Le Mans v. Nurburgring 24 hrs?
Discussion
Flying in the face of all the great stories of Le mans, and yes, accepting that the toilets and bars have improved, are we the only ones who feel the heart has gone out of le Mans a bit?
The fair used to be a spectacle and is now a sideshow. We used to support Jag XJ220's, Marcos, Lister, Morgan etc. and now we watch the diesels pass the taxi stand. And the game of 'who can be the most creative and find the best campsite the authorities did not mean us to have access to' has been demoted to 'who can get a campsite'.
Le Mans is now so corporate and I have to say I prefer something a bit more chaotic. Has anyone been to the N24 - it strikes me that 220 pro/am drivers hairing around the worlds most dangerous track in a variety of everyday track cars, to the sound of alot of drunk germans in the forest is a bit more rousing.
Has anyone been? If so what happened?
The fair used to be a spectacle and is now a sideshow. We used to support Jag XJ220's, Marcos, Lister, Morgan etc. and now we watch the diesels pass the taxi stand. And the game of 'who can be the most creative and find the best campsite the authorities did not mean us to have access to' has been demoted to 'who can get a campsite'.
Le Mans is now so corporate and I have to say I prefer something a bit more chaotic. Has anyone been to the N24 - it strikes me that 220 pro/am drivers hairing around the worlds most dangerous track in a variety of everyday track cars, to the sound of alot of drunk germans in the forest is a bit more rousing.
Has anyone been? If so what happened?
LM24s and N24s... they both have their share but cannot be compared. Each of them has its own charme. If possible I attend both of them. So done this year and most probably next as well. The N24s 2008 will be at the 22th - 25th May. I remember two years ago in May it was very cold at night. This year it was only wet. Both are extreme endurance races... the best that motorsport has to offer. I'm already looking forward to the Spa24s in four weeks... and then probably the Silverstone24s.
Edited by Hansgerd on Tuesday 3rd July 07:41
I went to both and I enjoyed the N24 much more! Its probably not a fair comparison though because it was my first N24 and by the time I got to Le Mans I had done a lot of drinking and not had much sleep so it went a bit hazy. I was totally blown away by he Nordschleife, totally surprised by the gradient of the track even after doing countless laps on GT4! We were able to cycle the entire circuit on forest trails, great fun. The variety of cars is staggering and although we couldn't follow the race beyond the first hour (when the DBR9 was leading) it was just good to pick a few favourites and keep an eye out to make sure they were still running. An NSX, old cooper, Gallardos, British entered Vantages etc etc! The atmosphere around the circuit is ace. Every campsite borders the track, we didn't arrive till Friday but still had a great view through the trees from our tent. The Germans were so friendly, I think this was because there were hardly any Brits there (we only saw 2 over the entire weekend). There was a lot of drunkedness and a bit of fighting but at no time did I feel threatened unlike at Le Mans where sometimes if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you can just be harrased for no reason at all. This is controversial but the girls we saw in the paddock were better than the Tropic girls, prob down to the fact that all they were wearing was paint 
Its much more of an adventure as its so hard to find out anything before you travel but this adds to the enjoyment. All in all a top weekend and I would prefer to go there than Le Mans if I had to choose. Perhaps because I've done Le Mans so many times but there you go.
Its much more of an adventure as its so hard to find out anything before you travel but this adds to the enjoyment. All in all a top weekend and I would prefer to go there than Le Mans if I had to choose. Perhaps because I've done Le Mans so many times but there you go.Sounds interesting been to Le Mans for about 10 years and seen a big change, its still fun, but not sure if to succumb to corporate and book gradstands etc or go elsewhere. Already camp outside of Le Mans for obvious reasons. I like the idea of being close to the cars, as not a fan of watching everthing through fences. What is the ring like for this and what are the fascilities if any, eg loos, showers, bars, food etc or is it total sort yourself.
I have some great photos that will answer your question regarding catch fencing! I'll try and post em tonight. There are temporary bars in all the main viewing areas/campistes, and some food stalls as well. We just went to a small supermarket and then out into Adenau on the Sat night, had a simple but fantastic meal and a few big glasses of local beer. Awesome. It was about a mile away from the circuit, easy on the bikes. There are also places to get food in Nurburg village but we didn't go there.
The Nring is a very different race, much more basic and raw, with some very very very very very very very Drunk people about, serious professional Drinkers...
