Calling Lowdrag - how was it?
Discussion
So, in many previous years there has been much talk of LM24 going downhill. Words/phrases like "dangerous", "chavvy thugs", "brits abroad", "lack of respect for locals" bandied about.
This year I thought mad Friday was worse than last year. Frankly I did not want to be near it but had to walk the gauntlet after the drivers parade from the tram station to Beausejour.
Much less nice metal about than previous years (hitting the Classic instead?).
Standard of driving to and from much better - 135kph is the new 160kph.
Still cannot find ice for love nor money. It is nice to see the lack of comerialisation. That little supermarket at Arnage was selling bottles of Frozen is for 69c - I would have happily paid €5.
Much less techno and fireworks where I camped - dare I say I got a good nights sleep.
I fear, however, that unless we the fans take some responsibilty for behaviour and direction next year will be back to status quo - as such I will be in a secure, managed compound.
This year I thought mad Friday was worse than last year. Frankly I did not want to be near it but had to walk the gauntlet after the drivers parade from the tram station to Beausejour.
Much less nice metal about than previous years (hitting the Classic instead?).
Standard of driving to and from much better - 135kph is the new 160kph.
Still cannot find ice for love nor money. It is nice to see the lack of comerialisation. That little supermarket at Arnage was selling bottles of Frozen is for 69c - I would have happily paid €5.
Much less techno and fireworks where I camped - dare I say I got a good nights sleep.
I fear, however, that unless we the fans take some responsibilty for behaviour and direction next year will be back to status quo - as such I will be in a secure, managed compound.
Frankly, with my passes I tend to insulate myself from the great unwashed (no personal insult intended) since it seems that this is now the destination for stag weekends and many people don't seem to go near the circuit. I came down the Chemin aux Boeufs by Houx Annexe late on the Friday afternoon, and the hooligan element was already forming. Windows closed tight against supersoakers filled with piss we escaped without problem, but it makes me ashamed to be British at times. I am here because of my love of France and motor racing. I'll admit to having a few over the odds, but that was on my terrace at home with friends and the cars tightly tucked up for the night. It might be better if many of those who come knew one end of a car from another, but they aren't here for anything to do with the cars, just in many instances to tick another box on their lifetime CV, which now seems to be spilling over to the Classic. If you read James Elliot's article in this months Classic and Sports Car I fear he is looking through rose tinted glasses. We of the old school are like that, but not many of the younger element who are once again coming just for a great piss-up. Ice; you can get it in bulk at the major supermarkets most of the time during the big events.
I'm still here, but some times I wonder why. My era has gone I fear.
I'm still here, but some times I wonder why. My era has gone I fear.
LowDrag,
I've been going on and off since the early 1990's....it is a wonderful event, the comments about stag destination are sadly correct but there are still so many complete and utter car/race fans there and it is pretty easy to avoid the known trouble spots that we'll be going for many years to come (I hope).
I also thought there were less idiots about this weekend, Sunday evening was pretty quiet up on BN..
D
I've been going on and off since the early 1990's....it is a wonderful event, the comments about stag destination are sadly correct but there are still so many complete and utter car/race fans there and it is pretty easy to avoid the known trouble spots that we'll be going for many years to come (I hope).
I also thought there were less idiots about this weekend, Sunday evening was pretty quiet up on BN..
D
[quote=lowdrag]I came down the Chemin aux Boeufs by Houx Annexe late on the Friday afternoon, and the hooligan element was already forming. Windows closed tight against supersoakers filled with piss we escaped without problem, but it makes me ashamed to be British at times.quote]
I thought most were non-Brits there this year?
I thought most were non-Brits there this year?
Mea culpa then. But I did say the windows were tight shut and all I heard was loud shouting. I accept that there are many race fans, but perhaps it is just because they behave correctly that one notices the chav element so much. Like I say, if I'm not in the press office, I'm trackside taking photos, somtimes up to 11pm. Which reminds me that I must put some up when I have written my articles and chosen about eight from the 1,500 photos.
Irish said:
lowdrag said:
I came down the Chemin aux Boeufs by Houx Annexe late on the Friday afternoon, and the hooligan element was already forming. Windows closed tight against supersoakers filled with piss we escaped without problem, but it makes me ashamed to be British at times.[quote]
I thought most were non-Brits there this year?
