Hello to all my fellow Le Mans Petrol Heads.
Well in doing my research for this years event I have been giving google a good run and found this site... This years Le Mans will be my 7th Le Mans equalling that of my late younger brother (Jon) who first went in the days of the 956's (when he was 14) as I had to stay back for exams (bloody exams!!). If only I knew what I was missing!
Just a note on the title of this post - well more a short tale of a father (my Dad) who loved the sound of the rotary 787b and was supporting the Mazda against the Might Mercs (whom my brother was a big fan since the days of Mike Thackwell in the then Sauber Mercedas Group C (which you all know then became the Group C Factory Merc).
Well the Mercs were running away with the race and if my memory serves me right the last leading Merc dropped out on Sunday and the Mazda took the lead... Well I didn't atten this race (1995 McClaren was my first Le Mans) but my brother and his friend Steve went along with my Dad... As soon as my Dad heard the Merc was out and the Mazda had taken the lead he passed this information onto my younger brother and his friend steve... the only thing was my Dad had his ear phones in, as he was listening to Radio Le Mans... so he didn't just tell Jon and Steve that the Mazda was in the lead... he literally blasted it so that everyone else arond the Shopping area just up from the pits could hear as well... suffice to say my brother was so embarrassed... but we laughed about it everytime we remembered it...
This is 10 years since my last Le Mans with Jon (1997) when Joest beat the factory GT1 Porsches. He always told me in his opinion to stand say 300m down from the Dunlop bridge on the outside of the track to get the best view for the first hour or so... he was so right... you hear them in the distance blasting off from the start the the fly under the bridge jockeying for position before having to go single file through to Tetre Rouge...
As you may have guessed I love Le Mans. I am buzzing here at my desk in London. I wish I was heading there today and had taken the whole week off!
Anyway I will be there for qualifying on Thursday and then the Race on Saturday and Sunday...
See you all there (well not literally...)
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what Le Mans is all about!!!Have a great time mbailey, I'm sure every minute will be a memorable one.
H
