The moments Le Mans hits you

[wsn03]

Really enjoyed the "what I should be doing now" thread, the videos, and parts of the sim race.

What's missing is being there, those moments Le Mans hits you. What are yours?

Mine:

1. Coming across the first stickered up car on a British motorway- up to that point im just some tit driving a sports car with stickers on it

2. Queuing for a crossing, seeing other people clearly heading to the same place in over loaded sports cars

3. Driving past convoys of stickered up cars on the way to Rouen

4. Hearing the sound of RLM for the first time nearing Le Mans

5. Seeing and hearing the first racing car come past in Qualifying

6. Hearing the French National anthem shortly before the race - makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck

7. Seeing the army helicopter on the big screen drop the paratroopers to the ground with that flag

8. That build up music as the cars approach the start line

9. The first lap of the race

10. Being on the Mulsanne straight during the race

11. Tertre Rouge at night...those giant trees and the sound of the cars hitting the main road

12. Seeing the cars queuing for the 3pm finish

13. The slowing down lap with doors open, seeing the marshalls waving all their flags


All of the above is the theatre that makes Le Mans so special. No sim race in the world could possibly come close (though it was a good effort)

[cn7k7]

I’m with you on those and the first lot in particular.

1. Arriving in Seés and having a few beers at the Au Normandy

2. The smell of the bbq’s

3. The sound of Pink Floyd coming from one of the campsites all night

4. Getting up earlier enough for to clear the ‘system’ before the queues

Here’s to September happening

[Truckosaurus]

For me the points on the journey down that are highlights:

1) The first mention of 'LE MANS' on a roadsign as you cross the river in Rouen.

2) The brown Le Mans sign on the autoroute with pictures of Group-C era cars on it.

3) The first sign on the LM ring road for the various campsites and parking areas (that you ignore and just take your usual route into town)

4) The view from the slip road off the roundabout overlooking the airfield where you get the first glimpse of the grandstands.

[eps]

For me..

When the tickets arrive and I then work out which ones need to be posted, to whom and which I can keep hold of

Purchasing the Le Mans Autosport guide and digesting as much info. as possible

Completing my App, Le Mans Visual Guide with all the photos, driver line-ups and team info

Downloading and listening to RLM podcasts on the way down.

First beer on our arrival at the campsite

First time I enter the circuit and hear the tannoy.

[Voyager75]

Missed Radio Le Mans and John Hindhaugh saying ' he got a bit squirelie coming out of the Porsche curves'

[blueg33]

In addition to the Op for me I add in

Arnage corner at around 11pm on saturday - the cars flying down towards the hair pin, braking hard, discs glowing, exhaust spitting flame

Friday evening at Hotel de France, a chat with Derek Bell and Corvette Bob who comes over from the states every single year, a mosey around the interesting cars parked up.

Arriving at the Chateau after a great drive across France, and a cool down in the pool

[eybic]

The big WOW moment of my trip was walking into the Grandstands at night after we'd set up camp and seeing the ridiculously bright lights of the pit lane across the track amongst the darkness of the night.

[Flamma]

I travel on Friday so FP/Qually on TV at home to get in the mood... the ferry means I'm really on my way.. but THE moment is getting in position at the fence by Ford/pit entry as the cars start revving for morning warm up... that is when the world outside LM disappears...

[//j17]

When John Hindhaugh does his "People we've lost in the last year" roll call, starts to lose it part way through, and almost takes half the RLM listeners with him.

[wsn03]

//j17 said:

When John Hindhaugh does his "People we've lost in the last year" roll call, starts to lose it part way through, and almost takes half the RLM listeners with him.

Yes that is quite something - it is such a wide range of people from well outside Le Mans itself too

[Great Dane]

The first time my spotters guide goes up on the wall with many gaps on it .... padding out the Spa guide
When I upload the final version on various sites incl here to hundreds of people....
At New Year when we could say 'this year's Le Mans not 'next years Le Mans'

I recognise all of these things people mention. I used to love going even made a collage about it for friends.... but fell out of love with the place in '17 for some reason. Being in Scotland and really too far away to travel alone

Edited by Great Dane on Monday 15th June 19:25

[gt6]

In the past, it was always a massive lift when you saw the first big Le mans poster, usually as you went through the rail yards at Rouen, However in recent years there have been fewer around.

That brown group c Sign is always a welcome sight.

[oily mist]

Lots of excellent prompts in the lists above.
Something that's become a tradition for my travelling party in the last 15 years; we pull up on the allocated pitches in Houx, my mate Mark pulls the cork from a bottle of scotch as says "This is f***ing brilliant!"

[leyorkie]

Is it just me but can anybody remember when you could buy tickets on the way down?
I think it was on top of the hill at Piacé.

[gt6]

There were in the past loads of places that sold tickets away from the circuit, including most of the large supermarkets as you approached le mans

[cn7k7]

leyorkie said:

Is it just me but can anybody remember when you could buy tickets on the way down?
I think it was on top of the hill at Piacé.

They were loads of little booths and places to buy tickets. My first year was 1981 and we got our tickets en route and camped in Houx, in those days it was just and open field and you drive in, pitched up and hoped you were out when the guy came round for the camping money!

[blueg33]

When you stagger half cut into an articulated lorry trailer and watch some skanky strippers......

Might be showing my age

[davidd]

blueg33 said:

When you stagger half cut into an articulated lorry trailer and watch some skanky strippers......

Might be showing my age

I remember them, and the woman with no torso (unless you looked under the table).

[davidd]

Everything posted so far, plus....

The crackle of the walkie talkies as we find ways to amuse ourselves.
The motorway bridges with grass up the sites and strange metal statues next to them.
The dusty Routiers we always stop for breakfast at.

Rouen tunnel
Cross county to Gace for lunch in the frog (that's a place with frogs in it, not be being a racist) place on the square
Radio
LM bursting into life
The first view of the circuit
Driving through LM and into the campsite

[//j17]

davidd said:

The crackle of the walkie talkies as we find ways to amuse ourselves.

You mean talkie walkies - this is France after all. No wonder you people can never get on the Wee-Fee!