LM08 Must See / Must Do's
Discussion
Ok, there are a few of us going to Le Mans this year and I've been lumbered with doing a bit of the organising. I was trying to put a list together of all the Must See / Must Do things and here is what I have so far:
1. Pit Walk on the Friday
2. Classic British Welcome
3. Drivers Parade
Pretty short, I know, but there's still plenty of time for it to grow. Any ideas?
Also, if anyone can recommend some vantage points for getting great photos that will also be appreciated.
TIA
cs174
1. Pit Walk on the Friday
2. Classic British Welcome
3. Drivers Parade
Pretty short, I know, but there's still plenty of time for it to grow. Any ideas?
Also, if anyone can recommend some vantage points for getting great photos that will also be appreciated.
TIA
cs174
MadMacMcMad said:
Get your tickets sorted. Houx annexe is best for access, sillyness and the tram stop is right there.
6.Drive the mulsanne on Friday
Tickets are all sorted, we're booked with Team Langoustine in the TL campsite at Tetre Rouge. 6.Drive the mulsanne on Friday
Driving the Mulsanne Straight sounds great. How do we do that? Just turn up?
cs174 said:
MadMacMcMad said:
Get your tickets sorted. Houx annexe is best for access, sillyness and the tram stop is right there.
6.Drive the mulsanne on Friday
Tickets are all sorted, we're booked with Team Langoustine in the TL campsite at Tetre Rouge. 6.Drive the mulsanne on Friday
Driving the Mulsanne Straight sounds great. How do we do that? Just turn up?
cs174 said:
Ok, there are a few of us going to Le Mans this year and I've been lumbered with doing a bit of the organising. I was trying to put a list together of all the Must See / Must Do things and here is what I have so far:
1. Pit Walk on the Friday
2. Classic British Welcome
3. Drivers Parade
Pretty short, I know, but there's still plenty of time for it to grow. Any ideas?
Also, if anyone can recommend some vantage points for getting great photos that will also be appreciated.
TIA
cs174
Tenner says you won't get all of those in in the day. They are all Friday activities.1. Pit Walk on the Friday
2. Classic British Welcome
3. Drivers Parade
Pretty short, I know, but there's still plenty of time for it to grow. Any ideas?
Also, if anyone can recommend some vantage points for getting great photos that will also be appreciated.
TIA
cs174
Don't try and cram it all in. Just take it in nice and easy. It takes years to have seen anything. I have still never made it to the drivers parade!
Sneaking through the trees. An absolute definate complete and utter MUST DO activity at Le Mans.
I've been to Le Mans 3 times so still a newbie really, had an amazing time every year yet never done anything on your list! I think it's good to keep those things in mind but I'd take it as it comes and not try and keep a schedule...
Also the mulsanne straight is normal open road all year and is only closed for practice and racing...
Also the mulsanne straight is normal open road all year and is only closed for practice and racing...
If you see a couple of guys standing in the trees with what looks like some Binoculars on a tripod.........
they are not birdwatchers but rozzers and there will likely be some more down the road ready to take euros off you.
If you go really fast they will take your car too!!!
Best just cruise and see the sights.
Last year did they close the road from Mulsanne to Arnage on the friday? I seem to remember traffic chaos around BSJ due to everyone being routed that way.
they are not birdwatchers but rozzers and there will likely be some more down the road ready to take euros off you.
If you go really fast they will take your car too!!!
Best just cruise and see the sights.
Last year did they close the road from Mulsanne to Arnage on the friday? I seem to remember traffic chaos around BSJ due to everyone being routed that way.
Well Guy, complain if you will but it was because of problems that Mulsanne/Arnage was closed once again. I mean, you don't see the brits behaving like that around Silverstone or Brands Hatch on public roads. A few years back they closed it because of accidents on the Friday the previous year and after digging a number of cars out of the gravel in 2006 they closed it again for 2007. There is talk that it will become permanent but personally I hope not. The gatherings at Arnage were legendary and part of the Le Mans scene. To hammer home the point I get to use the track Wednesday and Thursday afternoon when it is closed - it's the only way to get to the marshal's briefing at Porsche Curves. Strangely we miss the briefing entrance every year and so have to do a complete circuit to get there. Now the road is closed to traffic from 1pm but officially is still a public road until 4pm, which is why at 3.48pm, not a car or person in sight, I was pulled over by the rozzers for speeding just before Indianapolis. Am I the only person ever to get a speeding ticket in a race car on a circuit?
The meet up at Arnage is great. The police aren't stupid though, they don't just close the road for nothing.
Something I always try to do is get up for the sunrise on Sunday morning. Virtually everyone thinks they can do the full 24 hours but in reality loads of people are asleep by 3 or 4 am. So when you rise at 5 the place is deserted. As the sun comes up the racing gets really interesting as the lap times start to fall. This is a prime time for accidents on the circuit. The emptiness of the spectator areas makes for a surreal couple of hours.
Something I always try to do is get up for the sunrise on Sunday morning. Virtually everyone thinks they can do the full 24 hours but in reality loads of people are asleep by 3 or 4 am. So when you rise at 5 the place is deserted. As the sun comes up the racing gets really interesting as the lap times start to fall. This is a prime time for accidents on the circuit. The emptiness of the spectator areas makes for a surreal couple of hours.
cs174 said:
MadMacMcMad said:
Get your tickets sorted. Houx annexe is best for access, sillyness and the tram stop is right there.
