American Sarthe Trekers

[Fax]

Fair enough KPY, was going on word of mouth from a friend who had been there.  Was simply tying to save him the frustration of going there only to find a few bits of curbing, which was how my friend described it.
Fax

[Jonnyspa27]

Jonny, there's a location map and a bit of info here http://www.racingcircuits.net/France/index.html

(and is a useful starting source for other circuits of the world)

Steve,
Funny you should mention that because thats how I found out about Rouen's current state!  I think it is really unfortunate that they didn't keep the facilities, its not like they're developing it into a Wal Mart or an office building. I'd like to think they could have refurbished it like they are doing over at Reims but c'est la vie. They do have historic motorbike races every year and according to their site Ago, yes Giacamo Agostini will be attending this years meeting! Very exciting for them...

[Fax]

JS,
If interested in meeting Ago you may want to have a look at this.  http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=24924
Fax

[Jonnyspa27]

That looks pretty effin' sweet, nobody like Ago, a true living legend! 

[Fax]

Very great rider indeed, I was more of a Jarno Saarinen or Mike Hailwood kid personally.  Ago was a gifted rider but never had to work for a thing in his life, came from a wealthy family and had everything handed to him  Saarinen doubled as his own mechanic and raced on a shoestring, and still blew Ago's doors off.
Fax

[Kpy]

I think it is really unfortunate that they didn't keep the facilities, its not like they're developing it into a Wal Mart or an office building. I'd like to think they could have refurbished it like they are doing over at Reims but c'est la vie.

Far from the site being developed as a Wal Mart, it's a public forest with loads of facilities for walking, picnicing and cycling. There have been occasions when the road from the old pits to Nouveau Monde was closed to allow collectors' cars a blast down the hill. Last time I went to one of those events things got a bit fraught...
I think the pits area was leased by the Automobile Club de Normandie, which was taken over (before the demolition) by ......... the ACO.

[BigH]

KPY,
I know the work at LM isn't finished yet, so we could all stand to be corrected (although after looking at those aerial pics of the ongoing work, I doubt it), but are we losing something in the translation here?
It seems the ACO do not really have an appreciation of why their race is so popular or what makes it special. It looks from this side of the water as if they are trying to alienate the racing fans and downgrade the spectacle. Or are we missing something? - what's the opinion of the local French fans?
H

[Fax]

Speaking of demolition of landmarks, has Montlhery been flattened now too?  Last I heard it had been closed and was headed for the wrecking ball and bulldozers.  That would be tragic, far more so than Rouen.
Fax

[Fax]

Have to admit to being mystified at the French lack of regard for their motor racing heritage.  I'm a bit of a Francophile, Didier Pironi and Patrick Depailler are among my motor racing Gods, I think Natalie Dessay has one of the most exquisite voices on the planet, and I want Julie Delpy to have my love child.  But erasing great places like the circuits at Rouen, and Montlhery is mind boggling.  This isn't even including the butchering of the circuit of Le Mans and selling Ricard to the Poison Dwarf!
Fax

[Andy Zarse]

I'm a bit of a Francophile, Didier Pironi and Patrick Depailler are among my motor racing Gods

Fax, what you said about Agostini in the othere thread could be applied equally to the Didier Pironi. Rich mummy and daddy etc. Personally I never really forgave him for Gilles.

[Fax]

Agree completely Andy, both from wealthy families, both very gifted (Francois Cevert another example). Unlike the vast majority of the kiddies with silver spoons stuck in their mouths.
I've always understood there was a lot more to the Imola situation than the Villeneuve biased media reported.  Mark Hughes did a nice job of reviewing things a few years ago in Motor Sport, and Gerald Donaldson of all people and Mauro Forghieri came out in defense of Pironi in a article a couple of years ago as well.  As I've always said, look at the Reuteman-Jones, and Arnoux-Prost situations, which in both, team orders were far more clear cut, in neither case did Carlos or Rene get crucified the way Didier did.  Had Gilles not bought it two weeks later the whole thing would be a non issue today.
Fax

[Andy Zarse]

Good points Fax, logically I cannot argue whatsoever. But as i said, "I never really forgave him". I was 18 years old when Gilles died, I totally hero-worshipped him and these things have a habit of leaving a lasting impression for right or wrong.

[Fax]

I worshiped both of them, and has been often pointed out, they were quite close friends until the 1982 San Marino GP.  I have some lovely memories of watching GV racing in the Atlantics against guys like Keke, Bobby Rahal and Tom Gloy.  Some very good memories.
Fax

[Jonnyspa27]

I wish I was able to have seen Gilles race but I was only 3 when he was killed. I do remember reading in F1 about Peter Windsor's relationship with Gilles and he spoke of Joann warning Gilles not to think he was so clost to Didier. He didn't even send Gilles a wedding invitation! Either way the end result was tragic for motorsport and a great champion was lost.

[Fax]

I'll give you a couple of heads up on some of the things Andy & I brought up. First of all, without being a jerk, you really had to be there and understand the state of the sport at  the time, VERY dangerous (in and out of the cockpit) era.  Advice no.1 Don't believe a single thing Peter Windsor writes, ninety percent of it is complete fabricated bullshit, the pinnacle of it being that utterly bogus article he wrote in F1 about four years ago relating his "Interview with Jim Clark" which would have happened when he was about ten!  Goes on & on about how he met him in a airport lounge and Jim told him about the handling qualities of this & that and how he had to go Indy and test the new turbine car, the whole piece was SO full of sh*t!  I met Francois Cevert and Jackie Stewart when I was that age too, but I'm not for a second going to try to fill anyone full of BS about the details of it, I was pissing down my leg with awe and they signed my program, thats it!  The other Windsor article about the US F1 winners, where he f**k*ng forgot Peter Revson! That was a thing of beauty also.  Windsor was no closer to GV than I was!  They guy who had his head up GV's ass was Nigel Roebuck and he's the one most responsible for DP's vilafication.
Advice no.2 As I said, you had to be there. Anything written by w**k*rs like Windsor, Adam Cooper, Matt Bishop, etc. and the rest of the journalist wannabe's under forty (Windsor is over forty which makes hime even more deplorable) is 99% BS, they weren't there and are writing on what they read in a book...Probably by Roebuck.
Fax