Club Arnage

First off, here is a photo taken at Tertre Rouge looking down the Mulsanne. All has gone for the new stadium. No more camping des Hunaudieres.

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/DSC00142.jpg)

Another photo looking back towards the Dunlop bridge:-

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/DSC00139.jpg)

I want you to imagine that you are coming from the Porsche Curves end of the Chemin aux Boeufs towards Tertre rouge, behind the Bugatti circuit. Look here to see a plan:-

http://www.justtickets.co.uk/tracks/tr_lemans.htm

The photos underneath are of Houx and Houx annexe - now a parking site for the football. Frankly what is left I don't know because I was only grudgingly allowed in - under surveillance - to take a few pictures in view of "health and safety". However, it seems to me that everything has gone from the Tertre Rouge bridge right round almost to the first big roundabout behind Antares, the cultural centre:-

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/DSC00145.jpg)

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/DSC00147.jpg)

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/DSC00146.jpg)

In other words, I can't see there being much camping at all.I don't even know if the old road out under Tertre Rouge to Ruaudin and the ring road will reopen - they had no idea on site. Perhaps next spring, when things are clearer, I'll go and have another look for you and try and clarify.

Thanks lynxd67, doesn't look good though.  :(

If like you say all is gone from Tertre Rouge until the roundabout (which is near the new entrance) than it would mean that only campsite Hunaudieres and HA-nord are gone but not HA-sud?

thats shocking - so many memories gone under concrete :(

I'm sure you will still be able to camp, just take a nail gun to put the pegs in ;D

 >:( That'll be the end of that then...  :(

Checking your pics again I very much have the impression that the parkinglot will be on HA-nord and not on HA-sud. Which would be good news unless they issue the same amount of tickets as this year so we would be even more cramped. ;)

Here's a picture of the new stadium and the parking seems on HA-nord.

(http://absolubo.football.fr/images/vidéo/circuit.jpg)

Merde!   :(

Dx

With a stadium that size, they will need all the parking space they can get, so I am still not convinced there will be any HA nor Houx, next year!

Latest news on the 2009 campsites from Travel Destinations who had a meeting with the ACO:

New for 2009:

- Building work has finally begun on the football stadium inside the circuit north of Antares. While this should have little impact on camping on circuit, Houx Annexe North will not be used as a campsite this year.

- Houx Annexe South will be a campsite as usual.

- Houx Annexe South Campsite will have marked and numbered pitches for the Le Mans 24 hrs 2009. Houx Annexe joins the list of Houx, Karting Nord, Maison Blanche, Blue North & South in having numbered plots in 2009. Other campsites will have marked plots but not necessarily numbered.

- Further works will be carried out on the track within the Maison Blanche campsite. This will result in a further loss of camping space in this popular camping area for Le Mans 24 hours 2009.

- Drainage work will be completed in the Beausejour campsite to avoid any future problems with water logging.

- The campsite security fencing will be improved.

- A new area called "Karting-Sud" will be available for the first time for 2009. This area will be used for buses and large vehicles with groups who also want to camp.

- The Hundaudieres campsite, that used to provide pre-erected tents for individuals, will not be available in 2009.

- The car parking at the circuit will be revised for the Le Mans 24hrs 2009. Parking Blue will be replaced by parking at Heronniere. It is important to note that car parking permits for the main areas will no longer give access to the car parks at Mulsanne and Arnage.

- People who arrive to camp on the circuit before the Wednesday prior to the Le Mans 24 Hours will no longer be charged a supplement locally on arrival.

So in short HA-nord and Hunaudieres are gone, MB will be even smaller, a new campsite opened for groups and buses called Karting-sud and BSJ will have better drainage.

I hear the sound of the ACO hammering nails in coffins...

The only bright news is "People who arrive to camp on the circuit before the Wednesday prior to the Le Mans 24 Hours will no longer be charged a supplement locally on arrival."

Ooohh they are too kind, their generosity knows no bounds ::) Ner mind that they are f**king up every campsite and are trying to bounce to out to the furthest reaches of Le Sarthe. I foresee an almighty scramble to try and get tickets for anywhere near the action next year. The way this is heading we will be camping at Alencon or Tours before too long. Bastards.

Now, do I hold on and hope for my usual allocation or put my name on some of Paddy's?

Decisions decision. I don't need this every year.

They dont make it easy do they..

