Tell Me About Loheac (Please!)

[tbtstt]

Wondering if I can pick your brains chaps (and ladies should there be any on here).

It looks like I'm not going to able to fit in (or afford!) a trip to Holjes this year, but I would really like to try and make it to at least one other European Rallycross round, so I'm thinking Loheac.

I have two main questions really:

1. Is it a decent track for spectating and worth a trip?
2. For UK based folks, is it an easy one to get to? It doesn't look that far into France?

Many thanks for any pointers!

[rx-guru]

Defo worth a trip! Spectating is great there, but with 35,000+ people this year expected (coz of Loeb) you need to grab your place pretty early in the mornings I bet. Hospitality is fine, Bretons are not really Frenchies, but have Celtic roots. And do not miss out the car museum just 100 metres away from the starting grid. Lotsa Group B cars there as well as other great racing vehicles from many different motorsports. Also some genuine RX cars.

[Hickey]

We are going and reckon it's a 5 hour drive from Calais (looked into St Malo/Dieppe, but the cost of the ferry negated the saving in the drive).

With Loeb there this year, we're looking to buy tickets online. I doubt rallycross could ever sell out, but there's a chance this year, right?

[ClintonRX]

Hi Steve
Got your fb message late last night. Will respond over the weekend, but Loheac isn't one I have been too yet.

[ebby]

We're looking at doing the trip to Loheac as well this year, a bit further from Calais than Valkenswaard or Maasmechelen (the trips we've done over the last two years), so much so am tempted to head down on the Friday rather than the Saturday. 349 miles from Calais. Can anyone recommend camping at the circuit / in the area?

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by rx-guru

Defo worth a trip! Spectating is great there, but with 35,000+ people this year expected (coz of Loeb) you need to grab your place pretty early in the mornings I bet. Hospitality is fine, Bretons are not really Frenchies, but have Celtic roots. And do not miss out the car museum just 100 metres away from the starting grid. Lotsa Group B cars there as well as other great racing vehicles from many different motorsports. Also some genuine RX cars.

Thanks for the info Guru: first thing to check was that its actually worth going there!

Originally Posted by Hickey

We are going and reckon it's a 5 hour drive from Calais (looked into St Malo/Dieppe, but the cost of the ferry negated the saving in the drive).

Cheers Hickey, thats a good start for me information wise. I assume you would head down Saturday, camp and return Sunday?

Originally Posted by ClintonRX

Hi Steve
Got your fb message late last night. Will respond over the weekend, but Loheac isn't one I have been too yet.

Thanks mate, I thought you would respond, but I didn't think posting a message up here in the meantime would hurt!

[Stephen H]

When comparing ferries dont forget tolls, I m closer to Newhaven so the Dieppe route is my first choice to French Rallycross tracks, but I did the challenge at essay via Dover Calais, and even though the ferry was only £45, compare to £120, I don't think I saved any money, as I used more petrol, plus about £26 in tolls.

I did kerlabo via Dieppe, and there are tolls between La Harve and Caen, to take into account.

Issues I had with St Malo when going to Kerlabo was the timetable, which is very much controlled by the tides.

Shame they moved it a week earlier, than on the original calendar, as that puts it into school holiday time, (just), so tend to be less offers on the ferry prices.

[bigted]

Stephen H Ah... Name to a face now

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by bigted

Stephen H Ah... Name to a face now

Might be slight confusion with the "Steve" mentioned further up the post, as I don't think I bumped into any other Brits at Essay, other than regulars that's always camp in the same spot.

so might be a case of "name to wrong face!!"

[Hickey]

I take your point about tolls, we are aiming to go over on the Friday, so will take a leisurely toll-free trip. Probably at a slower, and thus more economical rate too. The trip home will be the usual speeding to get the last ferry affair.

I guess this answers your question as to when we are going down, Steve. We did Saturday to Sunday to Kerlabo about 5 years ago and it was a bit much from Calais. We are also staying at a B&B this time, but will be trackside before the sun comes up, cos I think otherwise we'll be watching from the car park!

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Hickey

I take your point about tolls, we are aiming to go over on the Friday, so will take a leisurely toll-free trip. Probably at a slower, and thus more economical rate too. The trip home will be the usual speeding to get the last ferry affair.

I guess this answers your question as to when we are going down, Steve. We did Saturday to Sunday to Kerlabo about 5 years ago and it was a bit much from Calais. We are also staying at a B&B this time, but will be trackside before the sun comes up, cos I think otherwise we'll be watching from the car park!

