Thanks for finding those well done videos. The track and facilities look very much the same as in '66 when I attended. Really fun to now look at the cars in their day. This year was good racing as well - the Corvette team made a valiant effort after the crash but had some engine issues with both cars. The coverage available this year was amazing, between the web site and tv not much was missed. Nothing can compare with actually being there, as with most any event, with all the sounds and sights, not sure I would want to do it again as in '66 - drove to Le Mans and just slept a few hours during Friday night in my car and then again Saturday night. Found a hotel on the way back toward Paris on Sunday night and drove to Koln the next day, good memories.
well Ryan! the 8 time winner of LE MAN Tom Kristensen, knows the HAMB! here he is checking out my 32! -palle
It was November 1982 and I was in the middle of a two-week vacation through Europe, and I had decided to devote 1-day to travel from Paris to Le Mans. I took the first early morning train from Montparnasse station and about 2 hours later arrived at the village of Le Mans. Now to find the Circuit De La Sarthe. I thought my French was going to be good enough to ask where the track was. 20 minutes later I was still asking. Finally a bus driver told me the track was just beyond the end of his route--about 30 minutes away. At the end of the bus trip the driver directed me to a small bridge from which I saw the grandstands of Le Mans for the first time in person. I was pumped! I ignored the bus drivers advice on how to go the final quarter mile, and took a short cut, finding myself crawling under a fence and running across a multi-lane French Interstate. I had no idea what to expect. Perhaps take a few photos of the grandstands and that would be it. Then I heard cars from the inside--fast cars. They would come by, then, the sound would return perhaps 2 minutes later. It must be a drivers school! I had to laugh. I thought I knew a lot about Le Mans history, but I didnt know it had a smaller track. Its called the Bugatti Course. Now I had to find out if I could get in. I had a camera hanging around my neck so I hoped that would answer why I was snooping around perimeter fence. Finally I found an unattended open gate and just as I got inside a track maintenance worker walked from around a corner. I quickly raised my camera and smiled. He never broke stride he just waved me through. I have been fascinated with Le Mans since the days of Porsche 917k and now I was walking through immense empty grandstands, which really has very few seats. All that concrete is for lying down or standing room. This was great. Could I get closer? A tunnel under the front straight leads to the inside of the track. There are almost no buildings in the paddock behind pit road. Nothing resembling a garage to work on the cars before the race. There is another gate leading to pit road. No security around so I walk through the gate and into history. I walk across pit road to the wall separating the track. This is incredible! Try doing this at Indy! Im going to try to get someone to drive me around the track. There was a very small lounge in the paddock. It was packed with drivers from the drivers school and their wives and girlfriends. It had the smell of a bar without air conditioning. My glasses steamed over. I attempted to ask if someone could take me for a drive. Just my luck 50 people and not one spoke English. Finally the Chief Instructor showed up. I wish I could remember his name. A big tall man. Ill call him John Wayne. After asking Wayne for a drive around the track he just sort of stood there with this look of puzzled disbelieve on his face. The room went very quite. Finally Wayne spoke. Voo Vant to ddrive da track weeth me!!!??? . You could hear a pin drop. SURE I said. In a heartbeat we were both headed out to one of the schools Renaults. As we were buckling up Wayne said he had drove in a few IMSA road races in the states. He took it easy just long enough to get a photo of the Dunlop Bridge in turn 1, then he cuts loose. I have this memory of tires squealing and the engine screaming at full throttle. Im trying to focus the camera and take photographs as I look out the front windshield and it seems were headed for the weeds. To my right I could almost touch the guardrail, and then John Wayne slams the car into a hard left turn and were soon back on the front straight. WOW! We did 2 laps at full speed. Feel the tension-man what a ride! Back in the drivers lounge John Wayne spoke to the gathering. Es from Caleefornia . which explained the distance and trouble I had gone through for my little joy ride. It was an incredible pleasure to spend a few hours at such a great racetrack. And John Wayne, if I ever meet you again the first beer is on me.
Hi Steve, Actually, Jimmy Murphy won the 1921 French GP which was run at the LeMans track, not the 24 hrs. The first, and some say only, victory in a GP by an American driver in an American car*. Bugatti didn't buy the Duesenberg. He bought the two Miller 91 front drives that Leon Duray took to Europe in 1928. And yes, Bugatti's Type 51 and subsequent engine designs were heavily based on the Miller. Of course, Miller's designs were heavily based on the 1913 Peugeot GP car that won Indy so it all sort of comes full circle. *Dan Gurney won the 1967 Belgian GP at Spa in his wonderful Eagle Weslake. Some argue that the Eagle wasn't really an "American" car in that it was designed by a Brit, the engine was British and the team was based in the UK. Being an unabashed Gurney fan, I don't buy it. Cheers, Kurt O.
