[LM24] Le Mans Diary Part 6 and Last

[Liz]

DISPATCH DU MANS
Sunday, June 18, 2002

I emerged from my tent at 6:00 to find that some people on our site had not been to bed. Breakfast is at 7:00, but not many people make it until 8, so we stay open an extra half hour. I assumed the woman drinking white wine is one of those who had not yet gone to bed. I got to the showers early, before anyone else realized they were open; this is pretty well cosmetic in nature, as I have very little left in the way of clean clothes!

The Audi Credentialed snake has upped sticks and fled in the night without saying goodbye to anyone or paying the landlord, which fits with everything else he has promised and not done this weekend. Alex and I walked up to the Karting track to watch the race from a bit of wall you can see over into the beginning of the Porsche Curves, which are in front of our campsite, but today there is an enterprising Frenchman selling the spaces for 5 Euros (which is about $7.50 Canadian). Since we have already paid for enough spaces to stand this weekend, we hang out on the steps until they tell us to get lost. This is an excellent place for photography and next year when I have my pitwalk ticket again I will be able to stand there for free.

About 22 cars are still running this morning. Spyker finally gave up the ghost at Hour 17, which was much better than it was expected to do; it did 142 laps and was about 14 seconds behind the lead Porsche when time was up. Panoz No. 12 has retired with a cracked piston, and Don Panoz says he is satisfied to have gotten that far. He also says the cars have had serious problems with coolant all weekend, which is what the Spyker had too, and that they will carry on. Ron Fellows’ car is still leading, now the Prodrive car is out, but Fellows has food poisoning and is not himself expected to drive any more today. Both MGs are out, the last having expired on the Mulsanne at just before 8:00 a.m.

The only good battle remaining on track is the GT class battle between Racer’s Group and Freisinger. Lucas in the Racer’s Group car is 28 seconds ahead of Sascha in the Freisinger car. I will see the Alex Job boys at Mid Ohio and will query them on this excellent race, although it will probably be interesting as the two teams will each have a partner who beat the other at Le Mans.

Meanwhile up at the front, Audi are playing Ferrari politics, arranging that their cars numbered 1, 2, and 3 will finish in that order. Those of us who profess to find this very dull are politely requested to mind our own business as Audi have spent as much on this weekend as all the other cars combined and they get value for what they spend. Bentley is the only car in its class and will win if it keeps running; as the MGs are both out now, the WR has lost a wheel so the ROC is guaranteed the win in the 675 class as Last Man Standing; and in GTS since the Prodrive Ferrari expired the Corvettes have a cakewalk to the end. Next year the Saleens will eat Ron Fellows’ lunch. Lucas and Racers Group win the GT class and good for them.

Alex and I head up to the ACO Welcome Centre to watch the end of the race. There we encounter a group of fellow enthusiasts for the Straight 8 American Thunder cars; I have an excellent Saleen shirt that proclaims on the back ‘FERRARIS FOR BREAKFAST, PORSCHES FOR LUNCH, CORVETTES FOR DINNER, VIPERS FOR DESSERT – SALEEN!’ and they asked me where I got it, but I had to tell them it was the last one they had. Alex was politely perplexed at our enthusiasm for the somewhat old fashioned technology over the technoperfection of the supercharged turbo Porsches, and a bit miffed to be told that he is simply too young to realize that what we like about these cars is the ground-shaking noise they make, which is the sound of our childhood and the cars we learned to drive.

The race finish itself was less than interesting as the cars got into formation by teams for photo finishes, so we headed back to the campsite to help disassemble things and pack up. This takes a lot less time than it took put up, as we have the help of the Canadians and of Alex and Duncan who are experts at packing canvas. We reward the Canadians with as much leftover hamburger and bacon as they will accept, and sell the rest to people who are staying the night, along with other supplies we really do not need. Despite early misgivings, it all fits back in the truck and we are off to the Formula One Hotel for the night.

A Formula One Hotel is not a technically superior hotel that falls to bits in the morning. It is a modular hotel with the WCs and showers on the hall, colour coded for your easy reference. The rooms are basic but contain everything you need for a night – television (in French, but football is football) and beds and a sink. Since my priorities are to wash out some of my clothes, have a long hot shower and an early night, I am perfectly satisfied. And football and a good dinner for extras made the experience complete.

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2002

After breakfast we were off up the coast to England and home. I hoped that all was well at home (you never hear about Canada when you get outside the borders) and that Al Qaida have not blown up the building or the cats destroyed the place while I was away. We thought we saw Craig Antill and his party boarding the ferry we were on, but it was someone else. The trip through the French countryside by a shortcut our friend John from Karting Nord had told us about is through the countryside where the wars were fought. I always find it interesting to see places I have read about and it was hard to imagine fighting going on there.

All in all it has been a very successful trip this year, although I am already making refinements for my trip next year. My pack is full of goodies to be sorted out and I know I will be arriving home to find a lot of work waiting – good job I have a weekend between now and Mid Ohio! Le Mans is not like anywhere else in the world, and although I am going home sunburnt, grimy, and worn out, I am glad I have been there and can’t wait to see my pictures and relive the experience again!

See you next year at Le Mans – and in two weeks at Mid Ohio.

Peace and Saleens forever –

Kate Shaw

[Peter Scillitoe]

Many thanks for the excellent Le Mans reports.

[Liz]

You're welcome! Come and join us next year.

[mickj]

Liz
Thanks for the EXCELLANT reports. It makes me want to visit LeMans some day.

[paul-collins]

Originally posted by Liz
Come and join us next year.

Careful what you wish for, Liz...