What Percentage is for the racing?

[Martini...LB]

I had a thought... then I needed to sit down.

What percentage is the annual LM trip for the racing, now, this is not as simple as it may sound as I do not mean that if you go for five days and the race is 24 hours then that is 20%. What I am asking is what % does the racing make you want to go to LM?

For me it is a small % as I just love going to France, the driving, catching up with old acquaintances and sitting in a campsite for a week.

I know that the Classic is a bit different because of the access to the old bangers and fields of owners clubs, so for me there is slightly more attraction than the LM24

Just a thought... to pass the time - waiting.

>Martini...LB

[Barry]

80%
Watch as much of the race as possible.
Used to do the same for practice and qualifying, but have been 'distracted' by other activities for the last few years.  
31 days till departure. 

[Newcastle Dave]

Mmmmmmm....... How to answer this. For me LM24 is far more than the race so I tried to break it down into its attractions (to me). Here goes:

Racing 70%
Camping 30%
Meeting mates 60%
Drive down 50%
Break from work etc 30%
Historic event nostalgia 30%


Hang on that's a total of 270 % !!!

Which to me is the point. It has a value far greater than the sum of its parts and something which cannot be quantified. Now I need a rest.

[NorwayNick]

It changes fom year to year for me, depends on the competition. Some years I have not even got a ga pass, others I have have grandstand full pack and spent hours at the track.

But meeting up with good friends never gets old 22 years and counting

[Fran]

Hard to put percentages on it really.

It varies from year to year - less interested in the racing results since the Saleens dropped out and I havent really formed an attachment to anyone else yet! 

Still love to see the cars and watch the night racing, listen to Radio LM, etc.

Having an extended break in France (which includes the pleasure of driving on French roads, food, drink, open spaces and so on) is definitely a big part of it for me and for that reason my "24 hours" generally extends to the best part of a fortnight!

F

[Lawnmower Man]

Mmmmmmm....... How to answer this. For me LM24 is far more than the race so I tried to break it down into its attractions (to me). Here goes:

Racing 70%
Camping 30%
Meeting mates 60%
Drive down 50%
Break from work etc 30%
Historic event nostalgia 30%


Hang on that's a total of 270 % !!!

Which to me is the point. It has a value far greater than the sum of its parts and something which cannot be quantified. Now I need a rest.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there.  I reckon my percentages are about the same may be slightly larger.

[Truck]

........Hang on that's a total of 270 % !!!

As I've always said, 63% of people don't understand percentages, and only 47% can cope with them

[Lord Steve]

From the time of my first trip in '94 it's been all about the event. The planning, the assembly of the team, organising the tickets, ferry / shuttle and hotels en route. Checking the gear, talking to people on here. From the time we leave home I'm on edge until we arrive on the campsite. Tents up, Barbie lit and beers cracked open and finally I can relax. The gang's all here safe and sound.
Wander up to the track and the first sight of a car on the track during practice reminds me why we're all here. Les Vingt Quattre Heures du Mans.
The look on the face of a newbie when he or she sees the cars at full chat for the first time is priceless and the camaraderie of all you Club Arnagers is unbelievable. 

100% everything.

[Brad Zarse]

You mean there's a race

[Brad Zarse]

And now the serious answer.

It's dwindling more and more every year for me.

The reason?  The sterility of the circuit.  Having taken the trip to Sebring a couple of years ago, I can confirm that it is ABSOLUTELY possible to sit less than 10 yards away from international standard motorsport, without catch fences, without 350 metre run off areas and without destroying the event by putting the crowd in the next town.  My biggest bug bear about Le-Mans, is that they are continuously taking elements away.  From the Mad Friday drag strip through the middle of Maison Blanc/Bleu Sud, to viewing areas such as the "funfair straight" - Lets be honest, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that they'd decided to close the Guinness bar this year.

So these days, the attraction is the people who attend the race - the good people of Club Arnage, The Brethren, Team Zarse, Robbo and his gang, Bob U, John S, Werner and the Germans, The Liverpool Boys, The Melans, and all of the other people - many of whom you never find out the name of (correction - never remember the names of!) - they're just the people who come to Le-Mans. 

Some of the best trips we've ever had, haven't ended up involving any racing.  Indeed probably the weekend to end all weekends, Nurburgring 2009, involved almost no racing at all. 

[Truck]

You're right, its all become too sterile, but this is what our leaders want.

What really worries me is that the extra extra extra safety features seems to dampen the enthusiam, so its less fun off piste/on the pist too.

I know we shouldn't be daft, but 1955 was a long time ago

[Radar]

Used to be all about mad friday and racing for me. Then I had kids. Now it's a chance to sleep, drink and get a hangover without being jumped on at 6am. And yeah, it is getting a bit sterile, but you'd only need one accident in which a few spectators got killed for the whole event to end forever - it aint 1955 any more. We tend to forget, these cars are seriously quick and occasionally they do fly. Wing Commander Webber knows that.

[Lord Steve]

And Flight Lt Dumbreck.

[Brad Zarse]

Along with crash test pilot Davidson.

However, I disagree that spectator deaths would end the event.  Your ticket clearly states that Motorsport is dangerous.  It always amazes me that in Europe, we put catch fences around catch fences to avoid spectator injury and financial ruin - yet in a land where you get sued for looking at a barman in an inquisitive manner, you can almost sit on the track.... I know which one I think has the balance right as well.

<edited because "barman" originally said "batman" - which put a WHOLE different twist on the event!>

[Rhino]

Watching the race is a big percentage for me, but the whole planning through the year, meeting up with friends at the track and the camping experience is also crucial. Love watching as the sun rises.