Le Mans

[hoyin]

I thought I would post here rather than the Le Mans thread as I wouldn't mind a bit of Noble advice as well!

So please don't flame me if my questions are numptey. I am a total Le Man / any car race newbie, and total bring your own car to Europe newbie as well.

1. Do I bring my wife? Or should I leave her at home? People say you are more socialable if you travel alone ... do you bring yours?

2. Where are you guys camping? In the PH private area? Is it worth getting that package deal? Or sorting out my own camping and tickets?

3. If you advise on camping somewhere else - where is the best place? I would like somewhere quieter and be away from the noisy kids please! I don't mind if I have to walk a bit further to get to the race.

4. Seems I will go on Thursday and comeback Sunday or Monday. As the time table is as follows:

Wednesday 9 June
10:00 Team Managers’ briefing
11:00 Drivers’ briefing
16:00 – 20 :00 Free practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans
22 :00 – 24 :00 Qualifying practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans

Thursday 10 June
19:00 – 21:00 Qualifying practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans
22:00 – 24:00 Qualifying practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans

Friday 11 June
10:00 – 20:00 Pit Walk
18:00 – 19:00 Drivers' parade (City centre)

Saturday 12 June
09.00 - 09:45 Warm-Up 24 Heures du Mans
14:22 Beginning of starting procedure
15:00 Start of the 78th race of the 24 Heures du Mans

So it finished 15:00hrs on Sunday. Is it really worth it to watch the practice sessions? Then on Sunday night I might drive somewhere nice and stay in a hotel to recover and do some local sight seeing.

Advice on where to sit? Grandstand?

5. Any recommendations for a hotel, nice not too expensive and in a nice area for sightseeing after the race? Might head to Amboise to leonardo da vinci's house.

6. Best way to get there with a Noble? With nicer driving roads and minimal stress i.e. scrapping the underside of my car!

7. What backup stuff do I need to bring for my car? Fuses - what type? a reflective triangle and vest?? Do I need to adjust my headlights? Or can they be done with stickers on a 3R?

8. Who is going? Who is seasoned? I will need a guide!

Can't think of anything else immediately - don't need any advice on camping I am a hardy camper and have all the gear.

Thanks

Edited by hoyin on Tuesday 12th January 20:16

[The devil]

hoyin said:

I thought I would post here rather than the Le Mans thread as I wouldn't mind a bit of Noble advice as well!

So please don't flame me if my questions are numptey. I am a total Le Man / any car race newbie, and total bring your own car to Europe newbie as well.

1. Do I bring my wife? Or should I leave her at home? People say you are more socialable if you travel alone ... do you bring yours? NO

2. Where are you guys camping? In the PH private area? Is it worth getting that package deal? Or sorting out my own camping and tickets? We are in Karting Nord

3. If you advise on camping somewhere else - where is the best place? I would like somewhere quieter and be away from the noisy kids please! I don't mind if I have to walk a bit further to get to the race. Not Karting Nord

4. Seems I will go on Thursday and comeback Sunday or Monday. As the time table is as follows:

Wednesday 9 June
10:00 Team Managers’ briefing
11:00 Drivers’ briefing
16:00 – 20 :00 Free practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans
22 :00 – 24 :00 Qualifying practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans

Thursday 10 June
19:00 – 21:00 Qualifying practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans
22:00 – 24:00 Qualifying practice sessions 24 Heures du Mans

Friday 11 June
10:00 – 20:00 Pit Walk
18:00 – 19:00 Drivers' parade (City centre)

Saturday 12 June
09.00 - 09:45 Warm-Up 24 Heures du Mans
14:22 Beginning of starting procedure
15:00 Start of the 78th race of the 24 Heures du Mans

So it finished 15:00hrs on Sunday. Is it really worth it to watch the practice sessions? Then on Sunday night I might drive somewhere nice and stay in a hotel to recover and do some local sight seeing.

Advice on where to sit? Grandstand?

5. Any recommendations for a hotel, nice not too expensive and in a nice area for sightseeing after the race? Might head to Amboise to leonardo da vinci's house.

6. Best way to get there with a Noble? With nicer driving roads and minimal stress i.e. scrapping the underside of my car!

7. What backup stuff do I need to bring for my car? Fuses - what type? a reflective triangle and vest?? Do I need to adjust my headlights? Or can they be done with stickers on a 3R? Fuses, lamps, triangle, licence, vest

8. Who is going? Who is seasoned? I will need a guide! Me Me oh Me

Can't think of anything else immediately - don't need any advice on camping I am a hardy camper and have all the gear.

