New version of Le Mans Guide

[Strasse]

Just finished "Le Mans Experience" as part of the guide. Hope it gives a flavour of Le Man and what it is all about. Might help newbies. Still much to update and add but gradually working through it - enjoy - Strasse

Site is at:
www.le-mans-guide.co.uk

[Strasse]

Article is at
https://www.le-mans-guide.co.uk/the-le-mans-experi...

[MollyGT3]

Thank you so much for an amazing amount of work put into this! Coming back this year and we haven't been since 2011 so its great to have so much helpful info

[Aysedasi2]

Strasse said:

Article is at
https://www.le-mans-guide.co.uk/the-le-mans-experi...

A good read - thank you.

And ticketing for members was in October 2022 for the '23 race and this year, 7th November 2023 for this year's race.

[grogger993]

Thanks. A good read. 1991 was my first year of attendance and you are right about the different tone of the event back then. I recall that one could turn up with no tickets and buy a camping ticket at Camping Houx at a little ticket window by the entrance and then take whatever space one wanted on the campsite. There was a big open air row of sinks like something out of Carry on Camping.
As for the ablution block in Camping Blanc, I think that the walls had wicked up decades worth of sewage so the whole block absolutely reeked. You are also right about the lady at the loo block entrance, who would hand out 5 or so sheets of gossamer thin bog roll in exchange for some centimes. The French have a good name for such ladies: Madame Pipi.
Thanks again.

[Strasse]

Thanks Aysedasi2 ....now amended

grogger 993 - found this old Welcome Ticket. Do you remember getting on top of the concrete roof and looking up the pit lane?

Much still to do, next up a draft of the programme based on last year's timings but with the new support races added.

Friday, I think will be even more track centric. I wonder how the Le Mans City traders will view this? Are we in danger of loosing some of the magic of Le Mans by making the Drivers' Parade a badly scheduled side show?

Regards
Strasse

[Aysedasi2]

Strasse said:

Thanks Aysedasi2 ....now amended

grogger 993 - found this old Welcome Ticket. Do you remember getting on top of the concrete roof and looking up the pit lane?

Much still to do, next up a draft of the programme based on last year's timings but with the new support races added.

Friday, I think will be even more track centric. I wonder how the Le Mans City traders will view this? Are we in danger of loosing some of the magic of Le Mans by making the Drivers' Parade a badly scheduled side show?

Regards
Strasse

The 'Welcome' building was my favourite place. I used to spend hours up there, especially during the night.

[Aysedasi2]

Just one other note regarding parking at Arnage. Last year they changed the arrangements, so instead of having the main car park (near the circuit entrance) being the entrance, you had to instead access the car park from the entrance of the 'overflow' car park further down the road. That then took you back through the fields round behind and into the back of the first car park. It caught me out as I was remonstrating with the official that I should be let in because I had a parking ticket, but she was actually telling me that the entrance was the one I had passed back down the road! The exit was then out of the main car park. It's worth mentioning as well that there were one way systems in place there, so the normal route there and back from the west wasn't available.

Edited by Aysedasi2 on Friday 12th April 09:19

[Strasse]

Aysedasi2
Can you give me more details and I will Change the map/directions

How do you get from BSJ roundabout to the car parks from the old turn left just short of the railway tracks or do you have to go thro' Arnage?

Surely they don't send you down to Monte en Belin then to go east on Rue du Belinois/ D212bis to turn left up the D139 to Arnage Corner? That would add far more traffic to Arnage and the corner/roundabout in the middle than it can take in Race week?

Am I correct - park in the bottom carpark walk up thro' path/corridor on the westerly side ,some distance back for the road and then cross in the area of the old ticket entrance?

Does the exit then pass the cross roads that takes you to the Mulsanne Corner Car park by the Sports Centre or do you go back towards Arnage they way we used to come in??


I think I need to redo this whole area

Regards
Strasse

[Strasse]

Aysedasi2
Can you give me more details and I will Change the map/directions

How do you get from BSJ roundabout to the car parks from the old turn left just short of the railway tracks or do you have to go thro' Arnage?

