Le Mans 2009 advice
05-25-2009, 01:19 PM
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Le Mans 2009 advice
Hi All,
I was watching the Monaco grand prix yesterday on Speed Channel and the guys were talking about being at Le Mans on the 13'th and 14'th of June. I'll be in Paris for most of June and thought it might be a great event to see in person. The logistics appear pretty simple -- TGV trains leave the Montparnasse station in Paris every hour and arrive in Le Mans 55 minutes later; shuttle buses then take you directly to the track. The festivities out in Le Mans begin on the 10'th and the race is the 13'th through the 14'th. It appears that there are still tickets available for everything except the pitwalk.
Looking at the Le Mans official website it appears that there will be two Porsche RS Spyders entered in GT1 and five Porsche 997 GT3's entered in GT2. This includes the Flying Lizard team out of Sonoma, California.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has attended the race in the past and might be willing to offer tips on where to go and what to do during race week. Also, anybody familar with the Flying Lizards who might know of any team events or parties that take place out at Le Mans.
I've never attended an event like this before so any advice is appreciated. Also, if any Rennlisters plan on attending it would be great to hear from you.
George
Williamsburg, VA
1995 993 Guards Red / Black leather
I was watching the Monaco grand prix yesterday on Speed Channel and the guys were talking about being at Le Mans on the 13'th and 14'th of June. I'll be in Paris for most of June and thought it might be a great event to see in person. The logistics appear pretty simple -- TGV trains leave the Montparnasse station in Paris every hour and arrive in Le Mans 55 minutes later; shuttle buses then take you directly to the track. The festivities out in Le Mans begin on the 10'th and the race is the 13'th through the 14'th. It appears that there are still tickets available for everything except the pitwalk.
Looking at the Le Mans official website it appears that there will be two Porsche RS Spyders entered in GT1 and five Porsche 997 GT3's entered in GT2. This includes the Flying Lizard team out of Sonoma, California.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has attended the race in the past and might be willing to offer tips on where to go and what to do during race week. Also, anybody familar with the Flying Lizards who might know of any team events or parties that take place out at Le Mans.
I've never attended an event like this before so any advice is appreciated. Also, if any Rennlisters plan on attending it would be great to hear from you.
George
Williamsburg, VA
1995 993 Guards Red / Black leather
05-25-2009, 02:34 PM
#2
George,
I go pretty much every year. The cafe half way down the Mulsanne on the left just before the chicane is a fantastic location, I was there a few years ago with a mate from New York and as the cars rip out from Virage de Mulsanne about 1km away you can tell whats coming just by the engine note; Detroit, Stuttgart, Maranello.. awesome! At night when the 911's pass the whole rear end glow red with heat as do the brakes. Also Arnage, fast left in and then a slow right into the forest. There's a banked area you can sit on.
Behind the main Grandstand is fun, not for the racing but the shear volume of car clubs from all over the world, sadly the UK seems to be exclusively represented by TVR owners that look like Pit Bull's left in a microwave for too long.
and... by strange coincidence I was on a flight last year out of Atlanta to Tampa April time and the Flying Lizard team were on the flight, jolly nice chaps invited me to the 12hr they were doing that weekend.
Its 60:40 if I'm going, if I don't I'd recommend you get transport of some sort, its a huge circuit.
Chris
I go pretty much every year. The cafe half way down the Mulsanne on the left just before the chicane is a fantastic location, I was there a few years ago with a mate from New York and as the cars rip out from Virage de Mulsanne about 1km away you can tell whats coming just by the engine note; Detroit, Stuttgart, Maranello.. awesome! At night when the 911's pass the whole rear end glow red with heat as do the brakes. Also Arnage, fast left in and then a slow right into the forest. There's a banked area you can sit on.
Behind the main Grandstand is fun, not for the racing but the shear volume of car clubs from all over the world, sadly the UK seems to be exclusively represented by TVR owners that look like Pit Bull's left in a microwave for too long.
and... by strange coincidence I was on a flight last year out of Atlanta to Tampa April time and the Flying Lizard team were on the flight, jolly nice chaps invited me to the 12hr they were doing that weekend.
