Your memorable Le Mans moment/s '09
Discussion
So many to choose from but without doubt the two moments (one that thankfully ended OK, but could have gone oh so badly wrong but boy did we piss ourselves afterwards) will forever be a talking point.....
Having been to the town getting somewhat s
tfaced, followed by meeting all the drivers and Tiff Needell at the drivers parade, we proceeded to continue drinking until very early hours.
We'd taken bikes and though it would be a bloody great idea to wonder off down the Mulsanne Straight at full chat with Paul in the lead going a good 25-30mph. He had a moment and thought he'd take the first chicane on the racing line which was going really well until we heard a loud bang with debris, bike, lights and Paul going in different directions.
What he hadn't banked on and couldn't see with a small poxy bike light, pissed at 2am was the fact that there was a metal barrier placed across the chicane to stop people driving or walking on it
At the time he noticed the barrier it was way to late at which time both Paul and the bike became passengers, both flying over the barrier landing some 5m+ over the other side on the tarmac. He had hit the barrier with such force that had moved it some distance which almost certainly as well which slowed him down I think 
A small cut to his head (however, still a fair amount of claret), a scraped elbow, the front folks bent a tadge but amazingly aside from that no damage to either him or the bike - unbelievable!
Second moment was prior to the parade, gaining access and going into the car/drivers parade enclosure and meeting the drivers, girls etc. I thought at that time it might a challenge to get my hat signed, which I did by all bar two drivers!
Happy days
Having been to the town getting somewhat s
tfaced, followed by meeting all the drivers and Tiff Needell at the drivers parade, we proceeded to continue drinking until very early hours.We'd taken bikes and though it would be a bloody great idea to wonder off down the Mulsanne Straight at full chat with Paul in the lead going a good 25-30mph. He had a moment and thought he'd take the first chicane on the racing line which was going really well until we heard a loud bang with debris, bike, lights and Paul going in different directions.
What he hadn't banked on and couldn't see with a small poxy bike light, pissed at 2am was the fact that there was a metal barrier placed across the chicane to stop people driving or walking on it
At the time he noticed the barrier it was way to late at which time both Paul and the bike became passengers, both flying over the barrier landing some 5m+ over the other side on the tarmac. He had hit the barrier with such force that had moved it some distance which almost certainly as well which slowed him down I think A small cut to his head (however, still a fair amount of claret), a scraped elbow, the front folks bent a tadge but amazingly aside from that no damage to either him or the bike - unbelievable!
Second moment was prior to the parade, gaining access and going into the car/drivers parade enclosure and meeting the drivers, girls etc. I thought at that time it might a challenge to get my hat signed, which I did by all bar two drivers!
Happy days
Many many wonderful moments but one that stands out (for the wrong reasons) was witnessing Benoit Treluyer's accident in the early hours of Sunday morning. Luckily he's Ok but with no movement from the driver for ages, i was starting to fear the worst. I haven't seen any replays but it all i saw was a car that appeared to be airbourne before striking the concrete wall and exploding into thousands of pieces. I've never seen anything like that before and don't particularly want to again!!!
More than anything though, it was a fantastic week with great company and lots of laughs!!
More than anything though, it was a fantastic week with great company and lots of laughs!!
squirrel2007 said:
Many many wonderful moments but one that stands out (for the wrong reasons) was witnessing Benoit Treluyer's accident in the early hours of Sunday morning. Luckily he's Ok but with no movement from the driver for ages, i was starting to fear the worst. I haven't seen any replays but it all i saw was a car that appeared to be airbourne before striking the concrete wall and exploding into thousands of pieces. I've never seen anything like that before and don't particularly want to again!!!
More than anything though, it was a fantastic week with great company and lots of laughs!!
similar to this one?More than anything though, it was a fantastic week with great company and lots of laughs!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KfdRTQEiyw
Saturday night we thought we'd walk from Tertre Rouge to the Hotel Arbor on the Mulsanne. Figured it would take an hour or so, so we left early.
After 30 mins, we see a sign with directions to the hotel. After walking for a short distance, we came upon a roundabout guarded by a marshall and 2 cops. Who better to ask for directions, right?
They were very friendly, showed us a map and wrote some things down, but when we started walking, they called us back and asked if we were on foot. Ummm, yes. Them:
They said it would be very far. Very, very far. And what does the French police do in this instance?
They stop 2 completely unsuspecting French kids and tell them to take us to the hotel.
We took the taxi back.
Who said the French police weren't friendly?
After 30 mins, we see a sign with directions to the hotel. After walking for a short distance, we came upon a roundabout guarded by a marshall and 2 cops. Who better to ask for directions, right?
