[LM24] The Le Mans experience

[rdjones]

One of our flags disappered as well.

[racerkeke]

I was a "Le Mans virgin" this year (at least until about 10 minutes into the first qualifying on Wednesday, when a 675 came to visit poste 61) but I adored it. I learned so much! I learned:

1. how to order a pizza in French
2. how to wheedle team clothing off team members in the lineup at the public showers
3. how to find ice at the Super-U at Arnage (heck, how to FIND the Super-U at Arnage, they apparently moved it)
4. the difference between "French" and "English" portapotties
5. how many different kinds of dry rosé there are
6. how to properly kiss your fellow (French) marshals
7. how fast you wake up in the tent when the safety car comes out and the noise goes away
8. why things falling off cars are not a huge issue -- unless the car then stops or spins/hits something
9. several unique uses for duct tape (no, I'm not going to tell you)
10. the usefulness of a Le Mans city map when trying to find your way home after the parade.

And many more.

The biggest problem I have now is how will I find the $$$ to get there next year.

Sigh.
keke
10.

[Adam43]

Originally posted by racerkeke
6. how to properly kiss your fellow (French) marshals

You had to type that carefully.

[racerkeke]

Yep! But usually I don't kiss other marshals at all, so this was a learning experience all right.

keke
-putting away pennies for "l'année prochaine"-

[simon c]

Originally posted by Alistair_Ryder
This is why i absolutely love the Spa 24 Hours, for the fact the circuit is another steeped in history, yet you can . But apart from that minor problem, it was amazing..cant wait for Spa though, Belgium here i come.

agree about spa - it kicks ass, makes lm look sterile, even though that weekend in june takes some beating.
btw ayse et al...dont know if you remember me saying i was asking my girlfriend to tie the knot after lm this year? well she said yes

[Aysedasi]

Congrats!

[Steve Tarrant]

Simon C, congrats also from me.

I also had a great time because, as you may know, I was living the dream and marshalling LM for the first time, some 21 years after visiting for the first time. And it was a dream made all the more special because of the accident at Goodwood, and the fact I thought my disability meant the dream was gone.

I do have to say I was also lucky in that Team Veloqx took great care of me during the week, allowing me free access to their garages and hospitality unit, so I was able to stay out of the midday sun AND have lunch with Johnny Herbert, Allan McNish and Guy Smith.

Also I was able to bump (sometimes literally) into a lot of English folk who recognised me or the car (if you saw a Martini/Telefonica Movistar liveried Ford Focus, it was my disability vehicle!), so that made it special too.

The only part of the week I wasn't able to attend was the drivers parade because a wheelchair and crowds don't go together, but otherwise I had a fantastic time.

Having now lived the dream, it's my intention to return there next year to continue with another dose!!!!! It's addictive .............. and it certainly helps my continued recovery.

Steve

[Craig]

I saw the car a couple of times, Steve, the last time it was heading away from Arnage corner to Arnage village. I waved but I don't think you saw me hehe

[bgeorge104]

Simon is this you on the left?

[BillandLara]

Wyzard, sorry but there is no reason for your negativity (hardly)
OK the toilet facilities are ...odd, but have you ever been to a restaurant in Paris? Porcelain holes in the floor abound there, with puny handles to stop you falling in if you are lucky! Pay to use them at Le Mans? At a dreadful cost, ouch, clean loo paper for small change or use your own and don't pay...

The expense, no way, try the British Grand Prix, I have a mate who comes with me to Le Mans and also has been going to Silverstone for years. I'm sure his five day excursion into the Loire costs no more than the BGP costs him and there is loads to see as Aysedasi says.

Still, if you have had enough it'll leave more space for people that enjoy the racing. One day I might need to get further away from the pits and Tertre Rouge than I have for the last couple of years, but I confidently expect to collapse and die before I have had too much!

I found Le Mans late in life but it has been a life enhancing experience, if you don't like it begone. Enjoy your bratwurst!

[Steve Tarrant]

Originally posted by bgeorge104
Simon is this you on the left?

It most certainly is!!!!! That's a bit of a first finding myself in the picture!

Steve

[Steve Tarrant]

Originally posted by Craig Antill
I saw the car a couple of times, Steve, the last time it was heading away from Arnage corner to Arnage village. I waved but I don't think you saw me hehe

That was a simple case of not knowing WHO had waved at me!!! Obviously that was on the Friday afternoon when I was in search of petrol before the weekend!!!!

Steve

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by BillandLara
...if you don't like it begone.

Strangely enough, this also seems to be the ACO's attitude - toward spectators, media, and competitors alike. Not saying that everything about Le Mans is bad but there is room for improvement. And improvement should happen, or they (spectators, media, competitors) really will "begone" some day soon.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by wyzard
If you go to the nurburgring you can see so much more for so much less. The atmosphere is better and it is much better organsied.

