Le Mans drivers parade
Discussion
I was lucky enough to take part in the Le Mans drivers parade in the town centre on the Friday before the race,
I have plenty on pictures of my car before the start and on board pics, but none of the car actually in the parade
I know its a long shot but i was just wondering if anyone had got any pictures of the car actually in the parade?
This is the car i am after ,, in fact any pics of the parade at all would be good to see!!
I have plenty on pictures of my car before the start and on board pics, but none of the car actually in the parade
I know its a long shot but i was just wondering if anyone had got any pictures of the car actually in the parade?
This is the car i am after ,, in fact any pics of the parade at all would be good to see!!
How was the organisation.
When I took part we got told to go to a certain car park for 3pm, we would take part in the parade and then go for a buffet with the drivers afterwards.
We rocked up, were told to wait there, then nothing. Everyone else had big plaques so we asked where ours were, eventually some arrived. Then after hanging round for an hour or so some other French bloke turned up and asked why we were still there and we had to go NOW. No indication of where to though. We waited for the remaining driver to return to his car then set off, we drove out the car park, accross the road and into another car park, where we waited for another hour or so.
Then, eventually, they set us off on the parade, behind the marching band who were behind the drivers. It was a case of move 5 yards stop and wait 5 minutes, move another 5 yards etc etc. It was very hot and the crowds were screaming "rev, rev". Not really the best combination for my car, I watched the temperature climb and the oil pressure drop. The other Westfield Elevens were in similar shape. After goodness knows how long, (about half way round the course), we were allowed to pass and maintain a steady speed. We arrived back at the carpark where we started to find it full of people, we did get through, just, and found another car park where one of the Elevens brewed up. After an hour letting the cars cool down and topping up the coolant we were then at a loss where everyone else had vanished to, so no buffet for us.
This was after we were told 2 weeks before we left for Le Mans the address for the accomodation they provided.... a pity they didn't mention this before as we had all sorted our own accomodation.
When I took part we got told to go to a certain car park for 3pm, we would take part in the parade and then go for a buffet with the drivers afterwards.
We rocked up, were told to wait there, then nothing. Everyone else had big plaques so we asked where ours were, eventually some arrived. Then after hanging round for an hour or so some other French bloke turned up and asked why we were still there and we had to go NOW. No indication of where to though. We waited for the remaining driver to return to his car then set off, we drove out the car park, accross the road and into another car park, where we waited for another hour or so.
Then, eventually, they set us off on the parade, behind the marching band who were behind the drivers. It was a case of move 5 yards stop and wait 5 minutes, move another 5 yards etc etc. It was very hot and the crowds were screaming "rev, rev". Not really the best combination for my car, I watched the temperature climb and the oil pressure drop. The other Westfield Elevens were in similar shape. After goodness knows how long, (about half way round the course), we were allowed to pass and maintain a steady speed. We arrived back at the carpark where we started to find it full of people, we did get through, just, and found another car park where one of the Elevens brewed up. After an hour letting the cars cool down and topping up the coolant we were then at a loss where everyone else had vanished to, so no buffet for us.
This was after we were told 2 weeks before we left for Le Mans the address for the accomodation they provided.... a pity they didn't mention this before as we had all sorted our own accomodation.
Which is why I refuse to do it when asked. taking ages and more to drive less than two miles is not conducive to engine welfare. I think it was 2002 I did it in my Mk VIII and broke down (petrol vaporisation) and the make of the year was Cadillac. I don't think one made it to the finish in the searing heat. The last time I did it was 2006, and that was enough. It messes up half the day and part of the evening - and then you have to find a route out that's actually open.
Thats the one thanks very much,,, brilliant 
We managed to get in the parade by being part of the corvette corral group... I asked if i could take part and that was that..
As for the organisation.. we where told to head for the centre of lemans for 2pm we got there with our sticker in the windscreen exactly at 2pm. A guy moved a barrier and told us where to go but due to the fact that the roads where all dug up and there should have been somebody else up the road (tiny entrance in to a courtyard) telling to turn in ,we missed our turning so went all the way around again same guy (French no English) told us same again, and same again couldnt find it so went round again in a slightly different direction and eventually found our parking place (the courtyard in the pic) it was a great place to congregate really enjoyed it there. During the afternoon more and more cars arrived , there was a big French guy in a red corvette who befriended us he was polishing his car like crazy and so was i but he spoke no english and we know very little French. but we communicated using google translate on the iPad. it was really funny. He dragged us of saying souvenir souvenir ( which was the plaque thing to put in the windscreen) if it wasnt for him i probably wouldn't have got it.. I thought it was great because we got a lanyard pass to put around our necks which gave us access to the whole starting area, which to me was the best bit milling around meeting the drivers and seeing all the cars up close. the parade started at 6pm but we where told we would move about 7 ,, so i saw a lot of the parade set off,, just as we drove onto the starting ramp it started to rain which just spoilt it a little but the crowds where great nobody seemed to leave ,, it was a great experience that i should remember for a long time If you ever get chance to join in then it has to be done .... Thanks again for the pics,
The parade seen from my angle...
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/7d5xlwex.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/hjDQXuyW" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/hjDQXuyW.jpg)
Ps it does look very chaotic when they running around at the start trying to organise everybody . But for us it worked ok. At the end of the parade we just drove off out of lemans back to our accommodation fairly easily![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/CbFD156P.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/MEjiveb2" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/MEjiveb2.jpg)
We managed to get in the parade by being part of the corvette corral group... I asked if i could take part and that was that..
As for the organisation.. we where told to head for the centre of lemans for 2pm we got there with our sticker in the windscreen exactly at 2pm. A guy moved a barrier and told us where to go but due to the fact that the roads where all dug up and there should have been somebody else up the road (tiny entrance in to a courtyard) telling to turn in ,we missed our turning so went all the way around again same guy (French no English) told us same again, and same again couldnt find it so went round again in a slightly different direction and eventually found our parking place (the courtyard in the pic) it was a great place to congregate really enjoyed it there. During the afternoon more and more cars arrived , there was a big French guy in a red corvette who befriended us he was polishing his car like crazy and so was i but he spoke no english and we know very little French. but we communicated using google translate on the iPad. it was really funny. He dragged us of saying souvenir souvenir ( which was the plaque thing to put in the windscreen) if it wasnt for him i probably wouldn't have got it.. I thought it was great because we got a lanyard pass to put around our necks which gave us access to the whole starting area, which to me was the best bit milling around meeting the drivers and seeing all the cars up close. the parade started at 6pm but we where told we would move about 7 ,, so i saw a lot of the parade set off,, just as we drove onto the starting ramp it started to rain which just spoilt it a little but the crowds where great nobody seemed to leave ,, it was a great experience that i should remember for a long time If you ever get chance to join in then it has to be done .... Thanks again for the pics,
The parade seen from my angle...
Ps it does look very chaotic when they running around at the start trying to organise everybody . But for us it worked ok. At the end of the parade we just drove off out of lemans back to our accommodation fairly easily
Edited by Logbert on Tuesday 9th July 17:36
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