It is interesting to see that copy Del. Can your 'party member' confirm whether there was actually a stand or a viewing area there? It looks like it might be around the area of the restaurant 24hours? I remember when I first started going in the Mid 80's there was official parking there, behind the cafe and some viewing albeit very limited. One year though, and it was as late as the early 1990's we turned up there bought a pint and actually sat outside the front of the cafe in the early evening of race night with nothing between us and the cars except a bit of chicken wire. It was great. A one off though sadly. When we went the next year, all of the viewing had been fenced off.
We never actually got round to that part of the circuit in those days. The first couple of years ('65 & 66), being poor (just) ex-students, we could only afford the 'billet unique', which was a one-entry ticket - ie you couldn't get out once you were in, unless you paid again. For the next couple of years, we got the 'billet permenant' and went out to mulsanne and Arnage. After that, we got the better tickets which allowed access to the pit straight.
It wasn't till the early 80s that we tried Hunaudieres, and as you say, there was just a bit of armco between you and the cars, but by that time, it wasn't an ACO area - part of the cafe/restaurant.
Anyway - memories are a bit vague - it
was 40 years ago
Del