Anyone Going To Le Mans?

[jyl]

Anyone been to Le Mans lately?

I am going this year, squeezing it into the summer vaca. Have had no time to make any advance arrangements. Plan is, 24 hours after landing in Paris, rent car, drive to Le Mans, get there around noon race day, buy tix, watch race. Sleep in car.

This is basically what I did the previous and only time that I went to Le Mans, 1997. My questions are:

1. Anything about the race organization changed to prevent this plan? Don't sell walk-up tix, don't let you sleep in parking lot, sells out before race day, parking fills up, whatever? I just read through the website, didn't see anything like that, but you never know . . .

2. Before, I just bought the general admission tix. Is it worth buying any of the extra-cost tix for grandstands, paddock, etc?

3. Are any Pelicans going? Would be fun to meet up w/ someone.

4. Any chance of Porsche at a level higher than GT? I haven't been following the latest on the Spyders, though I see they're doing well in ALMS.

[legion]

I wish I could go.

It would be the only reason I would ever travel to France.

[Joeaksa]

Am going to try. Will be in Europe for a month starting shortly and if I can get any down time would love to make the race.

[trekkor]

I will watch from home with the crew chief from the Dick Barbour team of the 70's.


KT

[jyl]

Originally posted by legion
I wish I could go.

It would be the only reason I would ever travel to France.

Curious what do you have against France?

Its an interesting place. Lots of history, art, beautiful spots. Modern French society does some things very well indeed, other things not so much. The people are like people anywhere - most are great, some aren't, and it depends a lot on how you encounter them. Many of them may not agree w/ the current US government, but that can be said for >50% of people right here in the USA where you live. It is interesting to sit in a 1,200 year old building and realize how insignificant today's leaders are. I like going there, have some childhood ties to the country also. Also going to Italy, a country I don't know that well - I'm a pure tourist there, can't speak or read at all. But not sure what condition Venice will be in when my kids grow up, so want to take them there now.

That said, next year we will stay in the US for the summer vaca (unless my business has had an impressively fast ramp-up). With the weak dollar, the cost of taking 4 people to Europe for 3+ weeks is - well, if I'd realized how much prices have gone up in 1 year, I wouldn't have set this year's trip in motion.

[StevoRocket]

I'll be there - and a whole bunch from 911UK.com forum (in the Houx Annexe camp site with a group canopy and signs) - I also intend to sleep in my car as I always have ( the 911 Targa this year) - Green car park (Garage VERT) if I can get it or the Antares car park on the inside corner of Terte Rouge ( a little noisy! needs super earplugs and a scarf) which is next to Antares..

Note. 911Uk.com forum is currently off the air due to hacker activity.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by jyl
Curious what do you have against France?

That said, next year we will stay in the US for the summer vaca (unless my business has had an impressively fast ramp-up). With the weak dollar, the cost of taking 4 people to Europe for 3+ weeks is - well, if I'd realized how much prices have gone up in 1 year, I wouldn't have set this year's trip in motion.

Have you spent a lot of time in France? I have and refuse to return on pleasure except for Le Mans or the Nice/Monaco areas.

I go to Paris 6-10 times a year on business and the people are the same, just plain rude if you are not from Paris. They are even rude to other French people if they are not from Paris, so its not just to us Ami's.

Problem is that there are so many nice places in Europe that given the choice of going somewhere that has people who are friendly to you, or going to a place where they are rude, which one would most people pick? Personally I will spend my money in a place where the people are friendly.

Try spending sometime in Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam or Kopenhagen then remember the way you were treated in Paris. I would much prefer spending my hard earned money in a city/country where they are friendly to everyone.

[johndglynn]

I can't get over guys saying they don't like France, it is a superb country with some great people. I've been going there almost thirty years and have always had a ball.

I'm not a huge fan of the annual Le Mans beerfest, only interested in the Classic - next one in 2008. Short vid here will tell you why the Classic is not to be missed!

A few of the impactbumpers.com guys are going to Le Mans this year if you fancy hooking up, am sure they would show you the ropes. Some of them are camping in the circuit, some outside but they all know their way around. Laughs pretty much guaranteed. A few are Pelican heads IIRC.