We walked from Houx to the tram stop on the way in to town Friday lunch-time and there were already a few drunk-looking people sitting on chairs at the side of the road. Based on clothing/flags/talking/'music' few, if any of them actually seemed to be Brits...I thought most were non-Brits there this year?
We do seem to have been told we are the bad drunks so often now that we assume any drunk tosser is a fellow Brit.
Irish said:
Still cannot find ice for love nor money. It is nice to see the lack of comerialisation. That little supermarket at Arnage was selling bottles of Frozen is for 69c - I would have happily paid €5.
Super U at Arnage sold big bags of ice cubes for 2euroat the fishmongers counterBleu Nord was quiet this year (in terms of trouble) which I enjoyed no end - no trouble sleeping over the weekend.
Avoided the usual spots for silliness and all seemed well - saw one girl in Arnage trying to encourage burnouts on the Friday evening, but a couple of the CRS boys "persuaded" her to sit back down in the bar.
Do we know what the attendance figure was for this year? Seemed quieter than last.
Avoided the usual spots for silliness and all seemed well - saw one girl in Arnage trying to encourage burnouts on the Friday evening, but a couple of the CRS boys "persuaded" her to sit back down in the bar.
Do we know what the attendance figure was for this year? Seemed quieter than last.
I was staying at houx annexe and it was great. The mad men on the road were Danish not alot of English there. They didn't have super soakers filled with piss. A few people went over the top by getting buckets of water and chucking them on people as the little train went past.
Who was on houx and houx annexe because there was a huge explosion from I think houx end on Friday morning. I felt the shock wave through the ground. Whoever that was, it was brilliant. Just wondering who else heard it.
Adam
Who was on houx and houx annexe because there was a huge explosion from I think houx end on Friday morning. I felt the shock wave through the ground. Whoever that was, it was brilliant. Just wondering who else heard it.
Adam
adsvx220 said:
Who was on houx and houx annexe because there was a huge explosion from I think houx end on Friday morning. I felt the shock wave through the ground. Whoever that was, it was brilliant. Just wondering who else heard it.
Adam
I've not been in recent years, but these explosions always happened. One year a asked someone who was making them what was involved. He brought with him a small portable welding set, inflated a balloon with the mixed gas. Strung the balloon up over a tree branch & used a length of toilet roll stuck to the balloon as a wick. Lit it and ran. BOOM! He then went off to fill an up turned oil drum/bin which resulted in a huge bang and the drum thrown several feet up in the air. Adam
adaptive said:
Super U at Arnage sold big bags of ice cubes for 2euroat the fishmongers counter
If they haven't got the bags of ice they sell bottles of frozen drinking water from the same cabinet for 1 euro 50. They also sell frozen blocks of ice about half way between the fish counter and the bread area (chest freezers just in front of all the desserts - yum) for (I think) 2 eurosFriday outside Houx was majoritively not British from our experience walking through on way to tram.
Definite lack of fine vehicles in Houx this year, a sea of mediocrity and euro boxes was rather evident.
Friday night parade was terrible, no atmosphere where we were and little to see, weather a contributing factor.
Friday night on Houx was much quieter than recent years, a good thing. No need to speak gently to Danes at 4am to turn down the Eurotrash mix.
Sunday, the place seemed empty. Stood in the ACO enclosure staring across at the holes in the crowd where the Peugot fans were in recent years we all remarked how quiet it had been in general.
Overall another good weekend with friends, it was my 10th in a row and we miss the bread van, the old Houx shop and the socialising on the picnic benches, we miss tartiflette stalls and the lack of choice of food etc It's all so uniform and corporate now, that bloody great Audi building at Dunlop and lots of other stuff as well.
However, for all the changes, for all the enduring d
heads who disrupt the weekend I remain a fan to the end of the race itself. A race held majoritively on public roads, for 24hrs, run largely to the same ethos it was 80yrs ago. Standing between Mulsanne corner and Indianapolis at 3am is a stark reminder of the glory that is Le Mans!
In the coming years we should see Toyota increase their effort, joined by Porsche and maybe more. LMP2 is finally a thrilling class to watch and the battles in GTE Pro and Am were there if you paid attention to it.
Roll on next year, in fact roll on next month for the more gentile and gentlemanly classique.
Definite lack of fine vehicles in Houx this year, a sea of mediocrity and euro boxes was rather evident.
Friday night parade was terrible, no atmosphere where we were and little to see, weather a contributing factor.
