Club Arnage

Big fences at the Ford Chicane!!!!

One of my local 'spies' reports of a big new fence at the new Ford Chicane (circuit unchanged but run-off area etc. hugely modified) and no 'windows' for photographers (even those with media accreditation!) Gone forever more are the classic 'largin in' photos as everyone two-wheels the kerbs during qually :O(

Progress? More like bollocks if you ask me.  >:(

Gilles,
Any pictures ????

Thats all Le Mans needs.. more fences (http://www.ftooc.org/phpbb/images/smiles/013.gif)

Anyone up for shares in a Le Mans based fencing company?  ::)

i'll take you up on that. could invest the student loan that i've worked so hard to earn.

The drivers hate it, the spectators hate it... Why do they think the fences are needed ? Alright then, they've learned a bit since 1953 (the Mercedes incident) security wise but now they're taking it a bit too far. This is sick...

Sorry bit of an oxymoron student and work hard   ;)

Uncharacteristic error from hgb - 55 not 53 - sorry to be such a smart-ass.
Once again, I'm shaking my head and wondering if the ACO/FIA are hell-bent in driving away all but corporate guests to this race.
At risk of hammering this subject totally flat, there are too few places to see the action as it is. Virage Ford was one of those places.
What is going on?

Yes, that was '55, must have hit the wrong button.  ::)

...and once again thanks to www.dailysportscar.com for the picture
PM

Are spectators going to be allowed up against that first fencing or are they even further back behind the second fencing in the background.

The second fencing!!!!!!!!!!!

The first fencing is where us illustrious media accredited types used to stand.

No more of these type shots possible then sadly.....  >:(

http://www.maisonblanche.co.uk/02lm2327.jpg (photo by me!!)

I think I jumped over that little wall in '03 to get to the track for the podium presentations! There's gonna be a squeeze to get through that gap this year!

Jesus, I despair. >:(

Surprised they haven't finished it off with a 12 foot wall so you can't see anything at all - but don't want to give them ideas. Must feel quite claustrophopic to drive through there now!

This is a joke right?  This is fricking hilarious (well, not really)
Why in the name of God would the wacky, fun loving folks at the ACO erect a fence...to protect another fence.  What the f**k?  The cars are rocketing through there at blistering 40 MPH,  again, what the f**k?!  It would make alot more sense to spend money on such trivial things as...portable toilets, trash cans perhaps?  Maybe that way the place wouldn't reek of urine & puke and you wouldn't find yourself wading ankle deep through garbage.  You guys will have to clue me in since the only European venue I've been to is Le Mans, but is this sort of stupidity running rampant at all the Euro circuts or is this just the result of brain farts on behalf of the ACO?  The guys coming over for Sebring are going to be freaked out by the prospect of being able to watch a race without having to squint through acres of wire mesh.
Fax

My suspicion might be that this idea originated not at the ACO but from the lawyers at their insurance company.

This is so daft when we all accept liability by buying a ticket.

The modern world I'm afraid, thank god for Goodwood.

Know wot ya mean Fax and still can't believe I have let another year slip by in my ever-shortening life (we're not getting any younger ya know!) without making it to Sebring! Better make it soon before this fence disease makes it across the pond.

Just putting my rose tinted specs on for a mo', picture the scene. Just 17, 1981, long haired skinny fecker embarking on the necessities in life (like my first Lemons trip) and the first time I see the cars is on that run down from the old Dunlop bridge into the Esses. That year I only had the basic "corners" ticket and it wasn't until my 18th (slap bang in the middle of my A levels) that I experienced the main area. To my horror, the pit straight was fenced, but not the Dunlop curve (AWESOME!!!). Few years later the pit straight fence disappeared for many years only to return with feckin avengence in the 90s. Bugger. Been downhill ever since.

It's enuff to drive a man to applying for a press pass again!! But it seems even now, that means diddly at the Ford Chickens. They will be stopping us shooting at Arnage next!!! Nooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Heres a thought.... I wonder how many more lives you'd save if you took all the money ploughed into putting up fences everywhere and instead donated that to a charity such as red nose day/unicef/oxfam??

Fences : More harm than good

Rick,
I can't describe in words how jealous I am that you were able to see the great race back in the early eighties, especially 1981!  Alot of people were ready to write that year off as a transition year between the end of the Group 6 era and the beginning of Group C. However I was thrilled when at the last minute Porsche decided to enter the pair of 936/81's.  I remember very well what it was like all weekend trying to find news of what was happening at the Sarthe, pre-internet and cable TV, I was left with little clips in the local newspaper.  On Monday morning when I found out Jacky & Derek had won I was absolutely over the moon.
I badgered my local news agent for three weeks until the LM issue of Autosport arrived with the headline "Le Mans, Jacky does it!"  with the photo of the lovely, white Jules 936 exiting Mulsanne corner (still have it to this day).
I was even more hellish for T.E.Warth Motorbooks until the 1981 annual arrived.  It was better than Christmas, the day it arrived on my doorstep.  Oh well, those were the days.  Rick, get your ass over here for Sebring!  But trust me, it will never become the fenced-in, gravel-trapped, chicaned mess that the Circut de la Sarthe has become.
Fax

as a safety rep i have done a quick (90sec) risk assessment to support the extra fence.
Hazards
damage to second fence
injury to drivers pulling off into new layby for a quick waz!

it will soon be hard to watch the race, you will be going to watch that the fences dont get damaged. whats to say they wont make them taller at the grandstand area to enable spectators to see more fencing craftsmanship....... can someone convince the ACO that not all cars have mercedes potential!

I do have the feeling that the fences may well be sponsored by the Le Mans centre of commerce and round table to promote there own interests rather than those of others.
All power to the fences I say. It will remove that very thin veil of an excuse that we are actually going to spend a week watching motorsport rather than getting blind drunk and having a ball.

Debate.

Rusty

Rusty - Debate?   From personal recollection, the Brethren are singularly shining and exemplary paragons of using the thin tissue-like excuse of watching motorsport to get over to France and have a ball - if you didn't do that, you might just as well gather and put up tents in the car park of your local Tesco.   No contest really.......
 ;D
Mark

Except the booze in Tesco is double the price!!  ;D

While i deplore the erection of  yet more fences, I have a feeling that the ACO may have had there hand forced a little on this.

As with the mutluation of the esses a few years back it has more to do with the moto gp and the fact that the short track rejoins the main track. There was a need to increase the runoff so the whole lot has been pushed back.

Fax,
http://rupert8766.fotopic.net/p2767294.html
Mr Bell in the 936 in 81 at the chicane. Not as good as Rick's, but its the best I could do!
http://rupert8766.fotopic.net/p2767311.html
Looking up the track from the chicane.

Thats strange for Moto GP as this is the slowest corner on the lap for them too ???