Why?

Le Vieux · 11 Apr 2008, 19:50 (Ref:2175489)

The recent thread concerning prototypes vs GTs has set me thinking.

Why do you go to LM?

My own reasons have changed over the years. An interest primarily in endurance racing initially led me to LM. Anything less than 1000kms isn't worth watching, Today's F1 races are just sprints - the fastest car in the hands of the most selfsh driver will always win. I have always had an interest in endurance racing because of that one element: ENDURANCE.

However, since my first visit to LM, my attendace trackside has steadily waned. My June visit to France has become more of a social occasion. I spend less time at the circuit and more time on sybaritic pleasures. LM has become more than a race, it's now an occasion.

We no longer stay at the circuit, but some distance away (and I'm quite deliberately not sayng where!): I'm not interested in people who drink themselves silly, make too much noise and who are generally obnoxious. For some, that's LM, but not for me - which is why I stay away from the circuit. LM is now, in no particular order, the race, the Legends race, food (roast beef and Yorkshire Puds on Sunday!) and drink (Sancerre with the salmon), and, of course, fellowship with those who think the same way.

I appreciate that this is not everyone's idea of LM - but why do you come?

gucom · 11 Apr 2008, 20:51 (Ref:2175506)

Having visited the race only 3 times (and not being able to go this year

) I don't have nearly as much experience as you, but here're my reasons...

- I love motorsports, and like you I don't think F1 is what it used to be, plus I really like the road connection that's stronger at Le Mans
- The circuit / the history give it such a unique place and charm / romance
- It's become my annual trip with my dad
- I have met some people that I know from the internet there which is really nice
- despite the lavish consumption of alcohol and the many drunk people, the general atmosphere is unbelievably friendly*, there're a quarter of a million people there having a good time, enjoying the race, enjoying each others' company, enjoying France at its best

I've never been on the circuit earlier than friday evening (just in time to see (and feel) a bit of the supersoaker / burnout / etc action), and I do enjoy seeing the atmosphere of lads being lads, but I haven't felt the urge to join them (yet?)
I'd love to do a proper pitwalk there, I'd love to see more of the general atmosphere before the race starts
I still stay trackside most of the time, the race still is the main attraction for me

*I must say that the Audi team in no way, shape or form contributes to the friendly atmosphere...

johntt · 11 Apr 2008, 22:13 (Ref:2175548)

I'm 19 and i've been to LM every year since 1998 with the exception of '04 and '06 because of exams (thats 8 times).

IMO Le Mans is the pinaccle of motorsport; it has the most technically advanced cars as well as being one of the most challenging races there is. Another thing that I like is the variety of machinery, look at F1, NASCAR etc and they all look (and sound) the same.

With LM you have a great variety of shapes and sizes and noises. After about 12 hours at Le Mans you can close your eyes and tell what car has gone past by its exhaust note.

The thing I remember most about LM was the start the first time I went there, the sound of ~50 cars going past ad the way the ground shook is something I will never forget. My ambition is life is to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours, even if its only as a pay driver in GT2.

I've never been into the drinking/Houx Annexe stuff. For me its all about the cars and the racing. Nothing else.

**Aysedasi** · 11 Apr 2008, 22:17 (Ref:2175552)

Le Vieux, my story is pretty similar to yours. This year will be my 23rd consecutive Le Mans. I've never been a great F1 fan, although I followed it very keenly through the Senna era. I've always loved sportscars - by which I mean prototypes. As has been remarked elsewhere, from the mid 80s for a number of years, Le Mans was almost entirely the province of prototypes and I loved it. I saw 1000kms at Brands and Silver in 85 and 86 and a friend persuaded me to join him and some friends at LM in 86. I didn't know what to expect, but I absolutely loved it.

Since then, it's become something akin to a religion for me (as I don't have any other religion.....) and, at times, my life has been pretty much consumed by it. Not so much now though. Like you, Le Mans is as much a social occasion as anything else - from meeting the rest of our 'Tourists', meeting old friends and visiting favourite places. But I still like to do it my way - which particularly includes watching the race at night. If you go to Le Mans and sleep through the night, you're wasting one of the greatest experiences of them all, in my opinion.

Like you, I detest the Brits abroad who can't hold their booze. I like a drink like anyone else, but I find it embarrassing when I see spectators misbehaving through booze, as so often it's my fellow countrymen.

Oh and, unlike many Brits it seems, I love France, in almost all respects. Le Mans in June for me is a given - for as long as I can make it so........

gucom · 11 Apr 2008, 22:22 (Ref:2175554)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johntt

With LM you have a great variety of shapes and sizes and noises. After about 12 hours at Le Mans you can close your eyes and tell what car has gone past by its exhaust note.

True, that's really one of the things that sets Le Mans apart from any other important race

Quote:

The thing I remember most about LM was the start the first time I went there, the sound of ~50 cars going past ad the way the ground shook is something I will never forget.