I don't envy you the bill for this trip JYL but kudos to you for bringing the kids over, you guys should really enjoy yourselves. We are hopefully taking my three girls to France for the first time in August for three weeks, they will love it.

[StevoRocket]

I have done 18 Le Mans trips with hotel and sleep in the car arrangements and have never had a bad time in France. I have also toured in the 911 from Calais to Italy and also in various saloons and have been made welcome everywhere.
With empty ordinary roads, great autoroute quality roads, a fraction of the speed traps that are in the UK - it is a motoring paradise with superb historic towns to stay in.

[StevoRocket]

Tours on the Loire - 48 miles from Le Mans

[jyl]

Yes, I've spent quite a bit of time there. A few years of childhood growing up in France, went back as grad student for a while, have taken numerous month-long trips there over the years, including '97 LeMans (Porsche won!), more recently '06, now '07.

Paris is a big, busy city which is overrun with tourists. I don't look for it to be as warm and fuzzy as a small town. Any more than I'd expect warm and fuzzy in NYC, LA, SF, etc. In smaller French towns, it is warmer.

Though French culture is, inherently, more formal and less immediately smiley than American culture. There is a more reserved feel. That's just the way it is.

I do speak, read, write, etc French which helps me get along well in Paris and elsewhere in France.

Other places in Europe - yes, I like Amsterdam, Prague, Copenhagen a lot. I like Madrid, Barcelona, etc too. Not been to Berlin or Budapest. Basically I like most places - I don't expect people to chum up to me or smile like a Walmart greeter.

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Have you spent a lot of time in France? I have and refuse to return on pleasure except for Le Mans or the Nice/Monaco areas.

I go to Paris 6-10 times a year on business and the people are the same, just plain rude if you are not from Paris. They are even rude to other French people if they are not from Paris, so its not just to us Ami's.

Problem is that there are so many nice places in Europe that given the choice of going somewhere that has people who are friendly to you, or going to a place where they are rude, which one would most people pick? Personally I will spend my money in a place where the people are friendly.

Try spending sometime in Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam or Kopenhagen then remember the way you were treated in Paris. I would much prefer spending my hard earned money in a city/country where they are friendly to everyone.

[jyl]

Yes, I've kissed the new kitchen goodbye.

Originally posted by johndglynn
I can't get over guys saying they don't like France, it is a superb country with some great people. I've been going there almost thirty years and have always had a ball.

I'm not a huge fan of the annual Le Mans beerfest, only interested in the Classic - next one in 2008. Short vid here will tell you why the Classic is not to be missed!

A few of the impactbumpers.com guys are going to Le Mans this year if you fancy hooking up, am sure they would show you the ropes. Some of them are camping in the circuit, some outside but they all know their way around. Laughs pretty much guaranteed. A few are Pelican heads IIRC.

I don't envy you the bill for this trip JYL but kudos to you for bringing the kids over, you guys should really enjoy yourselves. We are hopefully taking my three girls to France for the first time in August for three weeks, they will love it.

[johndglynn]

Originally posted by jyl
Yes, I've kissed the new kitchen goodbye.

You didn't need it anyway JYL- no kitchen could be anywhere near as much fun as three weeks fun in the European sun with the kids. The scenery, the language, the food, the culture...viniculture that is

[austin552]

Goal:
Pic of Pelican sticker on RS Spyder...

[techweenie]

Seriously contemplating it if the planets align quickly on VC funding.

If not this year then next.

BTW, love France. Been there many times. Paris and all over the countryside. Have never had a 'rudeness' experience there, but then I probably don't provoke it.

[grudk]

Recommend you pick up the Autosport 'LeMans' issue with insert/advice. Helped me a lot when I was there in 2000. Fun.

[jyl]

Just a quick report on my trip to Le Mans.

Turns out a friend/ex-colleague was in Paris on business, so we had him and another friend/ex-colleague over for dinner in the apartment. 3 guys, 4 empty bottle of wine, they walked back to their hotel at 2AM - ever notice its hard to get a taxi late at night in Paris? So the next morning, he and I picked up the rental car and headed off to Le Mans, rather hung-over.

