Le Mans golden Era well and truly over???

[Rhino]

Out of interest, on BSJ the toilets were cleaned by a team of cleaners who turned up in a van. Was this the same elsewhere?
Surely they can't be getting rid of the cleaner families.

[DelBoy]

Out of interest, on BSJ the toilets were cleaned by a team of cleaners who turned up in a van. Was this the same elsewhere?
Surely they can't be getting rid of the cleaner families.

On MB, we had the usual 'cleaner families' - residing in a camper (or caravan??) parked right next to the shower facility.  So no change for us!!

Del

[grumpy]

Out of interest, on BSJ the toilets were cleaned by a team of cleaners who turned up in a van. Was this the same elsewhere?
Surely they can't be getting rid of the cleaner families.

On MB, we had the usual 'cleaner families' - residing in a camper (or caravan??) parked right next to the shower facility.  So no change for us!!

Del

No change on HA either.  Caroline and Thierry did a great job as usual.

[lynxd67]

My first visit to Le Mans was in 1969, the age of the GT40, so I think I can claim to be a seasoned veteran of sorts. The days of straw bales, no safety for the drivers and no facilities started to really change in the 1980's but the circuit has been so modified in the last 15 years as to be unrecognisable to anyone from that era. The new Tertre Rouge is, IMHO, a complete and utter farce as was proved by the Audi. With the changes they can lose it early and hit the new gravel trap or, and this is most likely, lose it on the apex and all that awaits them is the armco. Indianapolis is now much safer with the big gravel trap after the first part, but the second 90 degree left hand bend, where they are braking from 180mph, is still damned dangerous with a minimal gravel trap before the barrier - witness the second Audi that lost a wheel there.

The problem is really health and safety plus the drivers union and overall the great god money. We are no longer allowed to get close to the action in case we get hurt and sue - witness the horrific accident of 1955 with 83 spectators dead when Pierre Levegh's car exploded and the engine went through the crowd like a missile. The photo of a child decapitated still sitting on his father's shoulders still haunts me to this day. Imagine how much that would cost in damages today. Like F1 circuits (Monte Carlo springs to mind where in the old days cars went into the water) life has moved on and we have to move with it. In the 1950's with the full 2.5 mile Mulsanne straight cars hit 180mph, but in 1994 one car (a Peugeot 905) set an unofficial record of nearly 250mph. It was the manufacturers who asked for the chicanes so they didn't have to make a special bodywork just to bring to Le Mans.

Today, I reckon the cars could easily hit 300mph on the old Mulsanne, but in the event of a tyre blow out then death is sure and certain. Do we want that? I don't think so. So, safety has been improved and the circuit modified but as was seen this year the Porsche Curves are still very unforgiving and, as mentioned above, Tertre Rouge. Allso remember that the Peugeot hit 222mph between Mulsanne and Indianapolis in practice too.

Personally I long for the "old days" when we could get close to the action, but frankly it isn't feasable any more. Witness the horrific accident at Goodwood in the Festival of Speed when one marshal was killed and one lost a leg. Incidentally, I doubt that many of you know that there is a brass plaque in his honour at the post just after Arnage. It is on the inside of the armco where he used to marshal and it was his favourite of all marshal's posts anywhere.

I'm afraid we must nowadays understand that, as has always been known, motor racing is dangerous, and live with the changes. I remember at Daytona in 1992 when a Porsche lost its front spoiler on the entrance to pit straight and missed the wall and hit the chicken wire above resulting in one very big wreck. Imagine the catastrophe if there had been no fencing and just the wall? I could go on.

If though, there was one thing I would change it would be the spirit and attitude. Water pistols are fun, but filled with piss? Chavs and bling do not, to me at any rate, form part of the Le Man spirit. I hope you concur.

[Lazy B'stard]

Well I was shocked to find the option of Chocolate had gone on the Grand Marnier Crepe stall!!! I will never go again- Bastards. Ended up doing our own, had about a half dozen and got to lick the bowl out afterwards-mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Although I was saddened the hear that the Tetre Rouge section had been messed with (my favourite part) I headed up early on Sun morning and stood high up on the bit that juts out just after Chappell (the last grandstand I think) and the view is now unbeatable, you see all the way from Dunlop down to the top of Mulsanne through what is left of the trees. At night it looks magical. Had a happy hour up there and cannot wait to get back for the classic next year when it should look even better when the trees have had a chance to recover.

