Club Arnage

Well didn't think I would be on it this year but with a few things going on at home since Xmas I decided to forfeit my deposit and decided not to venture to a field in beautiful France this June  :-[

I am now how ever off to Germany in a few weeks to battle the mighty Nordschleife for a week, but 2016 I have already hatched a plan to get to Le Mans just need to finish my car now - at least It should be done by then  ::)

Kev, sadly I have to join the Home Guard this year like you as I'll be working in New Zealand in June. Hmmm, not too bad I suppose but reading all the messages and threads on this forum just bring forth the painful reality that I won't be making the pilgrimage again until 2016.

Still, I console myself with the following facts.


Nope, can't think of any.......

Where in NZ will you be and for how long?

Dx

seems alot of people are not going this year from other sources maybe a quiet year this year

Having been to the first two WEC rounds I think there are going to be plenty of people at LM, and plenty at home regretting not going!

I don't think there is such a thing as a quiet year!
Wouldn't miss this year, even if Nissan don't make it, I think it will be an awesome race.
Audi reliability vs Porsche speed?
Audi won at Spa, but in LM low downforce trim, only just ahead of the Porsche in high downforce kit.
How fast will that Porsche be with low drag bodywork?
Could be a classic LMP1 race and I think the other categories will be very interesting as well.

Hi Doris - unconfirmed as yet but probably just in the immediate Auckland area attending Buildex. Whereabouts are you in case I get any free time?

Steve

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/05/06/improved-overnight-tv-for-2015-le-mans-24-hours.html

DSC reporting that the TV cameras will be operational throughout the night for the first time this year.
Great news for the Home Guard

I watched a lot on TV one year through the night and most of the night stuff was from the pits or in-car, this will be a huge bonus to those watching it at home - which is actually a great experience, albeit lacking in atmosphere.

I think I managed to see just about everything last year at home, great shots down the Mulsanne for example



It was bloddy awful  ;)

I isn't playing THAT game again if I can help it

bad news having to miss out chaps  :(

brilliant news

I'm in Auckland - about a 10 min drive into the city.

Dx

Excellent - I'll let you know when I've finalised flights etc

I was about to book a ferry today but work declined my holiday for Friday as I am on lates next week >:(

Trains and flights are a no go and driving Saturday would be a long old slog so I admit defeat out the money away for 2016 and I'll spend the weekend with radio LM on while I keep building my car for next year!!

No more ideas on live streams yet have we?

Not been for a few years, new house, new kids got in the way. But we're hatching a cunning plan to return in 2016, myself and a couple of others who've been before plus a couple of newbies. Meeting up for a few beers this Friday to get the proper planning underway, and to find out if one of the newbies has been brave enough to mention it to his Mrs yet!

Dad's going this year so getting him to survey the damage to MB before I getting booking tickets later this year.

Will be tuning into the Radio Le Mans feed this weekend while I work on getting kit car back on the road in time for next year!

sounds like we will both be working to next year on our trusty steeds

Too true. It's going to be tough enough this weekend knowing I've another year before sipping warm beer in a field in France, soaking the atmosphere, watching/hearing racing cars for 24hrs. If I didn't have the trusty steed to occupy me for some of the time I'd probably just end up sitting getting drunk listening to where everyone else is....apart from Friday night when I'll be in the pub discussing next year!

Here's to 2016 and to everyone else having a good few days in France in 2015!!  ;D

I am not attending this year but will be in sunny Majorca will try and catch some racing in the bar here is to next year
and to all who are going have a ball  ;)

true if mine isnt done I will be in my track car then off to the nurburgring again after the 24hrs  ;D



that will be me in september when i am in Majorca

well eurosport seem to be having a great deal of the race on show, So i have subscribed with my ipad (£4.49 for the month) and now can watch it all :)

Coverage is on Quest, channel 172 on Virgin, 167 on sky and 37

Coverage on Eurosport is very good so I'm just settling on the sofa, booze n tabs to hand. Keep going Porsche and Corvette.

Throughly enjoyed the race but would of preferred to be in France watching it

would have or would've preferred...:)

(we won't mention thoroughly as opposed to throughly...)

The best part of 170 posts on here and you still think spelling and grammar are the most important aspects of communication on CA?