Does anyone have the details on the diesel engines that taken over the P1 class for the last decade at Le Mans? I have googled over the years and cannot find anything more than superficial squat.
I was a 19 year old G.I. stationed with the Army in Germany near the French border in June 1960. I had some prior experience around sports racing cars,and I had been to Sebring in 1959, but I still was short in the Guts department. I read about the Cunningham Team bringing the Corvettes to Le Mans and thought to myself,Gee I'd like to contact them and volunteer for the crew. Of course I didn't go through with it and didn't get to Le Mans. Later I found out that Briggs Cunningham welcomed G.I.s to his team and put some to work that asked ! Oh boy, I kicked myself for a long time over that one. I did get to the Nurburgring and still have the photos in the paddock of the Ferrari's with Phil Hill and Richie Ginther; Graham Hill, Colin Chapman, etc. Tom
That is awesome!!! i've been watching endurance racing for around 5 years now and absolutely love it. would love to meet the driver lineup of kristensen/capello/mcnish. and hopefully someday experience le mans in person
Thanx for a wonderful historic film. Enjoyed it soooo much, very cool. Duntov is such a cool dude!! Thanx again for the experience. ~Sololobo~
Palle, pretty nice looking 32. Leman is one race that I hope to see in person. It is one of the few races anymore that really interests me. Good thread-Jim
So I know its not France, but lets all get together for a HAMB event next year for the 24 hours of Daytona?!?!?! I am going. I bet LeMans doesnt have a Hooters right across the street
The HAMB never stops amazing me. I neevr though all you guys would be LeMAns fans. It's been something I've wanted to experiance for about 40 years.
Mosport has their Vintage event this coming weekend (June 19-21). Heck of a lot closer (to me) than having to "jump the pond".
This was the first time I actually tried to watch the whole thing. Passed out around 3:00 am, woke up to the trophy presentation! I was glad to see the Audi's take the top three positions, but sad to hear the #64 Vette didn't finish after their incredible thrash to get it back on the track. Still kinda pissed at the Peugeot prick for taking the Vette out in the first place, but I guess thats racing. Aston Martin Vantage coupes are beautiful cars....
I got a VIP ticket to Le Mans when AcDelco sponsored our prostock team in 2001, we had the Camaro on display on the main square behind the pits for a whole week. We were in the VIP room just across the starting line at the start with some celebs as King Carlos of Spain etc etc. It was a truly amazing weekend with the extra VIP threatment on top of things. One thing I remember is sitting on the balcony at nite watching the exhaust flame and the glowing discbrakesin the dark. My buddy felt asleep in the lounge chair next to me and immediatedly the crew put a warm blankett over him so he shouldn't be cold. Early in the morning we where looking for the men's room to brush our teeths and we were given bags with all you could ask for and directions to the VIP showers. Also the moment in the danish beer tents celebrating Kristensen's success is a good memory. The worst memory of this experience was when the Cadillac burnt to the ground after a lap ot two and the other one broke down a few laps later. What happened to the Cadillac effort? My advice is, if you want to go, go. Memories of a lifetime. A meet and greet mite be a good idea for 2011?
I just got back last night - it´s a crazy experience to be there, for sure. Lack of sleep, coupled with 200mph firebreathing cars running through the forest at 3am was just kind of dreamlike. It´s already all a blur...
A former co-worker was on the Cadillac sportscar team. He told me that the budget wasn't anything close to what Audi was spending and they eventually pulled the plug on the project. This website has a lot of good information on current and past cars --> http://www.mulsannescorner.com/
could probably be arranged...he's a super nice guy! sorry this year for another Dane.. Jan magnussen, 4 time winner in a corvette! they shouldnt had changed the engine from 09! he will be back for sure. -palle
My old nascar ford torino that was entered in the 1976 24 hour lemans race. The only time nascar cars were entered.........
That's an awesome link, thank's man. My memory fooled me as the Cadillac burnt down in 2000, sorry about that. As we had the ACDelco crew uniforms we were kindly invited into the pits of Cad's and Vettes and I remember how surprized I was over the extreme amount of computer wires and such. A technician tried to explain the functions to me but to no help.. After a while (this was under the open pit when you'd have to pay 150 euro for entrance to the pitwalk) we heard some noise and looked out through the front and there was a huge crowd with japanese tourists. They thought I and my buddy were the drivers so we jumped to the task and let them have their pictures taken with us .. Sorry but it was sooo fun.
does anyone know if the Classic is ever broadcast? http://www.lemansclassic.com/dress-code guess I cant go since I only own tshirts.......... and this channel on You Tube is AMAZING http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U99536rhH0
http://www.lemansrace.com/deptcontent/radio-le-mans/75/ get some white overalls ........it's all you need . . . .
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