Friday night on Houx was much quieter than recent years, a good thing. No need to speak gently to Danes at 4am to turn down the Eurotrash mix.
Sunday, the place seemed empty. Stood in the ACO enclosure staring across at the holes in the crowd where the Peugot fans were in recent years we all remarked how quiet it had been in general.
Overall another good weekend with friends, it was my 10th in a row and we miss the bread van, the old Houx shop and the socialising on the picnic benches, we miss tartiflette stalls and the lack of choice of food etc It's all so uniform and corporate now, that bloody great Audi building at Dunlop and lots of other stuff as well.
However, for all the changes, for all the enduring d
heads who disrupt the weekend I remain a fan to the end of the race itself. A race held majoritively on public roads, for 24hrs, run largely to the same ethos it was 80yrs ago. Standing between Mulsanne corner and Indianapolis at 3am is a stark reminder of the glory that is Le Mans!In the coming years we should see Toyota increase their effort, joined by Porsche and maybe more. LMP2 is finally a thrilling class to watch and the battles in GTE Pro and Am were there if you paid attention to it.
Roll on next year, in fact roll on next month for the more gentile and gentlemanly classique.
Edited by Johno on Tuesday 19th June 16:47
I know we have this discussion every year but it’s quite easy to avoid the known trouble spots and have a great time on Friday. I went to St Saturnin in the morning (very civilised) then drove to Arnage via Raudain and Mulsanne (thus avoiding the idiots by the Mulsanne restaurant) and had a great lunch in Arnage. I got a few whoops and cheers from the crowds in the restaurants at Arnage but nothing intimidating or aggressive. After lunch I drove north out of Arnage the long way round to Expo (avoiding the idiots by Blue Nord), parked up on the road into town and did an hour in the pit walk. After that I walked the circuit (3.5 hours, sore feet and rained on for the last hour – but well worth it!) and the idiots had all disappeared from the Mulsanne restaurants by the time I came past there. I got back to Expo to find my car intact and clean whereupon I headed into town for a dinner and a good night’s drinking. A perfect petrol head Friday at Le Mans not spoiled by any drunken louts! 
P.S. Excuse the spelling of place names!
P.S. Excuse the spelling of place names!
Johno has put his finger on a point I was going to bring up and forgot. I went to the Friday service and classic or top cars were very much noticed by their absence. In travelling around, also very few, at Mulsanne, Arnage and basically everywhere. Were they all sitting back for the Classic or have their cars become too valuable to drive these days?
My first Le Mans was in 1980, missed not that many since then, used to do the practice weekend when it was a month ahead as well.
It has changed beyond all recognition since then, loonatics abound these days, we had our moments back in the day but nothing like today, basically we were there because there was a race on !!
We have also now done all the Classics and will be there again shortly and sincerely hope that does not get spoilt as I shall be mightily annoyed if it does, call me on old fart if you like but some decorum does not go amiss in my book.
So if you are headed down there in July - please behave yourself or you will have my wife to answer to !
Bob
It has changed beyond all recognition since then, loonatics abound these days, we had our moments back in the day but nothing like today, basically we were there because there was a race on !!
We have also now done all the Classics and will be there again shortly and sincerely hope that does not get spoilt as I shall be mightily annoyed if it does, call me on old fart if you like but some decorum does not go amiss in my book.
So if you are headed down there in July - please behave yourself or you will have my wife to answer to !
Bob
I was there on a stag-do, but as Petrolheads I don't think we misbehaved. Sadly missed the Friday parade thanks to two cars somehow not getting on the first ferry, despite arriving at the same time at the port and being in for of us. We even bought beer back.
Atmosphere was great on Beauséjour, although I could have done without the 4AM Europop party next door. Everything seemed to go slightly crazy on the Sunday evening, and people could have been hurt if unlucky.
As for bottles of piss that's just inane.
Atmosphere was great on Beauséjour, although I could have done without the 4AM Europop party next door. Everything seemed to go slightly crazy on the Sunday evening, and people could have been hurt if unlucky.
As for bottles of piss that's just inane.
jazzdevil said:
Irish said:
I thought most were non-Brits there this year?
That was my experience too, I drove through at about 5pm and while i got splashed and gesticulated to for not 'getting into it' the shirts and voices did not seem to be British 
Edited by James P on Tuesday 19th June 17:25
Edited by James P on Tuesday 19th June 17:26
Edited by James P on Tuesday 19th June 17:27
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