Club Arnage

As the originator of the thread last year that opened a debate about the usefulness to the trackside spectator of Radio Le Mans I am (perhaps contrary to what some may assume) delighted to say thanks and well done to RLM.

As you will probably remember my main frustration, and that of a number of others, was that regular updates summarising race positions were too often interrupted, overlooked or begun but not finished.

This year, from my perspective, there was a BIG improvement.  OK so some of the updates were a little late, but on the whole they were available and concise and useful.

Thanks to Hindy and the rest of the RLM team for being understanding enough to actually take note of, and act upon, the comments that were made last year.  Well done indeed.

And to the ACO congratulations must also be passed...  Real time race information down at Mulsanne and Arnage has been massively improved by the installation of big screens out in the country too.  Brilliant.

See you next June  ;D

... except the idiot there who handed-over the campsite 'miss-management' to the morons in the orange coats. The Beasejour site was terrible.

Congrats to RLM from my side also, the updates were exactly what was needed.

RLM are fantastic, such a great listen i never switched off all weekend. Without them i would be so lost as to what was going on.

I echo the sentiments of Oldtimer.
Hindy, if you read this, please pass on my congratulations to the team for a sterling effort. I bet you weren't the slightest bit tired by the end of the weekend.

I thought RLM did a good job too.  Anyone here win any of the competitions?  Missed hearing details of the competition winners!

The dropping of the signal improved over the week too, spent ages cursing my radio initially until I realised it was RLM, and they did at one point allude to some technical difficulties they were having.

I agree a much better service compared to the last few years.

Shame the support race was not part of the programe but I understand that may not have been RLM's fault?

The ALMS light system was very useful as well and provided real time postions.

I have to say that I did not listen to RLM trackside at all this year as the screens and the lights on the side of the top three cars kept me very much up to date with what was going on. However when I was travelling between vantage points and away from the circuit I was tuned in and I have echo the comments posted earlier. I thought the coverage was so much better, the updates were great. Thanks to all at RLM for once again adding so much to the event. Monkey

Hindy,

Many thanks - thanks for listening to the listeners - I thoroughly enjoyed the coverage and the improved, uninterrupted updates greatly, and felt much more up to speed with what was happening this year.  Plus, an appropriate level of non-PC banter was there too - I particularly liked the "Audi built to German industrial strength standards" comment (or words to that effect) to which the riposte was "what, like Panzers?".....

MG Mark

I echo the comments that have gone before me,
Many thanks Hindy & crew

Dear all

after 2 x 24 races in a week - I'm actually not in the slightest bit tired.

Thanks for all the comments - we did listen to what was said last year and built in what we could.

Our biggest bit of grief was the fact that weather played havoc with all the hard wired lines of communictaion in the TV compound. It was frustrating but completely outside our control.

The rain caused us other problems - It was heavy enough - on several occasions - to completely blank out our satellite down link - this put us off the air -albeit for brief periods and not at all during the track action. (Thanks to our tech team we found an alternative way of feeding the transmitter!)

The whole RLM team has the utmost respect and admiration for anyone who endured the weather - predicted by us as lang ago as test weekend I'm afraid - and thanks agin for all of the great emails messages of support, questions and of course the top quality points that were raised. Once again it is all to clear to me that sportscar enthusiasts are clearly the best and most passionate in all of Motorsport.

JH

I was a big critic last year.
I'd like to say well done RLM !! in 2007

Well done to RLM from me too.

What I would like to know is who the RLM source that forecast on sunday that the rain would come at 1pm.  Whoever it was I would listen to their advice again.  It was accurate to the minute!!!!

Dave

I thought RLM was much better than last year. Pity the legends race was not part of the commentary.

And the ACO putting up more large screens was good. The improved viewing in the TR area was good, even if the landscape is a bit featureless now.

I also echo the earlier comments about the first class Radio Le Mans broadcast this year.  Plenty of relevant and immediate race commentary from the team and very useful hourly updates for when I was back in the tent (dodging the moist stuff).

I also found the signal to be very strong at Arnage and even Mulsanne this year.

 I too thought the coverage was excellent this year although I  have never had cause to complain in the past. LM would not be the same without it. Well done to all. Signal strength was much better, you could pick it up as far as Spay.

The final caller doing the Henri impression was great and lifted the spirits of 6 very wet lads with 600 miles to drive to get home!

At the DfH camp it was not always on because of the rain (sound installation protection) but when it was on it was great!

I laughed my pants off when some bloke called in to have the RLM team say hello to his wife at the circuit and the presentator really performed his most unearthy and dark HELLOOOWRH :D

RLM has always been a strong part of the LM experience for me and this year I thought it was especially good, the updates were reliable and the banter was amusing - well done, look forward to again next year.

agreed, good coverage, especially for those of us stuck at home and listening via the web.

thanks!

Although I left before the end I sat and listened to RLM up to the end somewhere on the outskirts of Le Mans.

Now, that proves something...

They all did a top job this year, it wouldn't be the same without them and we even had the 24 hrs at the Ring as a warm up this year!

I'll second that Dave, I wonder if they can forcast the Lotto numbers for next Saturday?

As one of last year's critics of the RLM coverage, may I offer my congratulations to Hindy and the rest of the crew for an excellent return to form.

Thankyou for listening.

I particularly liked the 'slip of the tongue' references to the Bentley when talking about Puegeot.

Great job again!

I listened to more RLM this year than I have for a long time. Congratulations and thanks. Great coverage, a vast improvement. Just goes to show that constructive critisism rather than general slagging off pays dividends.

BTW Hindy, as your weather forcast was so accurate on Sunday can you arrange for some sun in Wycombe this weekend? 8)

Smokie, for future reference, we always stop at a cafe/bar at (I think) St Jean D'Asse, about 12 clicks up the N138 from the Buffalo Grill roundabout.  Watch the end on TV with a cold pression in hand.  While the safety car was out, they showed highlights ie both Audis crashing out, fire in the pits etc.

Del

The guy who predicted the weather was their tech bloke Carl Landsbert. Obviously he's the person to have in charge of those things!

He was accurate to the minute, pitty the Met' Office doesn't employ him, the weather forecast might become enjoyable.

To help them out last year, I bought one of their radios.  It's superb.

Jerry

I can only echo all of the above comments. We listened most of the week/weekend and found the hourly updates (almost) on time and very useful especially during the heavier deluges when sheltering out of sight of the track/screens. We all particually enjoyed some of the more bizarre phone in's after the race while stuck in the traffic to get out, made being queue-bound a little more bearable.

Well done all, please keep it up for next year (http://www.dervhead.com/xmb/images/smilies/thmbup.gif)

The combination of RLM an the big TV screens was great. Much better than on my last visit in 2005 when I simply endured the public PA system. My only disappointment was not being able to pick up th RML signal on the TGV back to Paris on Sunday when I had to leave before the end of the race (although at least I missed the rain).