Daily Telegraph articles

[FG1]

In today's Daily Torygraph (22/06/02) there are two substantial articles about the 2002 Le Mans in the Motoring section. Both are worth a read but both are taken from an irritatingly personal viewpoint. One is by Brian Laban.

Comments?

FG

[kdr]

i couldn't get my head round brian labans article i'm afraid.

the other article struck a few chords...i can't imagine what a scorching day at le mans with kids in tow could be like, and it clearly frayed on his nerves. but i'll fogive him because he remembered what it was all about in the last paragraph, and because they used my picture from the back of the grandstand during the midnight safety car period!

[Fab]

Originally posted by FG1
In today's Daily Torygraph (22/06/02) there are two substantial articles about the 2002 Le Mans in the Motoring section.

In few words, what are the subject and terms of debate ? I can't read them... from Nantes !

[Osella]

who won the Ascari hospitality? and did it last longer than the car? actually I was quite upset by their early demise...

[FG1]

Originally posted by Fab
I can't read them... from Nantes

I'll try to email them to you.

FG

[kdr]

if he thinks le mans was flat - he should be at the nurburgring this weekend

[Fab]

Originally posted by kdr
if he thinks le mans was flat - he should be at the nurburgring this weekend

Who thinks that ? The journalist ? Let's get rid of him !

[Fab]

Originally posted by FG1


I'll try to email them to you.

FG

Thanks so lot, FG !

[Liz]

Ditto - I can't read them from Canada either.

But IMO anybody who takes their children to Le Mans should have their heads examined. We had a family camped next to us and all weekend long it was "Simon! No! Matthew! Come here! Stop Fighting! Put that down! COME HERE!" And I can't imagine they got any sleep at all, since even riding on an airplane makes them scream. (Which fortunately you can't hear when you're 40 yards from a race track.)

Until your children are old enough to fend for themselves, they should definitely be left at home. If you wouldn't bring your cat, don't bring your kids.

[kdr]

the first half of the article relays the writers experiences getting down to le mans and mixing his kids in with the heat and the crowds.

he then talks of how he felt it was flat because of audis domination and harks back to earlier days. then he rues over the lack of coverage for the race, and the fact that manufacturers now pick and choose when then attack le mans.

at the end he adds a nice anecdote that his daughter was sad because they "weren't in france anymore, and that it wasn't a nice race....but we are going again next year aren't we?"

"i had to nod, because you've got to be there. even when one team is so much stonger than the rest, the gritty toughness of les 24 heures du mans makes formula one look as rigged as a mob-run casino. i just wish a few other manufacturers felt the same way about what should be the worlds greatest motor race"

hear hear.

[Fab]

I changed my mind about the journalist, and would like to cancel my previous post about him... I thought he was just like some french journalists, interressed only by F1 and football... (I'm not talking about our Le Mans Racing paper jounalist ).

For the kids : it's a question of choice and of age for the children... I saw some with BABIES ( for the parents) ! Would you believe that ? Ayse and I were surprised by small girls in a raw in front of us, the age of my own daughters (2.5 and 6)... irresponsable !

Flat race... there were other "no fight" races before, and Le Mans is still on... 2000 was more flat, looking for the ACO 2000 annual, I saw that the Audis were much in the lead than this year (to talk only about recent races).

And Le Mans is still Le Mans... I dunno I said to my wife yesterday night, that I wasn't so much interessted by a similar race in an other place (like Spa, for exemple)... just because Le Mans is... Le Mans ! No explanation, not rational anyway.

I love to be here, EVEN WHEN THERE'S NOTHING ON HE TRACK, in full winter, I sit here a little bit, I go to ACO office, I drink a coffee at the Museum, and sometimes a bunch of foolish englishmen are coming in with strange cars for a pilgrimage... and that's fun !

People smile, it's like there was something here...

Flat ? Is this really a simple race ? This is an EVENT, before the rest... this is a PLACE...

Well, I dunno... thank you FG, to have launch this thread... makes me think... Hey, I met two new friends this year !!! And where ? Just guess ....

Flat or not, I will be there next year, and even before.

[Lawson Bant]

Well, I was a Le Mans virgin this year went with my 25 year old son with a group of MX5's. Yes, I'm hooked, I've wanted to go for about twenty years but never made the effort. Can't wait for next year, its really difficult to explain to people who haven't been. Was the race fantastically exciting, not really this year, but Le Mans is the whole experience and the journey there and back with the whole British contingent in a wide range of exotica made for a truly great time. The experience of watching the build up to the race start and listening to the football with the cheer going up when we scored was great. No I wouldn't take children under twelve myself but then neither would I take a little dog like the French woman near us, he seemed to enjoy it! I'd do things differently next year, we were out at Mulsanne for the Sunday afternoon climax and I think I would be rather back at the stands for the finish. We stayed out overnight at the track, must bring a warm jumper for the 3.00am shivers. Must have more Grand Marnier crepes next year and more real ale. Maybe hope to see some of you.

[FG1]

OK, my twopennyth'.

KIDS. I too was shocked at the age of some of the kids there this year. Far too young, babes in arms that were crying in fright at the sound of the louder cars. This is just dumb.

But, I would have no hestitation in bring my kids to the race because:

1: They're are older, my youngest in 9.
2: They love it. So far we have only brought them to PQ but they think it's great. They got into the Oreca garage and made both myself and the old bat very jealous. Good for them!
3: They behave themselves. They are good kids and do what they are told. I wouldn't expect a 9 year old to understand what is dangerous at a motor-racing event so I take responsibility for them. When they step out of line they know that there will be consequences.