Its 60:40 if I'm going, if I don't I'd recommend you get transport of some sort, its a huge circuit.
Chris
Last edited by Uber 911; 05-25-2009 at 04:39 PM.
05-25-2009, 03:41 PM
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Hi Chris,
That is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for! Thank you very much. I've got a couple more questions if you can spare a few minutes...
Do you think it is worth going out to Le Mans earlier in the week for any of the events?
Do you ever get a grandstand ticket for the race itself or is a general entrance ticket good enough to really enjoy the event?
Are there many Porsche Club groups set up at the track? I couldn't find anything about this on the Porsche Club of America web site but maybe there are some European Porsche Clubs on site?
From your comments and from others I've seen online it appears that the true Le Mans fans enjoy the night hours as much as any other time of the race -- small groups hanging out on the curves or in the grandstands at 2am drinking wine or coffee and listening to the cars as they fly by. Is this true? If you spend the night out on the course is there any place around there to hole up for a few hours and get some sleep when dawn rolls around?
It appears that they have tried to solve the "transportation around the circut" problem for 2009 by setting up a free shuttle service that connects the Museum entrance area with the Mulsanne and Arnage curves. The shuttle bus runs from 3pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday. It's on page five of the offical race brochure in PDF form located here
http://www.lemans.org/sport/sport/ca...9/24h09_gb.pdf
Let me know if you think this might solve the transport problem you were talking about.
Thanks again for all your advice! I really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to the race.
George
Williamsburg, VA
'95 993 Guards Red / Black leather
That is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for! Thank you very much. I've got a couple more questions if you can spare a few minutes...
Do you think it is worth going out to Le Mans earlier in the week for any of the events?
Do you ever get a grandstand ticket for the race itself or is a general entrance ticket good enough to really enjoy the event?
Are there many Porsche Club groups set up at the track? I couldn't find anything about this on the Porsche Club of America web site but maybe there are some European Porsche Clubs on site?
From your comments and from others I've seen online it appears that the true Le Mans fans enjoy the night hours as much as any other time of the race -- small groups hanging out on the curves or in the grandstands at 2am drinking wine or coffee and listening to the cars as they fly by. Is this true? If you spend the night out on the course is there any place around there to hole up for a few hours and get some sleep when dawn rolls around?
It appears that they have tried to solve the "transportation around the circut" problem for 2009 by setting up a free shuttle service that connects the Museum entrance area with the Mulsanne and Arnage curves. The shuttle bus runs from 3pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday. It's on page five of the offical race brochure in PDF form located here
http://www.lemans.org/sport/sport/ca...9/24h09_gb.pdf
Let me know if you think this might solve the transport problem you were talking about.
Thanks again for all your advice! I really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to the race.
George
Williamsburg, VA
'95 993 Guards Red / Black leather
05-25-2009, 04:58 PM
#4
Hi George,
Your welcome...
As far as the events prior to the race I've never been so no idea, however I have been to many French 'outdoor events' and they do a superb job.. they do like their fireworks.
Your absolutely right about the evening, sipping wine, eating, chatting, watching cars, getting no sleep because of the noise! in a way that's the 'real' event - "can you say up all night just like the drivers?"..
In addition that time of year its +80f during the day so you really don't want to be walking miles.
When I take a trip over I follow the sublime to ridiculous rule.. roughing it out at the race and then off to a Chateau http://www.chateau-de-rochecotte.fr/index.php. Its about a 1hr drive due south of Le Mans and exquisitely civilised, they leave the bar open all night you just pay what you think, or can recall the next morning. Of course there are other places, let me know if you need some advice.
They will be a few Porsche Clubs there, UK, German and Dutch and a lot of others you'll probably not have seen in the US. Aston do a particularly good job and you'll see more Lotus Elise's that dead flys on a screen.