Hi Fran,

How was the TT? My wife has expressed an interest in going to the TT :)

Looks like one of the Pistonheads keyboard warriors has come across to CA

J

Hiya Jules

I didnt do the full fortnight this year just practice week and through to Monday night, so just caught a couple of races.

Weather not great (rain and gales and campers being taken into shelters!!) so the usual round of RTCs, cancellations and delays!  When its running its fantastic but there is an awful lot of hanging around and looking at empty tarmac!

Having said that, like LM24 its about more than just the racing and there is plenty going on to see and do.  I love the Isle of Man anyway so its always good to visit.

Ferry bookings are a bit of a nightmare and probably showing as sold out for next year already, though people can just hold a booking on a deposit and in February when the balance is due a lot will drop out and availability shows up again.  Same with accommodation, sells out pretty fast (other than camping) with lots of people booking from one year to the next.

If I am really honest, I prefer the smaller Irish road racing meetings (like Cookstown, Armoy, Ulster GP, etc) which just run over a couple of days or so and the action is fast n furious on 3-4 mile laps with group starts.  I would absolutely recommend going to any of those!!  I am off to Kells this weekend which is another great meeting but south of the border so they race on a Sunday - in NI its usually Friday practice /Saturday racing!

The Southern 100 in the Isle of Man is fab too - not on the Mountain Course but a shorter road course near Castletown.

The Scarborough meetings are good if you just want a taster of the bikes being so close and fast - but wear at least 6 layers of thermals!!

If there is anything specific I can help on just message!

F

Yep, raised a couple of glasses this end too, for Debs and for Savaloy. I drew the line at getting the wrong side of a pumped up Camberwell Carrot though; admittedly it would have been a fitting tribute to Sav, but I'm sure he'd have understood my reluctance.

Definitely will be heading to Le Sarthe next year.

H

Ok, that's 2015 over. 2016 planning next on the agenda. Dad was at the race this year and took a look at Maison Blanc for me as that's where we usually stay. Comments were that it "has been crucified, awful, no character, dead"

So guess I'll be looking for another site for next year's visit. Any recommendations to go for/avoid?

Be great to see you and your sardonic humour return to the Holy Lands sir!

And Fran, will you be returning next year my dear?

There is a good chance I will venture back to LM Si!!  Deffo won't be doing TT next year... and if anyone sees me getting lured back to it... please stop me!

F

Thank you for your input. If you look at previous posts of mine you will see I am generally sh*t at spelling / grammar so correct what you like  ;)


On the coverage this year you did get a few good views of MB as they seem to have cameras on the new Porsche centre which shot alot of MB and you could see it was a bit dead  :'(


restraints at the ready  :police:

Maison Blanche did look very empty from the helicopter shots. As I wasn't there this year I don't know why that was. Does anyone know if it's been sold differently or whether the A.C.O. has restricted ticket sales in advance of turning the whole site into some sort of gross corporate venue?

According the Eurosport the race was sold out. I'm pretty sure that had I turned up on Saturday I could have bought a ticket on the gate.

Any views?

How's the spelling and grammar?

10/10

Cheers!

Lord Steve,

as the building work was only just finished, the ACO decided to leave the area's where heavy plant & machinery had been working within MB to grass rather than sell the pitches and find out that they were unusable just prior to the race.

Yes, it was very frustrating seeing the empty areas.  If we had all pitched up with our camping tickets and found the site unusable we would have been rightly annoyed and upset. There would have been a lot of unhappy campers with nowhere to stay.............

It was a ""no win"" situation for the ACO and the best / worst option for them to take in the short term.

J

 

This is leading to the question....will MB revert to the campsite it used be in 2016 or will it remain a treasured part of our memories and become a corporate area going forward?

I guess it'll depend on how many pitches the ACO allocate and whether people think of booking it after going elsewhere this year.

Only time will tell.

Thanks Fran,

Will be in touch, what are the camp sites like?

can you move around the mountain course if you are on the inside of the track so to speak during practice or racing?

J



know all about Oliver mount, even peddled my Nova rally car round there back in the day:)

I will send a pm rather than hijack this thread!

Simply put....no. :)

Edit: but now that you mention it....does number of posts mean the same to you? :)

Eh?

It's a mystery Fran.