My God there you mention something... the first race I visited, 2005, I was sitting on the banking by the Ford chicanes, right before the braking point... first, on the warmup lap, hearing those cars on the mulsanne straight, sounding like something inbetween a group of angry bees and a group of WW2 dive bombers, and then when they came past, all still close together, indeed EVERYTHING shaking along with that glorious sound... boy am I glad I got to experience that before the new sound regulations, as well as the old Village which had about a thousand times the charm of the new one...

**Aysedasi** · 11 Apr 2008, 22:27 (Ref:2175557)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gucom

.....as well as the old Village which had about a thousand times the charm of the new one...

That implies that the new Village actually has some minimal charm. Not in my eyes.....

deggis · 12 Apr 2008, 00:49 (Ref:2175610)

Quote:

Originally Posted by gucom

boy am I glad I got to experience that before the new sound regulations

You mentioned 2005, what did the sound noise level regs say before that?

Now it's 113 dbA (measured at 15 meters from the edge of the track).

Never understood what's the point... think if F1 cars were muffled. Just for the sake that some celebrities who visit the race can drink their Martinis without earplugs?

TheNewBob · 12 Apr 2008, 06:46 (Ref:2175661)

Quote:

Originally Posted by deggis

You mentioned 2005, what did the sound noise level regs say before that?

Now it's 113 dbA (measured at 15 meters from the edge of the track).

Never understood what's the point... think if F1 cars were muffled. Just for the sake that some celebrities who visit the race can drink their Martinis without earplugs?

I don't think there was a limit before that? Or was it 116dbA?

I wish they hadn't brought the limit in, I never got to see LM without the noise limits they have now. What actually was the reason, though? Pleasing the locals?

Spyderman · 12 Apr 2008, 08:50 (Ref:2175712)

I think that the only decent reply to the question posed is: Why not?

deggis · 12 Apr 2008, 10:04 (Ref:2175752)

Just remembered, exactly same dB limit is also in FIA GT1 and GT2 regs (and in both LM"GT1/2" and LM"P1/2" regs). Maybe these are some universal rules by FIA? So this is another evil plot by Bernie to make sportscars less spectacular.

e.g. this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=l48XyrZPmlE

That Judd is just so "F1-like painfully loud" that those days there couldn't have been noise levels yet.

AU N EGL · 12 Apr 2008, 11:35 (Ref:2175790)

Quote:

Originally Posted by deggis

Just remembered, exactly same dB limit is also in FIA GT1 and GT2 regs (and in both LM"GT1/2" and LM"P1/2" regs). Maybe these are some universal rules by FIA? So this is another evil plot by Bernie to make sportscars less spectacular.

e.g. this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=l48XyrZPmlE

That Judd is just so "F1-like painfully loud" that those days there couldn't have been noise levels yet.

THAT was music to my ears.

pirenzo · 12 Apr 2008, 16:00 (Ref:2175907)

Well, 2008 will be my first Le Mans, though not my first sportscar race.
It's not through any particular like or dislike for sportscars that I'm going, I like any racing event that brings together the best cars and best drivers of any given discipline - Le Mans is just a race that begs to be seen.

I love the thrill of being at the circuit, just taking it all in. I've always been pretty hopeless at following the race itself and frankly its of secondary importance to me when I'm actually at the event. I'm there to hear the engines, smell the oil, feel the rumble of the ground under my feet.

I haven't been to a sportscar race since Donington 2001, so that's another reason to be looking forward to it - there's a whole new generation of cars to be seen!

brielga · 12 Apr 2008, 19:47 (Ref:2176026)

Because I rediscovered racing since the first time I was there.

rdjones · 12 Apr 2008, 20:13 (Ref:2176053)

Why do I go to Le Mans, that's a very good question. But I think its because it should a wonderful event with all the history that goes with it going back to 1923. I have been going to Le Mans since 2002 and we camp on Houx Annexe but never really get involved with all the heavy drinking etc.

But it is also great to meet up with people that you see only once a year, so for me its a great social event too. I worked out the other day that its only 58 days till I set off on my annual pilgrimage to Le Mans and I can't wait.

ss_collins · 12 Apr 2008, 20:40 (Ref:2176064)

Because I get paid to... actually thats not it at all, I'd pay huge amounts to go. Its addictive, Le Mans is a verys special place, not just in June but year round, the place crackles with excitement.

If I could live anywhere but the English countryside (or Welsh) it would be in one of the villages just outside of Le Mans.

The race itself is the beating heart of the town, its traditions, however small however personal make the atmosphere like no other event I know. Everyone has thier own things they do at Le Mans, for me its a spot by the steps in the pit building, I stand there and just absorb the sound that for me is Le Mans. The view of the track isn't great, just the pit entry and 100m of the start finish straight, but I love it there. That one spot in a far away place is where my mind wanders in the long boring winters. The race itself is the greatest in the world, open engineering and a real challenge on a proper track.

Why do I go to Le Mans, the same reason as pretty much anyone else reading this thread. Because I love it.

Oh and there is a bar in the press room which is frankly a brilliant thing!

RickP:Clio51 · 14 Apr 2008, 13:28 (Ref:2177219)

I go as often as possible because without fail Le Mans provides the most amazing memories and experiences...