Now one of the big attractions for all those traveling to the race is the actual drive there, you will see an amazing and in some cases very expensive collection of cars, many of which(usually British) will be broken down on the side of the road! So I'd seriously think about 'entering the spirit of the event' and rent a car either from Paris and enjoy the 3 half hr drive or pick one up at Le Mans.
PM me and I'll send you a recording, about 4mb made on the Mulsanne.. superb.
best
chris
Your welcome...
As far as the events prior to the race I've never been so no idea, however I have been to many French 'outdoor events' and they do a superb job.. they do like their fireworks.
Your absolutely right about the evening, sipping wine, eating, chatting, watching cars, getting no sleep because of the noise! in a way that's the 'real' event - "can you say up all night just like the drivers?"..
In addition that time of year its +80f during the day so you really don't want to be walking miles.When I take a trip over I follow the sublime to ridiculous rule.. roughing it out at the race and then off to a Chateau http://www.chateau-de-rochecotte.fr/index.php. Its about a 1hr drive due south of Le Mans and exquisitely civilised, they leave the bar open all night you just pay what you think, or can recall the next morning. Of course there are other places, let me know if you need some advice.
They will be a few Porsche Clubs there, UK, German and Dutch and a lot of others you'll probably not have seen in the US. Aston do a particularly good job and you'll see more Lotus Elise's that dead flys on a screen.
Now one of the big attractions for all those traveling to the race is the actual drive there, you will see an amazing and in some cases very expensive collection of cars, many of which(usually British) will be broken down on the side of the road! So I'd seriously think about 'entering the spirit of the event' and rent a car either from Paris and enjoy the 3 half hr drive or pick one up at Le Mans.
PM me and I'll send you a recording, about 4mb made on the Mulsanne.. superb.
best
chris
05-25-2009, 05:13 PM
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George,
Sounds like a great time. That's definitely on my "automotive bucket list." Just a suggestion, but you should post this on the racing/de board as well. I bet a lot of those guys have been. Have fun!
Sounds like a great time. That's definitely on my "automotive bucket list." Just a suggestion, but you should post this on the racing/de board as well. I bet a lot of those guys have been. Have fun!
05-25-2009, 05:33 PM
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I've been twice before when I lived London. Now that I'm living in Paris I can't make it! Next year is a must!
To get a decent camping space you should perhaps go on the Friday.
You'll love it!
To get a decent camping space you should perhaps go on the Friday.
You'll love it!
05-25-2009, 05:50 PM
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Hi Guys,
Thanks for the notes. I've taken your advice Brian and copied the thread over to the Racing / DE forum as well.
For the race itself, I think I'll bring some space blankets, and some ear plugs and just curl up someplace early on Sunday morning if I need to. My wife and I have a place in Paris for the month so having a real place to sleep isn't a problem if I need it -- only 1 hour away by TGV.
I'd love to hear advice on buying a grand-stand ticket in addition to the general entrance ticket -- is the grand-stand ticket worth it? and what grand-stand would you choose?
Also, should tickets be purchased in advance? ( there is a will call at the Museum so I could easily do this from the states )
I really appreciate the advice guys. Thanks again!
George
Williamsburg, VA
Thanks for the notes. I've taken your advice Brian and copied the thread over to the Racing / DE forum as well.
For the race itself, I think I'll bring some space blankets, and some ear plugs and just curl up someplace early on Sunday morning if I need to. My wife and I have a place in Paris for the month so having a real place to sleep isn't a problem if I need it -- only 1 hour away by TGV.
I'd love to hear advice on buying a grand-stand ticket in addition to the general entrance ticket -- is the grand-stand ticket worth it? and what grand-stand would you choose?
Also, should tickets be purchased in advance? ( there is a will call at the Museum so I could easily do this from the states )
I really appreciate the advice guys. Thanks again!