Surely they don't send you down to Monte en Belin then to go east on Rue du Belinois/ D212bis to turn left up the D139 to Arnage Corner? That would add far more traffic to Arnage and the corner/roundabout in the middle than it can take in Race week?

Am I correct - park in the bottom carpark walk up thro' path/corridor on the westerly side ,some distance back for the road and then cross in the area of the old ticket entrance?

Does the exit then pass the cross roads that takes you to the Mulsanne Corner Car park by the Sports Centre or do you go back towards Arnage they way we used to come in??


I think I need to redo this whole area

Regards
Strasse

[Aysedasi2]

I'm not so familiar with the road (names) Strasse. But for both Mulsanne Corner and Arnage, instead of turning left at the mini roundabout as you enter Arnage Village (which was always the 'traditional' route to both enclosures, the traffic was directed - by purple signage - across that roundabout and then the long way around the back. However most people ignored it. Bad mistake. I did the journey out there on Wednesday evening (Arnage) and Thursday evening (Mulsanne) and met no more than about 5 cars on the route on both evenings. Everyone was still trying to pile their way down the 'traditional' route and getting completely log jammed. The signage was brilliant and I hope they do it again this year - even if they don't, I'll be using that route. It's a bit further in distance but took very little time.

Edited by Aysedasi2 on Friday 12th April 11:47

[Aysedasi2]

Strasse said:

Am I correct - park in the bottom carpark walk up thro' path/corridor on the westerly side ,some distance back for the road and then cross in the area of the old ticket entrance?

Does the exit then pass the cross roads that takes you to the Mulsanne Corner Car park by the Sports Centre or do you go back towards Arnage they way we used to come in??
Strasse

It depends on how full the 'main' car park is. Entering at the 'overflow' car park entrance, if there is space in the main car park you drive round the back through the fields and into the main car park and then cross the road on foot to the usual entrance. I guess once that is full (it wasn't when I went), you'll be directed to park in the overflow car park.

The road back towards Arnage which we all used to use wasn't available - one way only. So you turn right out of the car park and head back using the same circular route as you did to get there. The only issue I had was once I got back to Arnage village on Thursday night after the final session was that there was some accident or incident and the police had closed off the road back to town on the usual drag. Had to go miles out of my way with my son directing me on Google Maps!

Edited by Aysedasi2 on Friday 12th April 11:51

[Strasse]

Does this look right?


Needs a lot of tidying up but is the route right?

[Aysedasi2]

Yes, from memory that looks right to me.

[Strasse]

Thanks Aysedasi2 I'll tidy this up and add it to the next update.


many thanks

Strasse

[Aysedasi2]

Welcome!

[grogger993]

Strasse said:

Thanks Aysedasi2 ....now amended

grogger 993 - found this old Welcome Ticket. Do you remember getting on top of the concrete roof and looking up the pit lane?

Much still to do, next up a draft of the programme based on last year's timings but with the new support races added.

Friday, I think will be even more track centric. I wonder how the Le Mans City traders will view this? Are we in danger of loosing some of the magic of Le Mans by making the Drivers' Parade a badly scheduled side show?

Regards
Strasse

Hi Strasse

If the Welcome building was the 4 or so storey building at pit exit (now gone) with a roof terrace and a great view down the pit lane, I did manage to get into Dunlop hospitality on an internal floor of the building one year by just walking in bold as brass. By hanging out of the open window I got a good photo of Johnny Herbert in an Audi R8 exiting the pitlane. I felt a bit conspicuous in the room as I was wearing a blue Michelin lanyard and all the proper guests has yellow Dunlop lanyards. Noone seemed to notice though as the booze was flowing.

I remember in 1991 trudging through woods on the inside of the circuit to get to the Mulsanne straight near to the kink. It was fully dark nighttime, and we stayed back on the edge of the woods, with just a ditch and the Armco between us and the track. That was pretty epic. When the cars came down their headlights would shine through the gaps between the rows of barrier and one could see the silhouettes of braver folk than me crouched down just behind the Armco for the full 'fly by'. I expect that these days, if caught, one might get a severe bking for that!