Ahem, ask those who queued up for half a day to get their transporters into the paddock, or anyone who has ever had a brush with one of the trackside "security" stormtroopers, or those who this year found that their favourite spectating areas had been turned into VIP enclosures, for a second opinion!

There are hordes of drunkards at the Ring as well. I would think that half the people there (and that's an optimistic estimate) actually come to see the race, the others come to get p*ssed. Why they don't stay home and get p*ssed there I don't know. But they should. It is the same at LM, at Sebring, and presumably at Daytona as well.

As for toilet facilities, they are better on the Ring GP track than at LM, but along the Nordschleife... - you can find relief in the woods if you like to be in touch with nature. And traffic around the Nordschleife spectator spots is chaotic to say the least. The shuttle bus service is not adequate; the same goes for the Ring Radio transmission which doesn't nearly cover the whole Nordschleife area.

Every track has its flaws. Having said that, the Nürburgring people have ackowledged the need for improvement, and are trying to improve the experience. Does the ACO have the same willingness to improve its product?

[Piglet]

Originally posted by cybersdorf
you can find relief in the woods if you like

Really Cybers??

[kdr]

i watched the review on speed sunday yesterday, and although i enjoyed it - it always sort of annoys me the way the word "beer" seems to come into every media conversation on le mans. i find it very condescending and very lowest common denominator. imho of course.

[cybersdorf]

...especially as some people still think of the Le Mans crowd as the "wine & cheese set".

[Liz]

I wonder why the ACO doesn't try to improve things? Could it be because most of the people they deal with are not French?

We have the same little dance each year about our credentials. We call them two weeks before the race, they tell us they never received our request, we fax them the proof from FedEx that they in fact received them six weeks ago, and the next day we are approved.

There was the opportunity to sign up for phone or wireless lines in advance this year; at Pre-Q they lost my request and when we got to Le Mans we found out that the wireless was PER PERSON and had to come up with an extra 160 Euros to get the rest of us on line. However, they did a good job of getting us connected and except for a couple of times we had good access.

The biggest surprise was having to pay for food in the media centre. However again, we had access to hospitality and didn't buy anything but late night coffee. 2.40 a cup! $4.22 Canadian.

Turning to the campsites, we arrived around 11:30 on Sunday and found the only gate chained shut. Fortunately there were people there from Autosport who were not happy with the situation either and when we came back in half an hour the gate was open. We Ask No Questions.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by Liz
I wonder why the ACO doesn't try to improve things? Could it be because most of the people they deal with are not French?

Could it be they are simply inefficient? Inefficiency is an international phenomenon.

[ss_collins]

Liz

1. The toilets and showers at Houx Annex DID charge 2 euros per trip, and don't try to get away without paying. They were VERY insistent that you pay up right away.


not really true I didn't pay once and I spent many a penny in there.

[FG1]

Originally posted by ss_collins
not really true I didn't pay once and I spent many a penny in there.

I really don't want to get too graphic here, but this might be related to toilet paper, therefore often different for men and women!

IMHO the ACO Tribune facilities make the membership fee worthwhile by themselves.

FG

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by FG1
I really don't want to get too graphic here, but this might be related to toilet paper, therefore often different for men and women!

Is pink toilet paper more expensive than blue toilet paper?

[clkgtrlm1]

I am a newbie to 10/10's, but not to LM. Went this year for the first time since 2000 - and previous five years prior to this. And the place is still fantastic !!! There are hairs standing up on the back of my next. What a great race.
Yes Wyz, there may be a problem with some (ahem) of the toilets - but do you always take a vacation and score the location on quality and quantity of toilets ? What a bizarre habit !?
TECHNOPARC had only 4 gents toilets and no showers - but the ones we did have were clean and well attended - I gave them 10 out of 10 , bugger, I'm doing it now ! And the showers in Karting were nearby and sometimes hot. Thanks to Andrew(24)for the ticket by the way!
For me this does not detract anything from what is a legendary and awesome motor race.
Also, you say you did not see anybody watching the race ? How did you miss the 200k plus people in the pit straight on Saturday because most of them got in my way and nearly all seemed to be gazing trackward.

After missing 3 years, I can tell you that anything is better than the feeling you get when you are not at LM on saturday morning and want ot be.

Bring on 2005 - because i've got the bug again now.

[racerkeke]

Steve, in my mind it was one of the highlights of my week to come to poste 106 and meet you! Especially since we'd been there once and missed you -- but ran afoul of Madame who lives across the road, for leaving our car in her way!

BTW, the CD is just great. Hasn't left my player since I got home.

keke

[dreamer182]

this must be a first, a complaint about the ticket price if only the british grandprix was this cheap. the food and drink inside the circit is was I call a ripoff.