George
Williamsburg, VA
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05-26-2009, 12:09 AM
#8
George, I've been about 10 times to LeMans. Yes, tickets are always available, never a problem. The grandstand tickets can be difficult. The race consists of a number of venues. Friday the pits are open, there packed and all of the cars are there, enjoy but be prepared for the crowd. The start of the race is always exciting, the activities in front of the grandstand begin about 10AM with the track being occupied by the vintage cars with some of the older drivers. The activity on the track before is exciting. After the race starts the grandstand clear out and the partying begin. Of course there is the Mulsanne straight, it used to be very accessible during the race, but not any more. There used to be a restaurant that you could have dinner during the race with the cars propelling by at over 200mph, not any more all changed. And then of course you must get to the Arnage corner after dark, an exciting place to see the race, cars come down a short shoot out of Indianapolis of about a quarter of a mile from a hard left to a hard right, a must to see. And then there is the Mulsanne corner, cars coming down at approximately 180MPH out of Mulsanne makes a hard right on to Indianapolis.
The best place to see the start of the race if you do not have a grandstand ticket is near the Dunlop Bridge. A good view of the bridge with a turn directly in front and from then you can walk all the way to Tetra Rouge.
Send me a PM. I know a guy who has great accomodations lined up and can maybe fit you in for a price. Transportation around the circuit is a key factor.
John
The best place to see the start of the race if you do not have a grandstand ticket is near the Dunlop Bridge. A good view of the bridge with a turn directly in front and from then you can walk all the way to Tetra Rouge.
Send me a PM. I know a guy who has great accomodations lined up and can maybe fit you in for a price. Transportation around the circuit is a key factor.
John
05-26-2009, 07:35 PM
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George - I'm new to Rennlist (well at least in terms of threads posted), but go to Le Mans every year and have done since 2000, missing only the 2003 race which i had to watch camped out on the sofa, glued to the Speed Channel - I was in NY at the time. Personally I'd not bother with the Grandstand but if you do, then my favourite have always been those opposite the pits. Best value is a general entrance ticket and just slum it with the rest of us, watching from whatever vantage point you can - and there are plenty to choose from. A good intermediate option is to buy a ticket to one of the budget-hospitality tents, such as that run my www.motorracinginternational.co.uk . This provides a good size covered tent and bar services with access to the raised-bank just before the last chicane going into start-finish straight. A good place to get a really good view of the cars. If it rains, its a handy plac to have access to. In terms of trasnport at the circuit, surprisingly legs will do - just bring some really good shoes as you will do an awful lot of walking, but then it provides a good outlet for the alcohol you will inevitably be consuming.. You won't be able to easily reach Mulsanne or the other bits away from the main grandstand area and in-field, but there are coach trips - but given the traffic, walking may not be that much slower. This year for the first time, I plan to bring a folding bike. The locals all seem to have powered mini-scooters! Hope this was helpful,
Tim
Tim
05-27-2009, 12:11 AM
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Hi Guys,
Tickets purchased! I got a general weekend ticket which gets me into everything for the week except the restricted areas of the paddock. I also got a grandstand ticket in #15 "Chinetti" -- it's right in the middle of the main grandstand complex. I tried to get one in the "Dunlop" grandstand on some Rennlisters advice but it was one of the very few that was already sold out.
Now to work on those train tickets...
Tim, thanks for the note about the hospitality tents. I had already purchased the grandstand ticket when I saw it. Let me know if you think I'll be able to see anything in the pits from #15 "Chinetti". Hopefully I'll be able to meet some of the Rennlisters at the event too.
George
Williamsburg, VA
Tickets purchased! I got a general weekend ticket which gets me into everything for the week except the restricted areas of the paddock. I also got a grandstand ticket in #15 "Chinetti" -- it's right in the middle of the main grandstand complex. I tried to get one in the "Dunlop" grandstand on some Rennlisters advice but it was one of the very few that was already sold out.
Now to work on those train tickets...
Tim, thanks for the note about the hospitality tents. I had already purchased the grandstand ticket when I saw it. Let me know if you think I'll be able to see anything in the pits from #15 "Chinetti". Hopefully I'll be able to meet some of the Rennlisters at the event too.
George
Williamsburg, VA