[Paddy_NL]

Well said, lynxd67.
But having visited Sebring this year, it makes me wonder why the fences are so high at low-risk points around circuits here in Europe. They almost only seem to be there to tease the spectators sometimes. I mean, why a barrier and two high fences at the Ford chicane at LM? More to keep us out, just in case some nutter climbs the fence, me thinks. The cars only do about 40 mph there

Barb wire the top and put electricity on it, but don't spoil our view!

[lynxd67]

Paddy, we've seen it all. Go back a hundred years and a suffragette sacrificed herself under the hooves of a horse for the cause. People have climbed towers, jumped off bridges, and yes climbed on to a race track for a bet when drunk, so nothing is new. In today's nanny state we must be protected from ourselves at all costs, all risk must be eliminated, and the world become grey. People are less protected against illness because they have never eaten slightly off food is another example so sell by dates are rigidly observed.

I've watch the chicken wire proliferate all round the circuit (the outside of Mulsanne used to be a great viewing point) but, if you use a telephoto lens the wire more or less disappears from the photo so it isn't that bad but you need the right equipment - a point and press can't cope.

But I am totally and utterly shocked that the Chocolate Grand Marnier crepes no longer exists! What is the world coming to?

PS It is, as usual this year, pissing down here at Le Mans. 

[Andy Zarse]

It was the manufacturers who asked for the chicanes so they didn't have to make a special bodywork just to bring to Le Mans.

And an FIA ruling on the maximum length of straights. Glad I saw it before it changed though!

[Andy Zarse]

Witness the horrific accident at Goodwood in the Festival of Speed when one marshal was killed and one lost a leg.

Coincidentally I saw the marshall guy who lost a leg this morning up in the finishing paddock at Goodwood. He was in a wheelchair in his marshalls uniform. I can report he seemed to be enjoying himself and quite a few of the drivers/riders made time for a chat, particularly Troy Bayliss the World Superbike rider. Bayliss also seemed very keen on the idea of riding the spaceframe JPS Norton Commando circa 1973. 

[Bas]

Witness the horrific accident at Goodwood in the Festival of Speed when one marshal was killed and one lost a leg. Incidentally, I doubt that many of you know that there is a brass plaque in his honour at the post just after Arnage. It is on the inside of the armco where he used to marshal and it was his favourite of all marshal's posts anywhere.

I know, actually his colleague (Steve) who lost his leg at Goodwood was there marshalling again just like he did last year.

[Rhino]

Steve was marshalling at Le Mans this year. He was asked to move from his marshalling post during the race.
Heres a link fom 10/10ths
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97528&page=3

[Robbo SPS]

Blimey. Get away from work and he forums going expressive.

I thought the louts had lowered in numbers tis year, although we didnt do Houx RAb this year. we opted to change the scenery.

One of the lads in my group was a little expressive on the way down, and was spoken to about his behaviour, and could be clased as chav. But he moulded in with us soon after and was very good.

On the saturday night we too ( me ) were approached to engage in fist fighting due to some plonker being a little expressive with his fizzy lager fuelled belly. A few words of wisdom from myself and he decided the french lad enjoying himself was now ok.

There will always be idiots, amybe as a few get older and dont go out so much, you maybe miss whats going on in the world around you.

The atmosphere was strange. I couldnt hear anyone around me sing the national anthem ( although i was singing with brass and assisted by Kronebourg ) So..

Next year please sing louder, show off your tue patriotism.

Otherwise, Le Mans goes forward with time, just like the Mondeo is now a good car ( it used to have character ? ).

So...

Just one more gripe.

As we are all fans of the racing...

where's the post saying how good the racing was, and how great it was to see the barging on track ??

[Jager]

Although I was saddened the hear that the Tetre Rouge section had been messed with (my favourite part)

I was surprised that there hadn't been more comment about the changes at Tetre Rouge. This was also one of my favourite places to watch the race and one of the few places you could get close to cars and still get decent photo's by sticking your camera lens through the 2" x 2" wire mesh without needing a 400mm zoom. The new section now looks just like so many other corners on F1 circuits and of course the fans are now protected at a suitably safe distance. Give me the old section any day.