[LM24] Your experiences Le Mans 2014

[Victor_RO]

With the prospect of more people coming along, it's highly likely that whenever we pit for fuel and/or a coffee and a bite to eat, there will be driver changes.

[Mike E]

Originally Posted by isynge

Looking back on my days of long road trips length and breadth of the UK I'd operate on the principle of a 500 mile stint is just about doable, much more than that and you're rolling the dice a bit. I remember pushing the boundaries of this somewhat on an Aberdeen-Aberystwyth run and the final bit coming over Plynlimon in the dark being a considerable challenge, especially when I happened across a Land Rover ambling its way along without any lights on.

Okay motorways and 21st century cars make a hell of a difference, but don't rely on loud 1970s rock to keep you alive - would be a shame for you not to make it Victor.

I was reflecting on my Le Mans - Leeds drive and it is definitely made manageable by the fact it is mostly in daylight because of the time of year. I only really start to feel tired from about Sheffield onwards as the sun goes down and my eyes and brain have to work a bit harder.
The 500 mile stint length feels about right.

[bella]

500 miles is a good place to start, but it's by no means universal.

we're all different - i lost my regular sleep pattern whilst working days and nights combined about a decade ago, and as a result seem freakishly able to do really long drives that only really catch up with me when i stop for the night or get to where i need to be. if i do stop for a nap, a single 90 minute sleep cycle is usually enough for another 6 hours driving - any more or less and i end up stopping every hour for 15 minutes and it just takes foreverrrrrrrrr (see: the ridiculous 24 hour journey to imola a few weeks ago).

that's just my experience though, refined over 10 years of cross-europe solo driving. but i grew up doing uk-france en famille in a ford transit minibus a couple of times a year, so i guess it's in the blood.

fwiw, i prefer to drive in the dark, sleep like the dead on the ferry and chase the sunrise

[ATLFalconsFAN]

My yearly drive down to Sebring is 625 miles. Last year it took 9.5 hours on the way down and 13 hours on the way back. Damn Spring Break crowd made for some nasty traffic!

[GT6]

625 mile is quite a drive, only about 350 for me to Le mans, but to be honest the drive down and back is an important part of the event. Better if i am driving but loved the trip down for the classic as a passenger in the honda s2000, roof down all the time and slightly red arms and face as a result

[Djcomix]

yes Simon
you'll have a good face with the sun when i saw when i was back from my work
A good day for you for the trip to the LMC with Mike then a good sleep in your tent for a good friday at the lmc week

[Le Vieux]

A little late in adding my experiences, but....This year stayed longer than ever - an eleven day trip in total - which made it more enjoyable. It was more like a holiday with LM thrown in, rather than "just" a dash to Le Mans and back.

A very relaxed time with plenty of good food, whether eating out or luxuriating in the choice of food in virtually every supermarket.

Went with a record crowd, some of whom also stayed on for a "holiday".

Great race, great weather, altogether one of the better experiences.

Good to meet (albeit very briefly) Gilles Lives on "our" campsite again.

[Muppetdave901]

No idea why, but driving to a client's this morning - I thought of this thread and something I missed off of my post.

We camp away from the circuit, and the first day met an older Welsh couple a few pitches away from us. I wandered over to say hello as you do expecting them to be there for the race. It turned out they were bikers and heavily in to the TT etc, but were just in France wandering for a few weeks with no fixed itinerary. They started asking about the race having seen a few signs around etc.

The next day they came over and asked me for more information, as they felt it was a bit of a 'when in Rome' situation. So I sorted them out with a hand drawn map (we stay about 15kms from the circuit) to the Parc des Expositions - which amazingly took them door to door. Advised them what tickets they wanted (they lucked out and got better parking than us!) and gave them a few pointers for what to expect, what's particularly good to see etc.

We left the circuit to come home straight away on Sunday, but Sunday morning we saw them and they were so chuffed about having gone to the race (they stayed most of the night by the sounds of it) and seen it, done all of the village, been to Arnage (corner and town for a beer as per recommendation) and even got caught up in a bit of Mad Friday.

They said they wouldn't be back next year as it was just an amazing addition to a holiday and they do enough racing with the biking side of things, but reminiscing this morning I was glad to have actually first hand helped people (not mates who would come for the beer anyway) who turned out to thoroughly enjoy the experience.

[Aysedasi]

Darned good show Dave!

[GT6]

That is what "Le Mans spirit" is all about

[Muppetdave901]

Forgot to add actually - they said the map was perfect other than warning them to wind up the windows going along by parking bleu on Friday morning ;o) Got a faceful from a super-soaker each but took it in good spirit!

[wewantourdarbyback]

Nicely done, it doesn't take much to sucker someone into the Le Mans fever.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by wewantourdarbyback

Nicely done, it doesn't take much to sucker someone into the Le Mans for ever.

Perhaps.......