Club Arnage

 ;D Absolutely loved watching that battle with the corvette at the end. Kinda annoyed that stinking Porsche had the speed to catch up and take the overall win too but I'd happily watch nothing but GTE's for 24 hours.

On a side note,for what I seen,Eurosport's done a good job of covering it this year and some great new camera angles.

I managed to catch the last hour or so just by chance - brilliant stuff.  Goes to show once again that it isnt over till its over!!

Looked an absolute scorcher - safe journey home everyone.

I cant believe I didnt realise it was on this weekend - how times have changed since the days of the 50 week countdown....

F

I sat here really quite envious of those of you down there. You had a  superb week of weather then a race like that to cap it all off.

As usual, I watched loads more racing than I ever do when I'm there. Brilliant end to a superb race.

Take care on the way home!!

PS anyone in Nurburgring for the 6h in July? I am likely to be

It was a very eventful weekend.  Another tragic year for Toyota.  I was sitting in Dunlop and watched the first car go out, then saw the accident with the second and of course that was out inside within 30 mins.  If I were them I would have packed it in by now.

And then the Corvette Aston rivalry!  Right in the last few minutes!!!  The ACO really nailed the BoP this year, and no sandbagging Fords either!!  I heard that for much of the race there was 4 or 5 manufacturers on the lead lap.

In my book, it was the Vette that should have won.  I suspect that the Aston took it out in the accident sat Arnage.  I hope we find out the truth.

I only decided to attend last weekend, but I'm glad I did and as I write this, I'm sitting sun soaked and happy on the beach at Dieppe watching a wonderful sunset, and reflecting on another epic weekend.

Ian

i think you must have had dust on your glasses, the vette was done for even with the contact at arnage, its tires had gone off and it was never going to hold out too the end.
its also an injustice to all the gt cars it was not just the finish they raced like that from the moment the start flag dropped, nothing but full gas for 24hours in scortching temps. Amazing job buy all the manufacturers

Nick,

You are right of course, the GTE cars were driving like that all the time.

I suspect that you are also right about the Vette tyres going off, but it also looked like a heroic lunge by the Aton at Arnage.  I would like to see it again but from memory I didn't think it was going to stick, and it didn't.

But did the clash cause the Vette's damage?  possibly - but only the telemetry will provide the truth.

That it was so close after 24 hours says so much about both these teams.  Not for the first time the GTE cars provided the best racing.  I guess it's just that the Aston/Vette rivalry has a track record like few others.

I confess, I have a soft spot for the Vette.

Ian

....and the Vettes sound so damn good. >:D >:D >:D >:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR6SYe85uu8

Thanks for that Stu - I listened to the end of the race on the radio parked up in a works entrance just off the ring road...

...well you see since I was carrying some of the bulkier the kit for some of our group, and I had a little radiator leak and it would probably be over and hour in the stop start traffic and that heat just to get out the circuit, I decided to leave at 12 o'clock, drive straight out and listen to the end of the race from North of Le Mans as I know my Land Rover would have overheated and done an(other) impression of a kettle.

So I drove round and found a decent radio signal in the shade, bonnet up, hi viz jacket on (later I added a 5l water bottle on the wing for effect), made a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy.

(https://s19.postimg.org/amaasro9f/20170618_125450.jpg) (https://postimg.org/image/l943y6wen/)
And when the police turned up to see if I was all right? Once they found out what I was doing they just told me to carry on!

Yes the last hour of the battle was awsome and a small piece of Aston Martin racing will forever be in our pub.

But what is it?

Headlamp cover from the 97 car?

Nice work Sir, missed you this year!

The Corvette Aston rivalry all weekend was brilliant

The GTE's were simply stunning.............fantastic racing, from the off.

I know balance of performance is not everyone's cup of tea but it sure worked.

The last hour was great, fitting for the Aston's last LM to get the win. The 'vette put up a great fight. The mid mounted one for hopefully next year should up the anti. I thought the Fords were a bit disapointing after last year. Great close racing. Nice. This piece of Aston will forever rest in France,on the pub wall.

We got that the page previous...
Again though....
:)

Headlight cover with tearoffs. Looks like it was runover a few times.

One and a half minutes to go, and the Corvette blows a tyre.

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4300/35251053893_cfea184825_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VH1Scg)3. The Corvette loses out. (https://flic.kr/p/VH1Scg) by Tony Brown (https://www.flickr.com/photos/149566328@N08/), on Flickr

Have we found out, for certain, why the tyre let go? Was it the kitty litter? Already worn and just let go? Losing pressure and going down for a while already? I haven't seen (and haven't made an effort, I shall right now) or heard...

Disregard the above. I take it this, from TopSpeed.com, is accurate

"The man that dominated IMSA this seasaon (with his brother Ricky) outbraked himself entering the second chicane on Mulsanne in the second-to-last lap which helped Adam to claw back the gap. With his tires affected, Taylor ultimately lost the lead coming out of the Ford chicane and also cut the Dunlop chicane as he picked a puncture that made him run wide and onto the grass in Tertre Rouge. The tire disintegrated on Mulsanne and it slowed the No. 64 so much that Harry Tincknell in the No. 67 Ford caught up and passed Taylor for second. This is the way they crossed the line, Aston-Martin first, Ford second and Corvette frustratingly third."

Tyres were completely gone apparently, never had a chance anymore for a proper fight with the Aston.

The Corvette crossed the line with a D shaped front wheel, after straightlining all of the Ford Chicane.  It looked like the wheel/brake had seized, but the video shows the left of the front splitter on the tarmac at Mulsanne, so it must have been a puncture from the off at Dunlop.

There were some odd comments on Radio Le Mans about the Aston losing time in the pits, but they changed tyres, of course.