The quad cones of flame out of the exhausts Bugatti EB110 at night

Standing on a grass bank, in torrential rain in deepest darkest France watching JJ Lehto in the McLaren in the middle of the night lapping 15s quicker than anyone else and knowing u were seeing something would speak about for years.

Waking up, laying in the dirt at 8am on race morning (got way too hot to sleep in the car) and watching the bloke next to us set-about doing a brake overhaul on his Lotus Eclat... surreal.

Seeing a flash of lights in the sky and a bang as Dumbreck went over the fence.

Walking down the pitlane with Jacky Ickx realising to many this man is a God...

Watching the poor kid in the Academy viper desperately trying to coax what was left after his 1st lap accident back into the pitlane...

Waking up and knowing that the Panoz and the Kudzu Mazda were still running because their engine notes had become ingrained in your conciousness.

I promise you I can go on!

But for me, its the racing, the food, the racing and the food. I come back with blistered feet and bulging stomach every year...

**Aysedasi** · 14 Apr 2008, 15:59 (Ref:2177309)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ss_collins

If I could live anywhere but the English countryside (or Welsh) it would be in one of the villages just outside of Le Mans.

You and me alike then Sam. I've dreamed many times of retiring to a cottage (or larger) from which I could 'commute' to Le Mans. I remember with fondness Fab telling me about the times that he just went into the circuit when there was absolutely nothing going on just to soak up the feel of the place. It gives me huge pleasure when I hear of people (like pirenzo) going to Le Mans for the first time as I hope they'll be captivated by the experience as much as I was 22 years ago.

old man · 14 Apr 2008, 15:59 (Ref:2177310)

Over the years ciscumstances have dictated that I am a novice at LM in comparison with many of you. Before 98 I was always unable to go for mainly family reasons but always watched what I could on TV and devoured the Autosport.

For me it is the cars, the race and the food (etc) with friends. I usually stay up most, if not all night and for the last two years have stayed with friends at a chateaux, before that camped at another chateaux, had a hotel room in 98! I too hate those drunken fools though, not all Brits I have to say

Business dictates that I have been in Canada until Thursday night for the last two years and fly back to Paris overnight hoping to get there before the parade.

It is an amazing experience all round

The Badger · 14 Apr 2008, 17:04 (Ref:2177363)

Quote:

Originally Posted by brielga

Because I rediscovered racing since the first time I was there.

Betchya there wasnt a prancing donkey on the grid ?

The Badger · 14 Apr 2008, 17:20 (Ref:2177374)

Like a lot of the previous answers , Le Mans for me is the whole event . This year will be my 17th visit and its the same every year , I cant wait for the 24th week of June to arrive .

Now we arrive on the Sunday before the race and set up our pavillion and mirror balls and drink optics and 3 fridges with fancy lights .... the full works is normally finished afternoon monday . Then a large run to the Carrefour for the nessessaries . Brilliant supermarket too , wish we had one like that here . Then its time to relax and just enjoy and be glad to be there ..... except if its ****ing rain .

We used to do the hotel thing , but we lost our booking when the owners sold the place , so now we camp at Houx , lucky so far . Its great to sit beside the bar-b-q and listen to radio LM and have a few beers or whatever . Just go for a short wander and the things you can see make you laugh .

A trip into the town for dinner and the driver parade or the scrutineering followed by a few beers ..... just one problem about the beer ..... its French !!! Dont get me wrong , I love France , worked there for almost 2 years , but they dont know a thing about beer !!! And I havent tried tarteflette yet either ..... any good ?

But like someone said ..... its also becoming a social event for me . Getting to meet people that you dont meet from one year to the next , and making new friends too . I love that little town in France .

Ive said it before , but i would like my ashs to be scattered at Tetre Rouge ..... but my wife has other ideas about that !!!

Hopefully I will have another 30 years of attending Le Mans !!!

I remember one year , about 3 in the morning and a few gallons af beer later , I was trying to get to sleep and the crowd in the next campsite was playing their music loud ..... I thought the music was brilliant . So the next day I asked them about the music , they appologised for the volume . I said that it was no trouble and that I enjoyed it . I asked them the name of the band and when I returned home I bought one of their CD's ...... needless to say that it was crap ...... musta been the beer !!!

I couldnt be in a better place anywhere in the world for the 24 week of the year ..... love it .

TheNewBob · 14 Apr 2008, 18:04 (Ref:2177408)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Badger

I cant wait for the 24th week of June to arrive

Hmmm you could be waiting quite a while for that!

I get what you all mean about the 'whole event' - the night time is best spent trackside but I know in future visits I'll have so much to try and see and do, I know I only experienced a fraction of it in my first ever visit last year.

GT6 · 14 Apr 2008, 19:25 (Ref:2177464)

I asked myself the question why last year, the Gazebo was destroyed the constant rain had reduced the amount of racing I had actually seen and I was sat in the car watching the race from the enterance to our campsite at tertre rouge, the rain had reduced the last few hours of racing to a slow crawl. But then you think about other things, like Fridays classic car show at st saturin, the sounds, the smells, the people, the build up and you have answered your own question. The race is part but the experience is everything.

Started planning on the way home on Sunday.