Did you ever go to the Restaurant des Hunadieres on the run down to the first chicane on the Mulsanne? Just north of there there was something like a lawn, and if one pushed one's way into the hedge on the track side of the lawn one could get very close to the edge of the track. Do you know if that area is still accessible? I suspect not, as if a car shunted at that point there would be a lot of debris and not much protection.

The year (1999?) Mark Webber somersaulted twice in practice/warm up we had a meal in that restaurant. I am prone to catastrophizing, and wondered what would happen if a Mercedes CLR somersaulted again and landed on the restaurant. It was around the time of our meal that Peter Dumbreck flipped his CLR so maybe my concern wasn't completely unfounded. Having a CLR land in my chow mein would have been a meal to remember (or not).

Cheers

Grogger

[Strasse]

grogger993.

Respect to a fellow " Black Ops Man". I have made a flew trips to the edge of the Mulsanne from the inside and had the odd conversation with the Flicks!!!
Most of the time I got away with it.

I have also dined in both restaurants on the Mulsanne and had the privilege of seeing/hearing cars pass 1 m away doing 200 plus. I realise in this H&S world that this is impossible but it really was something in the very early 90's....you felt it!!!

I don't think you were in much danger from the Mercedes Fly Club (Messers Dumbreck & Weber) in the Restaurant des Hunadiere, as their take off point was on the up slope past the second chicane. Mind you I seem to remember a certain Daddy Mansell trying to show his sons how it should be done, when he stuffed it in the same area in the very early laps of the race! However, I did get a nice Beachdene hat and a free ice cream in the Pit Lane so it can't have all been that bad.

I am surprised that someone hasn't found a safe way to get "the privileged" up front and personal to the Mulsanne. I know the Arbor Car Park is good but it is not 1m track side.

Le Mans memories and great stories - some it up doesn't it

All the Best
Strasse

[grogger993]

Strasse said:

grogger993.

I am surprised that someone hasn't found a safe way to get "the privileged" up front and personal to the Mulsanne. I know the Arbor Car Park is good but it is not 1m track side.

Le Mans memories and great stories - some it up doesn't it

All the Best
Strasse

As for getting properly trackside on the Mulsanne, Google Earth shows a caravan dealer tight up against the inside Armco of the circuit at the 2nd chicane. I wonder if they would be prepared to show me round some of their stock at, say, midnight of race day?

Roll on June...

Cheers

Grogger

Edited by grogger993 on Saturday 13th April 01:06

[Aysedasi2]

Strasse said:

grogger993.

Respect to a fellow " Black Ops Man". I have made a flew trips to the edge of the Mulsanne from the inside and had the odd conversation with the Flicks!!!
Most of the time I got away with it.

I have also dined in both restaurants on the Mulsanne and had the privilege of seeing/hearing cars pass 1 m away doing 200 plus. I realise in this H&S world that this is impossible but it really was something in the very early 90's....you felt it!!!

I don't think you were in much danger from the Mercedes Fly Club (Messers Dumbreck & Weber) in the Restaurant des Hunadiere, as their take off point was on the up slope past the second chicane. Mind you I seem to remember a certain Daddy Mansell trying to show his sons how it should be done, when he stuffed it in the same area in the very early laps of the race! However, I did get a nice Beachdene hat and a free ice cream in the Pit Lane so it can't have all been that bad.

I am surprised that someone hasn't found a safe way to get "the privileged" up front and personal to the Mulsanne. I know the Arbor Car Park is good but it is not 1m track side.

Le Mans memories and great stories - some it up doesn't it

All the Best
Strasse

All very familiar stuff! We dined in the Restaurant des 24 Heures on several occasions and hung over the wall and fences there (remember the electric fence to the next door property?). In 2022 I watched the whole of the Test Day from the Restaurant des Hunaudieres and ate a superb meal in there as well. Met Robin Donovan there as well. I've done the sneak up to the guardrail while the gendarmes aren't watching routine too a few times. In 1991 I watched a couple of hours of the race on Sunday from one of the front gardens on the outside of Tertre Rouge, sipping champagne and eating bacon croissants.....

Edited by Aysedasi2 on Saturday 13th April 09:38