Club Arnage

Just took a look at this weeks Autosport in the local library (aka WH Smith).

No Le Mans guide to be seen!

I know its not a patch on the caguide, but there goes my tradition of buying 1 Autosport per year  >:(

AFAIR the Autosport guide usually come out the week of the race, so won't be hitting the shops until next wednesday. Then again I may be wrong  :)

(http://www.porcher.ca/french/products/images/faucet_images/acc-toilet-paper-holder.jpg)

It's in next week's issue. The one which comes out once we're all at the curcuit. Pretty much sums up Autosport's current attitude towards sportscar fans. I only throw it in the bin after a quick flick through these days, it's utter tosh, but I agree it was part of the pre-race ritual for years.  >:( :(

no steve, it's worse than that these days.

They just know when they're beaten. ;) ;D

They always used to put it in the issue before race week "for those traveling to the race"

Shame it's not here - I'm off to the DTM at the weekend and then straight on a ferry Sunday night 8)

There are guides published ths week, one is in the July issue of EVO magazine, and there is a special section in the Motorsport News that came out yesterday. I would however hesitate to recommend either of them.

The EVO pamphlet is heavily sponsored by Audi, need I say more? OK for a casual read but not much else.

The Motorsport News article quite rightly states that those already going would not need their guide in the  recommendations on how to travel and where to stay section. It then goes on to recommend to these potentially less informed racegoers the delights of picking up cheap ferry crossings, camping passes (the one paragraph says Houx Annexe is a good spot and reasonably priced for a group travelling together). It then tells those that may have slightly bigger budget the pleasure of travelling over and staying in an hotel in the centre of Le Mans.

Call me picky but where are all these Houx Annexe passes and, on the Hotel front, where are the available beds? There's no mention of them all being booked up at least a year in advance for miles around.

To anyone who asks I'll just point them to the excellent CA guide. There's no contest.

Walking across the road the week before departure to buy my Autosport (straight in the bin) Le Mans guide, retained (Headline 'To close to call,' or variation on the theme) has marked the beginning of the end of the long wait for ever. All of my preparations have been thrown asunder???

It's a bit rubbish isn't - surely most of us will be there or well on our way by the time it becomes available (disregarding the questionable quality of it...)

I was bored and considering writing to them about it, but the photo agency I work for does a lot of work for Autosport, so I decided that might be a bad idea...

Perhaps thay have to wait until the CA Guide 'hits the streets' to ensure that they have enough content .....  ;D ??? ;D

I just phoned the Autosport office at Haymarket publishing & spoke to a very helpful lass.

The guide will be out next week, the decision to do this was taken for two reasons:

1) People tend to travel out later these days.
2) It will allow them to include more info from the test day.

To the first I say: My arse they do!
To the second: Fair point.  The ACO have made the test day pretty damn close to the event this year.  It was similarly close last year & the supplement had no detail from the test day and was pretty inaccurate in a lot of respects.  Seemed to me like it had been printed a good month in advance.  So imho fair play to Haymarket if they are trying to improve. 

We shall see.

Which brings me neatly to that last nugget of info:  There are 'significant extra shipments to France' arranged.  Usually available at the Radio Le Mans shop.

See you there
Tinweevil

Beat them on that too.

We have pictures taken on the test day in our guide and Jox Jottings on the test day appeared days ago. The phrase "Talking Bollocks" springs to mind

You know I'm glad you told me that.  I got the distinct impression that each year it was getting packed earlier and earlier.
It just goes to show.  You can't always belive what you see.


Now you've gotta be kiddin'   Your telling me that a proffesional publishing organisation take two weeks to put together something that's not half as got as CAguide.    Just goes to show you can't belive everything.

t.

Bought my Autosport this morning and cant believe the guide isnt in this weeks issue.  But everyones right the CA guide is much better.  Only problem is I had to wait till everyone had left work to download it and print it using their paper and printer!

^{People travel out later these days}

What planet are they on!


I guess I buy one at Le Mans then, for old times sake.

There is an official statement from Autosports editor Andrew van de Burgt
on ten-tenths:

http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97290&page=2

I bought an Autosport today, for smug comparison reasons. And the CA guide is streets ahead of the guide in the Autosport I bought.

If the CA guide had been written by my 2 year old daughter it would have been better than the guide in the autosport I bought, because there was no guide included.

the content is a different thing to actually outputting the thing. The big difference between the two, is one is printed and the other is electronic.   Printing requires scheduled timeslots, which are expensive to obtain if they are missed.