6.Drive the mulsanne on Friday
Tickets are all sorted, we're booked with Team Langoustine in the TL campsite at Tetre Rouge. 6.Drive the mulsanne on Friday
Driving the Mulsanne Straight sounds great. How do we do that? Just turn up?
I've only been 2 years running but have done most of the above before - except the sneaking to the trackside at night - hopefully some of the TL boys will be able to assist!
dobboMK1 said:
The meet up at Arnage is great. The police aren't stupid though, they don't just close the road for nothing.
They did and they are. The incidents which probably gave rise to a road closure happen later on in the day. The Corvettes have met at Arnage for god knows how many years and by 1pm most have moved on to either the pit walk, CBW or drivers parade. Maybe make the road one way, maybe cone off one side for access, maybe leave it open till 1pm. Closing it just left us all driving aimlessly round country lanes shrugging shoulders at other drivers.dobboMK1 said:
Something I always try to do is get up for the sunrise on Sunday morning. Virtually everyone thinks they can do the full 24 hours but in reality loads of people are asleep by 3 or 4 am. So when you rise at 5 the place is deserted. As the sun comes up the racing gets really interesting as the lap times start to fall. This is a prime time for accidents on the circuit. The emptiness of the spectator areas makes for a surreal couple of hours.
But how surreal when you've not slept, it's 10am and regardless of your beer intake the brain is REALLY confused. Managed sunrise in 2005 at the Dunlop Bridge, well worth the effort......but then a few hours later the confusion kicked in.
dobboMK1 is dead right about getting up early on the Sunday morning..the racing is always superb, there's nobody around so "access all areas", sunrise is generally spectacular, and there's the first tinny of the day at 05:00 with plenty of time for more and sobering up time. Can't wait for LM 2008!. R.
To be fair to the French rozzers I don't think its up to them to distinguish between what is an ethusiasts meeting (and I have to say the Corvettes parked up at Arnage every year is a great memory!) and what is people acting dangerously on one of their roads. I fully understand that virtually all of the stuff at Arnage/Indianapolis is good natured but occasionaly it can go a bit far. If somebody got seriously injured out there then the cops would take all the rap for not closing the road! As far as they are concerned, it's close the road, job done. It's a real shame but I can see where they are coming from.
As for the 5am rise, I describe it all in a story I wrote about the 2006 24 Hours. It is prob my favourite memory of that year. http://www.racetours.co.uk/2006%20review.pdf Page 22&23. Hope you enjoy it.
As for the 5am rise, I describe it all in a story I wrote about the 2006 24 Hours. It is prob my favourite memory of that year. http://www.racetours.co.uk/2006%20review.pdf Page 22&23. Hope you enjoy it.
I'm assuming you are only doing the Le Mans sprint (down Thursday) so can't spread thing...in which case your may be scuppered.
The CBW is good but getting back can be a hassle (especially to Houx/HA). Might not be too bad from TR though but wouldn't hold my breath.
You can do the CBW on the Saturday morning but... if you think the traffic is bad on Friday...
I've been a few times and the pit walk doesn't do much for me (though a must-do for newbies) so I'd do the CBW early, getting back to camp (be)for lunch and then head in for the drivers parade. Some of the people I go with aren't that keen on the parade but I like the change of seen/heckling drivers/getting a good meal.
Come the race we normally watch the race until 8/9 when the call of food pulls us back to the BBQ. Food, beer and bed as soon as it's cool-enough...
...till 3AM when the alarms all go of. Up, dressed, beers in pockets and head over to the free bus from the main entrance to Arnage/Mulsanne. No major queues (always got on the first bus but it's France so you might have to wait 30 minutes for the 5/10 minute service), no traffic jams, no problems.
Then a few hours at Arnage before bussing on to Mulsanne for a few more. Finally bus back to main entrance around 9AM and head to the BBQ for breakfast (via the Grand Manrier crep stand of course).
The CBW is good but getting back can be a hassle (especially to Houx/HA). Might not be too bad from TR though but wouldn't hold my breath.
You can do the CBW on the Saturday morning but... if you think the traffic is bad on Friday...
I've been a few times and the pit walk doesn't do much for me (though a must-do for newbies) so I'd do the CBW early, getting back to camp (be)for lunch and then head in for the drivers parade. Some of the people I go with aren't that keen on the parade but I like the change of seen/heckling drivers/getting a good meal.
Come the race we normally watch the race until 8/9 when the call of food pulls us back to the BBQ. Food, beer and bed as soon as it's cool-enough...
...till 3AM when the alarms all go of. Up, dressed, beers in pockets and head over to the free bus from the main entrance to Arnage/Mulsanne. No major queues (always got on the first bus but it's France so you might have to wait 30 minutes for the 5/10 minute service), no traffic jams, no problems.
Then a few hours at Arnage before bussing on to Mulsanne for a few more. Finally bus back to main entrance around 9AM and head to the BBQ for breakfast (via the Grand Manrier crep stand of course).
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