Thanks

Edited by hoyin on Tuesday 12th January 20:16

Also. I think Sunday night gets a bit noisy and the brits tend to set fire to things and it was like armaggedon. Theres no harm to anyone but it leaves you with a sour taste IMHO

[The devil]

Just had another thought, have a word with Simon (Tuxman), he camps at a chateaux and it is a lot quieter but you are away from the track

[Lakelord]

1. No reason why not. Lots of couples there.
2. I'm going with Team Langoustine. Madmacmcmad is a Noble owner aswell and runs, in my opinion,
the best campsite there. It's on the inside of the track at Tetre Rouge. Great facilities and
clean and secure
4. I'm going on the Wednesday and travelling back on the Monday. I'd recommend staying on the
Sunday night. There's a very chilled out atmosphere and lots of drinking and winding down. The traffic
coming back on the Sunday can also be a mare
6. Lot's of choices. The Noble fits on the train or boats with no trouble at all so all you have to
decide is the length of your journey in France. I did Boulogne to Le Mans last year which
is a fair distance, especially in the pissing rain. This year, am going to sail Portsmouth to Le Havre
to cut the journey time.
7. Law states you need spare bulbs, Hi Viz vest (which you need to put on before you get out of
the car or you can be nicked) Warning Triangle. Make sure you have plenty of Euro's aswell. Most
garages take Credit cards but some do not.

[hoyin]

Devil - I am a bloke you know ... and quite an ugly one at that ...



The Karting Nord is meant to be the closest isn't it? Doesit have the best facilities? I doubt I can get camping tickets for that area now though as it seems very popular!

I don't mind paying slightly more to get better facilities and a decent place to park my car. How much further out are the further camping sites? How far would I have to walk? 10mins - 15 mins??

[hoyin]

Lakelord said:

2. I'm going with Team Langoustine. Madmacmcmad is a Noble owner aswell and runs, in my opinion,
the best campsite there. It's on the inside of the track at Tetre Rouge. Great facilities and
clean and secure

Team Langoustine dedicated campsite tickets are £295? Is that camping only? Does not include race entry?

[TuxMan]

Le mans is a great event but I don't know wether I would take dawn to camp trachside !!! We always stay at a campsit just outside la man it's clean with a pool and a great resturant and bar ..... And hot clean showers !!! Pm me for more details .

[The devil]

So, who is going? and to which event?

The Devil + 11 mates 24 Hr Karting Nord

[bernhund]

Lakelord is spot on. I've been to LeMans too many times to remember all the sites I've been in. In fact over stayed my welcome in 2006 in the Centre Hospitalier (63 days!)
Tetre Rouge sounds best for you. I've stayed there a couple of times. For me though, I enjoyed Karting Nord as its nearer the track.
Done the Chateaux but found it really restricts your movements in the car as getting into town is bad news with traffic. If you're already at the site, its easy to get around, even in the car.
Tetre Rouge is also brilliant for getting to the supermarket as its on the same road. Getting ice everyday for the beers is essential!

[The devil]

bernhund said:

Getting ice everyday for the beers is essential!

We got it sorted this year, fridge freezer, generator, tele. we got it all

[TuxMan]

To be honest chantaloup has it's own attractions .... Friday night is party night including free champagne and car pushing race , Saturday night we normaly go trackside and Sunday night is all you can eat buffet !!! Last year we watched the start in the bar with a cold beer :-)

[TuxMan]

Here we are in the grounds on saturday afternoon !! awsome place

[pic][/pic]



here's Andy in front of chataux

[pic][/pic]

[arabian]

I have only been once but stayed with Team Langoustine which was fantastic - close to the track, beer tent with sky TV, decent showers and bogs. well organised and decent people.

Unfortunately i cant do it this year as am doing the classic le mans instead.

Just a warning, there is one road where all the drubnks stop cars and bikes and get them to do tyre burnouts. that in itself isnt too bad, bu the later it gets and all sorts get chucked into, and over, cars. dare i say the brits were the main perpetrators of that which i found quite embarrassing IMO. that was my only bad experience though, otherwise a great event, loads of different places to watch the race, deffo worth a trip on the ferris wheel at night to watch all the cars whizz past with lights ablaze.

[Lakelord]

hoyin said:

Team Langoustine dedicated campsite tickets are £295? Is that camping only? Does not include race entry?

Correct. You'll still need to buy your General Enclosure Ticket and any additional tickets for Grandstands etc.

It may appear a little on the expensive side but trust me, there are some god awful places out there with all sorts of chavs and pikeys walking around unchallenged and running their sticky little fingers all over your P&J. TL have manned secutity at the gate, a beer tent with Sky TV (don't forget the world cup will be on) shower/toilet blocks that are cleaned several times a day and you get a decent sized pitch.
Worth the extra IMHO.

p.s. Don't know where you are based but TL are meeting up for a beer and curry next week so if you want to come along to say hello and ask any questions, here's the details http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[Jenx]

Have been going for years with these people...

http://www.clubmotorsport.org.uk/

ETA...if anyone wants to join our merry band e-mail me

Edited by Jenx on Friday 15th January 10:18