However I don't think the ACO are fully to blame as they don't own the land that has been built on so it is out of their hand to a degree.

We had hoped to return to the Annexe next year, but it may be Basejour for us now. It could be worse, I could be watching it at home again.

What they really mean is that there will be even more corporate "Tents/Marquees" working there way down from the Ford Chicane. It would not surprise me if the view goes from the exit of the Porsche curves in MB due to the Marquee city.

Bastards ::)

To clarify, it is HA Nord that has completely gone, not Sud. Here are the photos for you all:-

Houx Annexe Sud completely intact

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/Raw00019.jpg)

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/Raw00018.jpg)

If though, with the entrance to HA on your left you continue on to the roundabout you are confronted with this view:-

(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u216/lynxd67/DSC00141.jpg)

100 yds after the roundabout the road ends for the stadium works and carries right round to Tertre Rouge underpass. I was standing on the roundabout to take the photo and the new circuit entrance is on my left.

Hold on Bob. The ACO don't own the land used for the majority of campsites. They rent most sites from the owners for the duration of race week. That does't apply to Maison Blanche.
As the area around the circuit, particularly that on the inside of the circuit south of Tertre Rouge corner, becomes more developed, then pressure will increase on the campsites there. I think we all knew that HA nord would vanish beneath a car park this winter. But please bear in mind that life goes on in Le Mans throughout the year and no one there can afford to lay on camping facilities for incontinent Englishmen for just one week a year to the detriment of the local population's daily life.

Thanks lynxd67 for the new pictures, this confirms that it's actually not as bad as expected -at least by me-.

Like Kpy said we all knew that at HA-nord would vanish as normal life and development continues in Le Mans but at least HA-sud and Houx are safe -for now-.

So we lose HA-nord, Hunaudieres and a bit of Maison Blanche and we gain space at the new Karting-sud site and possibly parking Blue will turn into campsite Blue too.
It will still be the usual nightmare to secure a decent plot for our group but with all these uncertainties I opted to play it safe and have reserved via 3 different routes space on MB, Houx, HA and Karting-nord.

If all that fails than Blue could be an option too as there seemed to be plenty tickets for sale there closer to the event this year.

Apart from the (obvious) ACO, any one know what other ticket source has previously offered HA (Sud)?

Team Langoustine
Ticket Travel
Just Tickets
Travel Destinations (lemansrace.com)

I think Langoustine and TD are already quoting 2009 prices.

looking more and more like no drinking race weekend next year as ill be commuting to the track ffs  ::)

You can always stay round at mine if you need a crash pad kev  8)

F

Nope you're just looking for excuses to go with your mates to the Ring  ;)

I sent an email to Andy@TL and he responded by saying that it will be a couple of weeks before the ACO commit HA Sud tickets to TL, so he isn't taking any bookings on them yet.

I loved where we were last year... dont look like we will be there again!!  >:(
PP

I suspect that may have been down to the vicinity of good company.  Surely if everyone is together, a good time will still be had by all?  Unless we end up somewhere random. 

What are the chances of hiring the whole of the mulsanne camp site, or maybe seeing if we can have a big patch of grass as "camp club arnage"?

pay by the hour or service?

no go there aswell again like last year ;)

Has been suggested many times, a club arnage camp site, but it is very difficult to deal with the ACO regarding this issue. Especially because everybody on here have their own preference as far as allocation goes. We are still hoping of getting about 80 tickets to MB for next year. Then we could all join up and MB will never be the same afterwards ;D

It can be done through ACO but you´ll end up at Beausejour and will pay a lot more than you do normally.
I think we had a discussion with the guy from White Rabbit Racing here last year and the ACO asks a lot more than normally per m3 and makes you use their approved (read expensive) suppliers for bogs and showers.

Now I´ve looked into renting a field together with a guy I know locally but there are several problems.
There´s nothing available anywhere close to the track/village, you need all kinds of permits to organise a large(r) scale campsite and you need to invest a lot of time, travel and money to organise such a thing for only 1 week a year.

On a smaller scale it can be done, I´ve found an alternative at walking distance from the Arnage corner for our group but that would only accomodate upto 20 people.
It being far away from the village and missing out on the fun usually had at the various campsites makes this really a last choice alternative for us.

Has anyone ever contacted the kart company that operate opposite the main entrance to Houx/Houx Annexe.

There is quite a large field at the side and there only appears to be one caravan parked on it!!