Club Arnage

A buddy and I are planning to make the pilgrimage to Le Mans for the 75th running.  I calculated that to be 2006 but then I read something the other day that made me think that it may be 2007.

Can someone tell me which is correct?

Go to both, just in case...  :)

I'd love to attend both but it involves a hop across the pond for me and will be quite expensive.  As a matter of fact, I was thinking I might try to kill two birds w/one stone and tie in a visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed on the same trip, if the dates work out.  

Well said Smokie. Insta-Gator the leap across the pond is getting more expensive every year so sooner is better. Look for flights out of Phily and Miami as they are often good deals. assume you have been to Petit and Sebring. It takes at least 5 days to watch Le Mans
Canada Phil

2006 is the 75th edition, and the centenary of the ACO...

... and 2007 is the 75th birthday !!!!

What do you prefer ?


Could I suggest 2006 for the 100 years of the ACO? For some peopl who already been there in 1956 for their 50th anniversary, it was a great celebration.

I live in Atlanta.  Petite is just 45 minutes up the road from me.  Been there for the last 5 years.  This March will be my 5th Sebring.  Good stuff.

Come and find the Club Arnage area at Sebring in March then!

It's usually fairly obvious, with a large banner up high that says...Club Arnage.

Not far off the main road, behind one of the merchandise shops. You can see it from the stands... Next year there will be (at least) myself, gab, Canada Phil, Chris24, Pidge, Pidge's extended family and any number of other regulars... arriving Wed afternoon (when else? :))

I can't wait!!!

Hi Gator,
I live up in Cincy and like you have been going to the Petit and Sebring since the late ninties.  I've been to Le Mans six times with some British friends who live both here and abroad.  As Phil said I would be heading there sooner rather than later, the airfare has become terribly expensive (enough to stop me from going for the past couple of years) and the dollar is taking a pretty good pasting against the Euro and Pound.  You'll enjoy Le Mans, very cosmopolitan and evocative atmosphere, some superb eating and drinking to be done.  I will warn you though, don't expect the same sort of spectating we get at Road Atlanta or Sebring (or my home circut Mid-Ohio).  The paying public are placed a hell of a long way from the action at Le Mans, usually having to look over a cement wall, paddock admission is not available without media or competitor creds and the facilites can be character building to say the least.
Fax

Smokie,

Thanks for the invite.  

I'll be there with a buddy of mine.  We have already purchased our tix.  We are doing the Club Sebring for the second year ("free" drinks and A/C).   I'll be sure to look you guys up.   We'll arrive Thursday morning.

-Gator

Thanks for the excellent advice Fax.  I've already been warned about the French public toilet facilities.  Sounds like fun!

-Gator

Forget finding us, we'll come and find you  :)

especially if it rains.....

To be honest I thought they were ok, considering the number of people using them. No worse than any other circuit I visited, BTCC bogs at Donnington this year were a little unkept by the end of the day.

One woman looking after the toilets at Beausjour this year cleaned after every visit, leaving a clean loo before you got in ;D

Admittedly I haven't visited a wet race yet, when I'm sure it's a lot worse!! It remains a very good cover story to tell those you don't want to join you!!

I can guarantee my luck will run out soon!!

For the benefit of us Yanks, can you tranlate English words (bog, loo) into "American"?    :o

They both mean john...washroom (who washes in there???)...rest room

Sorry guys I know our slang is somewhat different to yours, but as smokie said, they're catch all words to include all toilet based areas.
At the end of the day it's the place we go to empty out used beer after a long day watching the race ;)

British slang crack me up.  It's like it is almost English or something.... ;D

Hey Insta-Gator, better brush up on your French too.
Pissoir is a Urinal while Piste is teh Racetrack however pissed is what most of the spectators are ::)
Canada Phil

Sorry to drag this up from the depths but I disagree with Gilles (which suprises me as he tends to know his stuff) I think 2007 is the 75th running of the race.

The poster in my downstairs loo that I got with one of the papers this year lists 71 victories 'to 2003.  That means this year is the 73rd and therefore the 75th will be 2007.

I'm happy to be proved wrong but would like to get this straight.

And by a strange co-incidence (not planned at all) I think this may be my 50th post.

The truth!

First race was on the 26th May 1923, 33 cars, race started at 4pm. Fastest lap Bentley 9 min 39 secs, circuit length 10.6 miles avg speed 66.6mph.

Race came about as a result of Charles Faroux and Gearges Durand collaborating on the idea of a 24 hour race, Durand was already running GP's at the time.

The race carried on every year until 1939 and then resumed again in 1949 and I'm not aware of any breaks since then.

Hope that helps.

Jem

There was no race in '36 either, no idea why but my poster has no picture for that year and a quick google brings this confirmation:

http://www.p-wood.com/le%20mans/lemans.html

2004 was the 72nd running of the 24 hours, i leave you to work it out.

According to this article from the ACO on their official site, this year is the 73rd!!!

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/live/actu/2005_02_16_gd_01_34selec_gb.html

2007 it is then.  that means I have to go next year (20th anniversary of my first time) and 2007.

Oh well!

Well spotted Sprite re '36, apols for error.

Jem

A quick poke around the net seems to indicate that industrial strife (in France, surely not?) put paid to the race in '36.