Thanks very much for the above info Hickey. If I'm going to go I'd like to do it properly and see as much as possible (plus I'm a miserable sod when I'm tired! ), so I will look at going Friday and being able to get to the track early Saturday as you have suggested.

Will have to consider my work situation, but would you have any objections to being followed down there?

[Hickey1]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Will have to consider my work situation, but would you have any objections to being followed down there?

You would be more than welcome to follow us, however, we will be catching an early ferry from Dover (likely the 4:20am) to get down there by lunchtime, or just after, as we are hoping to get a round of golf in at the course where we are staying. Drop us a PM if you want to discuss further.

[Mad Mark Watson]

i driven track in C4 very fast and i liked the track plenty to drift on and fast joker section
Rumours are true they get masses of spectators and on banking you can see all flat track.
Village is lovely with some nice restaurants museum worth a look get there early !!

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Hickey1

You would be more than welcome to follow us, however, we will be catching an early ferry from Dover (likely the 4:20am) to get down there by lunchtime, or just after, as we are hoping to get a round of golf in at the course where we are staying. Drop us a PM if you want to discuss further.

Will do! I assume Hickey and Hickey1 are the same person?...

[Hickey1]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

Will do! I assume Hickey and Hickey1 are the same person?...

Nope, brothers.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Hickey1

Nope, brothers.

Ah, gotcha! Will PM you when I get a suitable moment!

[CS1]

The place is awesome. I was there at the last ERC round 12 years ago and there were 15 people deep all the way around the circuit
The only rallycross meeting I ve been to where there was full 20 piece brass band parading up the paddock!!

Carnival atmosphere on the night
Great track very close viewing and can see all of the track. Paddock is a bit small but not as small as some of the ERC tracks Ive been to.
As Mark says the town is very nice with some lovely restaurant. Dont expect to get much sleep if you are camping/staying in the paddock. As with all french ERC meetings the warm up on Sunday starts very early. If I remember correctly we were woken up by Eivind Oplands wastegate in the awning next to us about 6.30am!!

[tbtstt]

Many thanks for the input so far chaps! Out of interest, have any of you (spectators) taken any photos there?

Just trying to gauge the layout of the spectator areas from the various videos on You Tube and it looks like the whole track is ringed with a relatively high fence?

[Schanche1965]

Originally Posted by CS1

The place is awesome. I was there at the last ERC round 12 years ago and there were 15 people deep all the way around the circuit
The only rallycross meeting I ve been to where there was full 20 piece brass band parading up the paddock!!

Carnival atmosphere on the night
Great track very close viewing and can see all of the track. Paddock is a bit small but not as small as some of the ERC tracks Ive been to.
As Mark says the town is very nice with some lovely restaurant. Dont expect to get much sleep if you are camping/staying in the paddock. As with all french ERC meetings the warm up on Sunday starts very early. If I remember correctly we were woken up by Eivind Oplands wastegate in the awning next to us about 6.30am!!

Are you Craig?
I was there too back then, working on Tony Bell`s Corolla before we all headed down `Smokey and the Bandit`style to Lousada Portugal for the next round the following week....

[CS1]

Originally Posted by Schanche1965

Are you Craig?

That's me!

I was there too back then, working on Tony Bell`s Corolla before we all headed down `Smokey and the Bandit`style to Lousada Portugal for the next round the following week....

I tried to drive from loheac to scarbrough after the racing finished Sunday night! Didnt get back til 8 the next morning
Then flew back out on the Friday to Portugal, what a great weekend that was!
;-)

[Schanche1965]

Originally Posted by CS1

I tried to drive from loheac to scarbrough after the racing finished Sunday night! Didnt get back til 8 the next morning
Then flew back out on the Friday to Portugal, what a great weekend that was!
;-)

Too right! and who could forget Eleanor? Haha!!

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by Hickey

We are going and reckon it's a 5 hour drive from Calais (looked into St Malo/Dieppe, but the cost of the ferry negated the saving in the drive).

Flip just looked at the St Malo ferry prices myself, looking at £508 for a car and 2 people, if you have a cabin, which is complusary unless fully booked on overnight crossings. and thats travelling thurs and tues to avoid dearer prices.

So I guess the long drive and calais is the much cheaper option, despite the toll roads

[Hickey]

those prices have gone up but even when i looked at them a month ago they were unaffordably expensive.

Toll-free roads down should save money (helps to live very close to Dover too).

Cannot wait for this (which is a shame as i'll end up wishing my summer away).

[Hickey1]

I'm hoping Tanner takes up the challenge of Loeb on French soil.

[CS1]

Flights from Liverpool to Nantes £125