Le Mans Classic

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Jean Todt or Sid James? I think we should be told...

Thats exactly what I thought, if it is Sid, I'll hire him for glamcabs in September!

[gary396]

If that is Sid then it looks like Hattie's lost a fair bit of weight!

Anyway, a few photos taken of the Plateau 1 (1923-39) cars:

[Peter Mallett]

Although Sid is looking remarkably well for a man in his condition.

[gary396]

And a few more from Plateau 1:

[Cliff Ryan]

Hattie Jacques doesn't look bad either

[gary396]

A few photos from Plateau 2 (1949-56):

[gary396]

Some more from Plateau 2:

[gary396]

Some from Plateau 3 (1957-61):

[gary396]

Few more from Plateau 3 below (will add some more tomorrow or later);

[cg7aa]

Originally Posted by nicanary

Watching it on TV and it was all interviews and no racing, almost as if MotorsTV hadn't got the rights to actually televise the races. Very odd. de cadenet trying to make it up as he went along, with a bit of commentary, and then back to the studio.

Anyone able to enlighten me?

I see what you mean, thoroughly disappointed with what I recorded but at least it was recorded so I could forward through it and boy did I forward through it. Reminded me of the similarly odd highlights package Motors (I presume) put together for the Pau historics, told you nothing about the actual racing and showed very little of it. Waste of time really.

[garyharman]

Photos of Plateau 2, 4 and 5, plus parade laps here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/garyhar...7630520939908/

[MattGreen]

A fantastic weekend despite the rain. A minor pit-stop problem cost us time and an extra lap in the third race, but can't be displeased with 27th overall, 19th in the index of performance and first MGB home in the 50th anniversary year. Job done as they say.

[356sc]

This was my first trip to the Le Mans classic, and the first time racing at Le Mans...so a new experience. It can all summed as "the sublime to the ridiculous"!
The sublime was the cars (and wow what cars!!), the people, racing at Le Mans at night....the ridiculous, being a reserve so never quite knowing whether you were going to race or not and despite running in race 1 and 2 being sent to the back of the grid for race 3, the red flags during qualifying that meant little or no track time for the 2nd driver, the 7 minute night qualification session for plateau 3 ..which all meant the first time driving in anger was the night race!!

Considering this was the first time out for the car after a complete rebuild, it went surprisingly well, with only a fuel pick up issue spoiling what would have been a perfect race.....we were the fastest 356!

Big thanks to John Ruston for his hospitality and assisting us in getting an entry!

Would we do it again...god yes, but never as a reserve!

[gary396]

Some from Plateau 4 (1962-65):

[gary396]

Few more from Plateau 4:

[gt917]

The highs ......

turning up and being parked next to fellow 10/10ther Steve(Biltel) and Terry. Funniest and most enjoyable company possible. Thankyou.

Seeing so many friends, including John and Claire.

Great help and enthusiasm from the guys from the Porsche Museum for my 917 clone.

That fantastic Elva of Gareth Burnetts and how he made that thing go. Little did i think when it was first out at the 360 support race last year that it would turn up at LeMans and show such a clean pair of heels to so many of the big boys.

The racing in general .... well done everyone.

The lows ......

All three 917s failing.

Appalling lack of regard to yellow flags and overtaking, mainly by German and French drivers. Expected to see many strung up by CoC outside race control.

Abysmal lack of control over the parade laps in the early evening. I,ve never seen such bad behaviour, lack of track etiquette and knowledge by people with their Ferraris, GT40s, Aston, etc, etc. It is a miracle that nobody was seriously hurt, but vehicles were damaged.

The weather.

Overall ......

FANTASTIC.

GT.

[johngee]

It was really good to see you and Terry. I think you're right about the parade lap behaviour. How long before somebody gets hurt?
Lack of respect for yellow flags is a product of there being so few marshals there to report it.....and there isn't the same camera coverage as the main 24 hour race.
However, there's nowhere like Le Mans, is there?

[henk4]

for those who were not there (and for those who were...)

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/event...s-Classic.html

[gary396]

Some photos from Plateau 5 (1966-71):

[gary396]

Few more from Plateau 5:

[gary396]

Final few from Plateau 5:

[Al Weyman]

All joking aside, does that 41 car honestly look safe to you? The driver looks somehow too big for the car and with the piddly roll cage looks very vulnerable, rather him than me!

[johngee]

Al. French Controle Technique (Scrutineering) is a law unto itself! I expect they made sure that the driver had FIA approved socks though!

[gary396]

And I think his surname is Schumacher - maybe they thought it was Michael?

[retrognome]

Originally Posted by gary396

Final few from Plateau 5:

Blimey Gary, you must have worn your camera out.