Lmes

[wishy]

Well done to Johnny Herbert and Alan McNish ......on taking first and second at Monza today.The last 40 minutes was brilliant in the heavy rain......just goes to show ghow us Brits can drive in the rain compared to our fellow dry weather competitors,from around the world.

Wishy

[Perdu]

It was brilliant race, as you say especially in the rain. Good to see all that coverage on MotorsTV too.

I'm just worrying whether I am getting too keen on the actual car racing... Will I start watching all the action next month? Does Anoraxia beckon? Is this how it all begins?

Will I have to miss out on meeting Paula, Jayne and RS2Babe just to stand and watch cars?

Ooh it's a worry!

 

 

[wishy]

Perdu

While you were watching.Did you see the lack of spectaors?

I wonder if Canada Phil and Matt have any comments on the Alms serie?

Wishy

[Mr Toad]

Perdu - it's a massive trap! Stick to the main things like alcohol and BBQ's - otherwise you'll become a meat paste sandwich eating fan with a flask of warm lemon drink.. milky, milky!

[wishy]

Mr.Toad

Don't worry you can be seirous when there is racing  on TV......on the real weekend the only time I will wear an anorak is if it is raining.

Wishy

[Canada Phil]

ALMS is great. I can reccommend Sebring for the 12 Hour and Road Atlanta for the Petit in September this year. Sebring wa about 100,00 and Petit 50-60,000
Matt can explain about R2D2 and the need for huge amounts of Ice to keep the Beer Cold so one can watch and drink at the same time.
Anyone wanting to do the trip? arrangements can be made to meet you and include group camping arrangements. Club Arnage Fans not a commercial venture I hasten to add. Ask Smokie if he had a good time Mosport in August is such a short race it would only be worth doing if you are going to be over this side anyway.
Canada Phil

[smokie]

I had a GREAT time but most of that wasn't mosport related, eh Phil?  

Seriously...get across the pond once to see something if you can - you WILL be able to see it (unlike LM) and for sure you will be hosted in grand style...

[Dave H]

Couldn't agree more with Phil and Smokie - it's the dogs over here.  However, it certainly has a different feel than Le Mans - the party is still loud and crazy, but certainly not a direct substitute - more like a good augmentation - and there's nothing wrong with a good augmentation if you know what I mean.  My neighbor's wife is a good example.

Anyone heading over the Indy for the 500 or USGP?

dh

[Matt Harper]

Perdu

While you were watching.Did you see the lack of spectaors?

I wonder if Canada Phil and Matt have any comments on the Alms serie?

Wishy

Hi Wishy
At the beginning of the year, we went to Daytona for the Rolex 24 Hours - and watching the review on TV, the place looked empty - mind you it's a massive facility. There were probably around 50,000 people there - but all in the infield - not in the stands.
Same with Le Mans coverage - aside from first and last 2 hours, the plce looks worryingly short of spectators on TV.
Generally speaking, all forms of motorsport are more heavily promoted and fan-friendly than in Europe. NASCAR and NHRA events are always a sell-out. ALMS has a strong and loyal following, uses excellent venues and makes the fans feel part of the whole deal. Nothing like as popular as stock car racing, but accessible, fun for all the family (seriously) and reasonably good value.
I suspect that European fans are more knowlegeable - Americans just love going to auto races.
At risk of hammering it to death, ALMS also uses a very clever transponder system that enables the spectator to visually identify 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each class by colour coded lights on each car. It would be invaluable at Le Mans - why they haven't adopted it, is anybodies guess - but it really adds to the spectacle when you can easily determine track position at any time, day or night.
Matt

[jpchenet]

I agree Matt, the lights system would do well at Le Mans, particularly at night. Surely it can't be that difficult to fit to the cars that don't go to the US.

Did they use them at Sebring?? If so lots of the cars must have them, already.

[Fax]

JP,
The lights were used at Sebring and have in fact been in use for a couple of years now.  As you said, they come in very useful any time of the day but especially at night.  I would tend to disagree with Matt one one point, that regarding the knowledge of motor racing fans here in the US.  Taken as a whole I would agree, NASCAR fans in particular are more of a weird cult than true racing fans.  However I would say that road racing fans in the US are as knowlegeable as any in the world.  Many believe that a big reason for the sucess of the Petit, Le Mans is that it fills a autumn void left by the departure of F1 from Watikins Glen at the end of 1980.  Real road racing fans here in the States have never embraced the USGP at Indy and are unlikely too even less know that its been moved to June.  Road racing and in particular sportscar racing has a rich history over here with the Can-Am series and IMSA and dare I say its been far healthier over here for much its history and especially in recent years than in Europe.
John

[wishy]

Matt

You were talking about the coloured lights to make the spectators aware of the car positions at Sebring...etc.  

Don't quote me but at last years race I could have sworn that there were marker lights fitted to the cars for the same purpose.......mind you I could have been mistaken through the alcoholic haze,and i'm sure radio lemans talked about it as well.

Wishy

[Perdu]

Oh buggerit! Now I'm beginning to worry for real. Have you seen the last few posts in here? Getting more serious?

I can rely on RadioLeMans to tell me who's doing what, to whom, mstly. Don't want them telling the same about me though....

Never fear for Bill, he will never allow any mechanical contrivance to take his mind from the truly important things in life..... Paula, Jayne, Rs2Babe, beer, jayne, beer, Paula more beer more Paula Jayne, Mrs Rs2Babe, beer, more beer, beer and more....

Well I bet you get the drift...oh yes Mr Toad, barbies and pools too. A man needs priorities after all, and standards!
 

I thought there was a very small crowd too. Nearly empty around the podium. Compare that with the hordes around the podium at Le Mans last year, weird. Great spectacle though!

Bill

[Matt Harper]

You must have dreamed it Wishy. These are not marker lights - usually roof or door mirror mounted - to help identify cars to pit/signalling crews during the hours of darkness.
They are mounted in the side of the car, usually in the door panel or rear quarter panel. They are 3 large LED's Red (LMP), Green (GTS) and Blue (GT)
If 1 light is on, the car is leading it's class, 2 it's running 2nd etc., etc.
It allows the spectator to follow the action in an enduro and means you can leave trackside for a few bevvies, a barby or even some shut-eye and pick the whole ting up when you get back. It also indicates when two cars are racing for position - all in all a lot more involving.
Radio Le Mans is better than nowt, but it's obviously not constantly updating track position and could never report a diving manoever for 2nd place in GT at any particular spot on the track. Le Mans needs this system - I can't think why they wouldn't embrace it.  

[Fax]

The position lights are nice but of course from time to time contact between cars can throw wrench into the lighting system.  There was a car circulating at Sebring (can't remember for the life of me what it was) that clearly had taken a pop in the side and its lights were flashing sequentially up like airfield landing lights.
John