If you dont like the basic facilities, loud music, BIG fireworks, and drunks of LM its not a place to go..
if you dont mind roughing it, and doing some hiking/biking its great.
we stayed here http://www.camping-am-nuerburgring.de/index.html
which was a proper campsite next to the GP Circuit, so a bit more civilised than the forest refuge camps around the circuit proper..
It also had the event center with a cracking bar, big screen and a marque to hide under in the rain.
We didnt get the full effect as we spent most of our time at the gp circuit, with only a few forays out onto the circuit proper... We were set to watch the start from the hotel at adeau but as it was delayed we ended up heading back to the gp circuit.
If I was going again I'd def take some mountain bikes with us.
on the basis you only live once, if your into endurance racing you've got to try it once... I did lm for 10 years before taking a break, this was my second year of not going... Next year I'll either do Nring again or maybe spa... and possibly the classic
G
If you dont like the basic facilities, loud music, BIG fireworks, and drunks of LM its not a place to go..
if you dont mind roughing it, and doing some hiking/biking its great.
we stayed here http://www.camping-am-nuerburgring.de/index.html
which was a proper campsite next to the GP Circuit, so a bit more civilised than the forest refuge camps around the circuit proper..
It also had the event center with a cracking bar, big screen and a marque to hide under in the rain.
We didnt get the full effect as we spent most of our time at the gp circuit, with only a few forays out onto the circuit proper... We were set to watch the start from the hotel at adeau but as it was delayed we ended up heading back to the gp circuit.
If I was going again I'd def take some mountain bikes with us.
on the basis you only live once, if your into endurance racing you've got to try it once... I did lm for 10 years before taking a break, this was my second year of not going... Next year I'll either do Nring again or maybe spa... and possibly the classic
G
Sounds suitably mad and worth exploring. If anyone else has any experience/advice it would be gratefully received.
Would be good if there was a fellow bunch of adventurers who fancied a foray. One of the great things about Le mans is obviously the rally down there with so many other interesting cars......
Just don't mention the war...
Would be good if there was a fellow bunch of adventurers who fancied a foray. One of the great things about Le mans is obviously the rally down there with so many other interesting cars......
Just don't mention the war...
Didnt spot many interesting cars other than on the track it was mainly camper vans... much like sebring and daytona in that respect...
Having said that if you had your own little convoy down it would be a blast. and if you stayed on the following week you could probably have a blat round the ring...
Having said that if you had your own little convoy down it would be a blast. and if you stayed on the following week you could probably have a blat round the ring...
Only being going to Le Mans for four years and whilst i accept there will have been a degree of novelty value for anyone their first couple of times, the change over the four years has been very noticable - the shrinking of the fair and then moving it to the bottom site only, together with other changes making it more commercial and the diesels etc have indeed had an adverse effect on the atmosphere.
I had decided on my return this year that I would skip next year but having read the comments I would definately be up for N24 instead.
I had decided on my return this year that I would skip next year but having read the comments I would definately be up for N24 instead.
sleep envy said:
rev-erend said:
ettore said:
sleep envy said:
mel said:
The Decline of Le Mans Started when they stopped having the mucky lady tent.
Things have very much changed since their departure!
..and of a different nature, but with similar regret.....
what happened to the 'Wall of Death'. The most predictable show on earth that I used to reluctantly drag my drunken body to every year, moaning "do we have to?" to my mates, only to leave 5 minutes later in a frenzy of back-slapping cheer, marveling at the magic of the moment....
....or the go-karts, on the wooden circuit that would make a health and safety man crap himself, as many a drunken Brit would fall out the kart and go under the wheels of his demonic best mate...
....or one particular year I recall all of us putting down our near-empty, individual bottles of duty free in order to zip up our flying suits so that we could recreate the worst sky-diving accident ever over a large, fan
I could go on, and I trust someone will, but we will have to rename this thread the 'grumpy ole le Man'rs.
what happened to the 'Wall of Death'. The most predictable show on earth that I used to reluctantly drag my drunken body to every year, moaning "do we have to?" to my mates, only to leave 5 minutes later in a frenzy of back-slapping cheer, marveling at the magic of the moment....
....or the go-karts, on the wooden circuit that would make a health and safety man crap himself, as many a drunken Brit would fall out the kart and go under the wheels of his demonic best mate...
....or one particular year I recall all of us putting down our near-empty, individual bottles of duty free in order to zip up our flying suits so that we could recreate the worst sky-diving accident ever over a large, fan
I could go on, and I trust someone will, but we will have to rename this thread the 'grumpy ole le Man'rs.
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