So hung-over that we forgot to bring any maps. But he was able to navigate us the whole way with his Blackberry's Google Maps. Technology is cool.

He'd never been to a race before, so he was very excited. It was fun to watch him, looking at everything with fresh eyes. Fortunate, since during the time he was there, the racing was not very good. It was alternating between patchy sun and heavy rain, so the cars were skidding, spinning, and crashing a lot, and I think the first 4 hours of the race were at least 1/3 under the yellow. I was more interested in trying to stay dry.

The Village area seemed more crowded than ten years ago, and the tickets were certainly more expensive. 61 euros! We saved money by parking illegally on the soft shoulder on what would qualify as a highway in the USA. I like the pragmatic French attitude toward such things - its a big crowd, so if you're in a safe spot, they don't bother you. With no Porsches outside of GT, I wasn't all that interested in the outcome, though the French were rooting for the Peugeots.

My friend took the train back to Paris at 2130 and I had a quick dinner, took some night photos of the cathedral, had a welcome snooze, and drove back to the race. It was dark by now. I drove to the Virage Arnage, parked down a side lane, and watched some of the night racing. I believe the Audis were solidly in control at this point. On the spectator side of the track, it was a serious mudfest.

I slept in the car. Unfortunately, the Peugeot 307 station wagon does not have a flat cargo floor with the rear seats folded. Next to being dog slow, this was its major flaw. My example may have had something wrong with it, it wouldn't exceed 120 km/h flat out, the engine sounded a bit sick, and some engine warning light that I couldn't fully decipher was lit up. So I hunkered down in the back seat, travel blanket over my head as people whooped and honked outside and race engines howled at a not-to-grear distance. Later I woke up and noticed it was 8 deg C. Which is kind of cold, when you're wet, motionless, and in a tin box. Well, it was no worse than flying a redeye.

Sunday morning I got up with the dawn, tried to unfreeze my joints, and drove off in search of the Mulsanne Straight. I eventually found a place near the track, at a campground a little before the Muslanne Curve. Met a nice chow puppy, who wasn't liking the noise.

The lead Audi had crashed out, and the last remaining Audi was #1, the two Peugeots were #2 and #3. That's the last I know of the race standings, this was around 10AM local time.

Then it was time to leave. I stopped in Chartres to see the cathdral, got back to Paris without incident, and arrived at the car rental place near Bastille. They noticed my right front tire was flat and advised me to return the car at the nearest train station instead. Puzzling, but okay. Turns out at that location you just leave the car in a numbered spot and hand over the keys, no-one inspects your car for damage. So whether the Bastille office guys were trying to save me a charge for flatting the tire (which I wouldn't have paid) or simply trying to save themselves the hassle of replacing the tire, it was fine with me.

[Steve PH]

Nice write up! I did a similar thing on my first and so far only trip to Le Mans. I left it to the last minute before deciding to go, couldn't get onto any of the camp sites so me and a friend slept in my car, my car at the time (this was back in 1997) was an original mini, it was a deeply uncomfortable night, I ended up sleeping sat up, not good!

It was a memorable experience oh and my "friend" hasn't really spoken to me since!

[jyl]

Next time I go, I'm going to get a campsite. Or at least bring a tent and do some commando camping, or (maybe more likely) rent a van. 45 y/o, I'm getting too old to sleep in a backseat.

Also I'm going to save some energy for the night. I've always thought that if you went creeping around in the middle of the night, you should be able to get right up next to the track. It is so long, I doubt the gendarmes can or care to patrol every meter of it, especially where it is tangled underbrush and mud.

[austin552]

Won't be long now. Leaving Friday morning for Columbus.

High / Low (°F) Precip. %

Fri
Jul 20 Isolated T-Storms 83°/61° 30 %
Sat
Jul 21 Sunny 80°/57° 10 %
Sun
Jul 22 Mostly Sunny 79°/60° 10 %
Mon
Jul 23 Partly Cloudy 85°/64° 10 %