Torygraph Articles:

I always enjoy reading about Le Mans in the mainstream press. The Motorsport Press does have something of the ghetto attitude and is none the worse for that, but the mainsteam is for general consumption so is interesting in a different way. I think both articles have some merit when read from that point of view. In spite of a race when not much happened in the second half the writer and the kids knew that they had been somewhere special and witnessed something special. The last paragraph is the clue.

Brian Laban's article is also for general (rather than petrolhead) consumption, and takes and interesting perspective by putting his own 24 hours after the race (during which his car broke down) against the 24 hours of a driver in the race. At first I thought it a bit twee, but on rereading I was more impressed.

Whatever:-- it's getting Le Mans into the Mainstream British press, and that can't be entirely bad.

FG

[TimD]

Welcome to the forums, Lawson. Group of MX5's, eh? In which case, I will have seen you at least twice on the way down. Thursday early afternoon, by any chance?

Our little Rover was bounced by 7 MX5's south of Rouen, and then we passed you all at a cafe stop further down, and then you bagged us again on the final approach to Le Mans.

FG1, I'm a Times reader myself, but I went out and bought a Telegraph. All in all, I found the chap with the kids did a better job with his theme than did the other fellow who listed all the woes of running out of petrol in Beaumont sur Sarthe.

To be honest, I thought our very own Liz did a better job than the pair of them. She managed to convey a real "want to be back already" atmosphere to the event.

[Adam43]

It is a change to see the articles in the mainstream press.

And I didn't see them! I don't suppose anyone would be so kind as to mail them me.

I would be very grateful.

I have Brian Laban's Le Mans book. I think it's pretty good and a nice history of the race.

[FG1]

Adam, and anyone else.

Let me have your email address and I'll mail you some JPGs of the article.

FG

[Liz]

It is possible to bring children to a race meeting -- my parents used to take us when Dad raced, but they impressed on us the two cardinal rules of childhood in the 1950s no matter where you were: (1) Siddown and (2) shuddup. I can remember my mother telling me that none of those people in their cars was going to be watching for me and they'd "just as soon run over little girls as anybody." I told my grandson (who is 10) the same thing when I took him to Mosport, and once he had seen people jump out of the way of race cars coming out of the paddock, he had no problem with it.

The little'uns at the next campsite were toddlers and I think it is not only irresponsible but dangerous to bring kids that small to a place where people are tearing through the campsites on motorbikes for one thing. Babies can get away from you in .001 second and some drunk on a motorcycle isn't going to be watching for them.

I liked both the articles in their own way, although I think they could have been more positive about their experiences when writing for the mainstream -- they have forgotten to stay on message "Do I want people to tune in to or attend Le Mans?" and instead settled for a round of "Ain't it awful". People who have not been to Le Mans will read them and say "Well, that doesn't sound like any fun and dealing with the French is such a pain ... better go to Butlin's as usual."

P.S. Thanks for the compliment, Tim.

[Adam43]

FG1, you're a legend!

[AllonFS]

Originally posted by Fab
And Le Mans is still Le Mans... I dunno I said to my wife yesterday night, that I wasn't so much interessted by a similar race in an other place (like Spa, for exemple)... just because Le Mans is... Le Mans ! No explanation, not rational anyway.

Couldn't have put it better. Le Mans is magical; my friend who came for the first time this year on the coach trip was already talking about camping next year on the way home!

I haven't made it to any other motor races; but while I will watch anything with wheels and a motor race on the TV, (even F1!); Le Mans is the only event that I want, (need) to go to. It's so much more than just a race. The atmosphere, the first sight of the grandstands when you arrive, the first sound of the cars, even the smell of the food stalls, all send shivers down my back.

Is it really a year until the next race?

[Fab]

Originally posted by AllonFS
Is it really a year until the next race?

No, it isn't !

September !!!

[FG1]

Originally posted by AdamAshmore
FG1, you're a legend!

Oh! And I always thought I was a myth!

FG

[FG1]

There's another article in today's Telegraph. It looks forward to the Le Mans classic and reviews the more unusual cars in this year's pre-race historic parade.

The article is not that exciting, but it's nice to see the race in the mainstream British press two weeks in a row.

FG

[kdr]

fg

i'll go and read it now.

any ideas on how we, or the aco, or their p.r.people(do they have any?!), or the uk msport press...raise the profile of the race.

and do we want it raised?

and would it bring more manufacturers in?

and do we want that?

jeez...can of worms anyone?!

[Fab]

Originally posted by kdr
any ideas on how we, or the aco, or their p.r.people(do they have any?!), or the uk msport press...raise the profile of the race ?

Kdr, the "Le Mans Classic" one or the "June 24 hours" one ? I'm not sure that ACO will do a great noise around Le Mans Classic this year, but it's a first time (BTW, they seemed to choose the "luxuous" approach, instead of the "car race" approach, like "have to wear a tie to get in the paddock" and so on...).

FG, I'm really impressed by the enthousiasm put by Great Britain in the 24 hours, including now the main stream press... I'm sure that we never had press report at this point in France in our main national papers... The two articles you reported in this thread were really interresting and gave a typical mood of how the race could be for a first timer...

[FG1]

Fab

Kdr is referring to the Classic race in September.

The ACO will want to get through to all classic race car fans in Europe. I'm not sure how many others would be interested. The fact that the race is taking place is September is already quite well known in these circles in the UK. Several people I know are already aware of it without my telling them. I will be very interested to see what attendance turns out to be. I just hope that I can make it.

BTW, I was worried that you know more English than I do. I had to go off and check whether the word "luxuous" actually exists in English. I am relieved to say that it doesn't, not in my dictionary anyway! You might mean luxurious, but this doesn't quite fit what I am sure you mean. "Formal" might be a better choice, but I'll give it some thought! Your English is still much better than my French, perhaps I should log onto some French forums and try it out! Then you can correct me!

FG