be OK.

Next question - race tickets, I have e mailed the ACO for a ticket request form (someone should really show them how to set up a proper on-line ordering service!) but as a back up, is there anywhere else to get tickets (I particularly want to get paddock passes and wonder if the ticket agencies will have bought all these up already).

So now likely to be one of BMW X5 or Merc ML (as load-lugger/support car) plus one of Elise/DB6/Corvette String Ray in our mini-convoy.

The Leaper

4,935 posts

205 months

Sunday 10th January 2010
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Stitch,

May be worthwhile you joining ACO which cost me E95 last renewal but gets you access to discounted tickets for general entry and tribune seats (for Le Classic, I think up to 6) and also includes FREE paddock entry.

R.

Davey S2

13,073 posts

253 months

Monday 11th January 2010
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We are camping at Tetre Rouge again this year and its great. Brilliant spot as you can just wander across the road from the camp site and you are overlooking the Porsche Curves or you have a 5 min walk to the start of the Mulsanne.

Last time we set the alarm for 4 in the morning and drove down to the start of the Mulsanne, parked up and sat there with the heater on and the windows down listenimng to the roar of the GT40's as they thunder onto the straight cloud9

leyorkie

1,634 posts

175 months

Monday 11th January 2010
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Stitch,
ACO discounted tickets include paddock access at no extra charge if booked in advance. If all else fails you can buy at the gate on the day, 2008 I bought 4 tickets for mates who decided at the last minute to join us, and paddock access tickets are bought inside at the paddock entrance.
I can understand that camping places are in short supply but not entrance tickets.

Edited by leyorkie on Monday 11th January 11:20

gt6

1,422 posts

184 months

Monday 11th January 2010
quotequote all
Davey S2 said:
We are camping at Tetre Rouge again this year and its great. Brilliant spot as you can just wander across the road from the camp site and you are overlooking the Porsche Curves or you have a 5 min walk to the start of the Mulsanne.

Last time we set the alarm for 4 in the morning and drove down to the start of the Mulsanne, parked up and sat there with the heater on and the windows down listenimng to the roar of the GT40's as they thunder onto the straight cloud9
If you can get from thr TR campsite to the porsche curves that quick you will be faster than most of the cars in the classic.

Ecurie Ecosse

4,812 posts

217 months

Monday 11th January 2010
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Hi Guys

Well, that's me booked up. I'm really excited about this, as I have never been to Le Mans before, and have always wanted to go. I think the relaxed pace of the Classic event will be more to my liking too.

I haven't yet booked the tickets for the event, or the camping, as my friend is sorting that out.

We are driving down from Edinburgh to Portsmouth and getting the ferry on the Wednesday to St Malo, and coming back on the Monday night from Caen.

Many thanks for posting the tips here - they are very useful.

Stitch

Original Poster:

933 posts

216 months

Monday 11th January 2010
quotequote all
Right - received the following message from aco.

We have only availability in tribunes 19, 20 and 21. The Dunlop is not on sale.
For the campsites, we have only availability in Bleu Nord.

Does this mean I can get paddock passes or not?

gt6

1,422 posts

184 months

Monday 11th January 2010
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You can usually buy paddock passes at the paddock when you get there.

The Leaper

4,935 posts

205 months

Monday 11th January 2010
quotequote all
Stitch,

Assuming you are not a member of ACO (Paddock passes come free to ACO members who have ordered their other tickets through ACO and have also requested the passes), I think the message is that you do not have the passes. In effect, you will have to order them and pay for them.

Incidentally, I assume you have sorted out, or will be, parking at the circuit if you're not camping...camping includes space for parking one car.

R.