They were very friendly, showed us a map and wrote some things down, but when we started walking, they called us back and asked if we were on foot. Ummm, yes. Them:
They said it would be very far. Very, very far. And what does the French police do in this instance?
They stop 2 completely unsuspecting French kids and tell them to take us to the hotel.
We took the taxi back.
Who said the French police weren't friendly?
jameswhitburn said:
its got to be Tiff needle in speedchills absoloutly hammerd ! lol pics on my mates camera will get them up asap! when asked if we could borrow his phone he actually searched his pockets for it but had already lost it. haha ledge !
We met Tiff at lunch in town, he made time to have a good chat and he also signed my hat Dupont666 said:
squirrel2007 said:
Many many wonderful moments but one that stands out (for the wrong reasons) was witnessing Benoit Treluyer's accident in the early hours of Sunday morning. Luckily he's Ok but with no movement from the driver for ages, i was starting to fear the worst. I haven't seen any replays but it all i saw was a car that appeared to be airbourne before striking the concrete wall and exploding into thousands of pieces. I've never seen anything like that before and don't particularly want to again!!!
More than anything though, it was a fantastic week with great company and lots of laughs!!
similar to this one?More than anything though, it was a fantastic week with great company and lots of laughs!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KfdRTQEiyw
3.30am on Sunday morning, walking up from Hotel Arbor to the second chicane on Mulsanne and the marshall letting us through the fence to stand behind the concrete blocks and take some amazing pictures. Something I have been replaying in my head all day today at work.
Second one has to be BSJ on Sunday night, for all the wrong reasons...Mad max comes to mind, hence we decided not to stay.
Second one has to be BSJ on Sunday night, for all the wrong reasons...Mad max comes to mind, hence we decided not to stay.
As a Le Man virgin I wasn't sure what to expect but by the time we had our tent and gazeebo up on Speedchills BSJ with a beer in hand I knew this was going to be quality.
Only my hayfever affecting the weekend but some things stood out a million miles
-- Singing the national anthem at 2.30pm Saturday next to the Dunlop bridge with fellow Brits.
-- Trying to tie our RAF flag to the fence at the Pork Curves Sunday 1pm and getting help from the Danes with their shoelaces
-- The noise of the V12 Aston and Corvette's. Only the sound of Megan Fox shooting her bolt could sound sweeter
-- Walking down the grandstands at 8pm Sunday night with my Dad and friends with no noise, no crowds, nothing. Really special.
Le Mans. Unreal, and I'm never going to miss another as long as I can
Only my hayfever affecting the weekend but some things stood out a million miles
-- Singing the national anthem at 2.30pm Saturday next to the Dunlop bridge with fellow Brits.
-- Trying to tie our RAF flag to the fence at the Pork Curves Sunday 1pm and getting help from the Danes with their shoelaces
-- The noise of the V12 Aston and Corvette's. Only the sound of Megan Fox shooting her bolt could sound sweeter
-- Walking down the grandstands at 8pm Sunday night with my Dad and friends with no noise, no crowds, nothing. Really special.
Le Mans. Unreal, and I'm never going to miss another as long as I can
Repeated from another thread
Highlights:
Meeting loads of new and old friends
PH campsite BBQ on Friday night
Weather
Waddington Minge & Seymour Vadge.
10.45 outward ferry crossing queue conversations/ laughs
Avoiding RWR rules (again)
Being asked if I'd raced my car in Le Mans race when boarding ferry home in the Focus RS
Catapaults and air raid sirens
Slide show of girlie pics on the side of a Sprinter van
Gulf bus and the top lads who were behind building it.
British welcome and PH Mulsanne meetings.
My rather spacious tent
A few laps on Tony H's go-ped.
Arnage curves
Aston garage tour...and pitlane noise
Blaming Mr Will for everything
Corvette noise
N138 drive there and back
Peugeot pit lane calamity
Reverse bungee (x 5)
The fantastic PH campsite and fellow campers.
Highlights:
Meeting loads of new and old friends
PH campsite BBQ on Friday night
Weather
Waddington Minge & Seymour Vadge.
10.45 outward ferry crossing queue conversations/ laughs
Avoiding RWR rules (again)
Being asked if I'd raced my car in Le Mans race when boarding ferry home in the Focus RS
Catapaults and air raid sirens
Slide show of girlie pics on the side of a Sprinter van
Gulf bus and the top lads who were behind building it.
British welcome and PH Mulsanne meetings.
My rather spacious tent
A few laps on Tony H's go-ped.
Arnage curves
Aston garage tour...and pitlane noise
Blaming Mr Will for everything
Corvette noise
N138 drive there and back
Peugeot pit lane calamity
Reverse bungee (x 5)
The fantastic PH campsite and fellow campers.
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