[LM24] Le Mans Classic (merged threads)

[mikec]

Can anyone shed any light on this?
Whilst listening to the Classic Radio Le Mans interviewing a guy from Aston Martin I'm sure they said an announcement had been made to the effect that Aston were returning to sports car racing and would be at Le Mans next year.

[stefan]

There's a thread - and pictures - in the gt forum...

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=57013

[the18racer]

Despite enquiries with the ACO and Peter Auto, I still can't find out which hospital Neil Hadfield was taken to following his accident on Saturday. Can any locals or lon-time Le Mans habituees shed any light? The good news is that, according to this morning's Autosport, Neil did not have facial burns, rather he had burns to his hands, and that he is in a cheerful mood following surgery to repair his badly broken arm and shattered elbow and is likely to make a full recovery.

[the18racer]

Following Mikec and Stefan's posts, I did loads of recce work in our hire car before they closed the roads, trying to sort out some landmarks on the Mulsanne to help with spotting braking points, then, more importantly, working out which way the road goes after Mulsanne corner on the way to Indianapolis. There are two blind crests where the road jinks to the right. After Arnage, there is another blindspot before Porsche curves where the road jinks left. It's quite scary at 150-160mph and this little bit of familiarisation worked really well for me in qualifying and the races.

[FG1]

Originally posted by the18racer
Despite enquiries with the ACO and Peter Auto, I still can't find out which hospital Neil Hadfield was taken to following his accident on Saturday.

To my knowledge there is only one major Hospital in Le Mans, to the east of the city near the ring road. It has an emergency service and I can't think of anywhere else locally that would offer the service.

I've sent you a PM the18racer with the address.

I drove down the Mulsanne today (the wrong way as it happens) and thought of Neil Hadfield. I'm pleased to hear he's doing OK.

FG

[Heebeegeetee]

Originally posted by the18racer
On Thursday we (Green, Neumark and Maxted-Page and mates) ate at the Hotel de France in Chartre-sur-le-Loir, where the Aston team used to base themselves in the Fifties. Loads of memorabilia on the walls, etc. and the alleyway leading to the garage looks exactly the same as it does in Klementaski's photos.

Thursday evening? I was sat at the very next table dining with Martin Walford et al. Perhaps we should all wear 10 tenths baseball caps or something.

Great event, and could post some nice piccies if someone cares to remind me how.

Will probably make a week of it next time. It's gonna become a must do along with Goodwood, Monaco etc.

Heebee

[FG1]

The French paper Le Maine has an article on the Classic this morning (30th July).

To summarize:

50300 tickets were sold, and the ACO thinks that this proves thay are on the right track.

The ACO think change of date didn't affect the event's success.

The next event will probably again be in July, but possibly two weeks earlier. If I translate correctly "It's perfect for the visitors from abroad to have the event in the holidays, but there were fewer French attendees than expected." But they think the time between the 24 hours in June and the classic is also important.

The village lacked some life, and the traffic flow inside the circuit must be rethought.

FG

[TimD]

Some news I've been waiting for: those with Motors TV can tune in on Saturday at 7pm for a 45 minute review of the event.

I saw a Motors cameraman at the event so I knew they were covering it. Whether he'd want to be reminded that he was standing in the middle of the paddock access thoroughfare filming a Corvette, and nearly got run down by a Bizzarini A3C is debatable.

Next starter for ten - how on earth can they cover everything that happened in 45 minutes of television....?

[Aysedasi]

Originally posted by FG1

The next event will probably again be in July, but possibly two weeks earlier.

FG

Oh gawd. They'll be running it the moment the 24 Hours finishes soon..........

[Nordic]

Some news I've been waiting for: those with Motors TV can tune in on Saturday at 7pm for a 45 minute review of the event.

I think its moved to 1-2pm this afternoon (sat 7th)

[Nordic]

The motors coverage is pretty good if you get a chance to watch it, its well worth it.

Only marred by an anonnying sound track and a bit too much off track coverage in my view, & the fact that 45 mins is nowhere near long enough.

[FG1]

Just watched the review on Motors. Not a bad show. Too much periferal stuff as usual, but some great shots especially the in-car stuff. This includes the bonnet flying off the Allard, though no mention was made of the bad accident that this may have caused.

Other great in-car shots from e-types and of overtaking manouvres in the Plateau 1 stuff.

Well worth watching when in comes around again and you missed it today.

FG

[TimD]

Yes, I concur - not bad. Could have had a lot more racing, and the over-long static sections weren't helped by the jazzy camera work.

One peripheral thing I'm very happy they caught though - the singing marshal from Arnage. No one I've talked to seriously believed me, and now I've got footage of him. YES!

[racerkeke]

A singing marshal at Arnage? Do tell -- we don't get Motors here, and Speed is probably waiting until the dead of winter to show any kind of review, since it's not NASCAR.

keke

[Fab]

Hello mates ! I'm back from holidays, phew ! How hot it is those days on Mediterranean shore !

Tim, I'm sorry I missed the meetings in July, but we really were too tired (even my cel phone was "short fuel" !) - we won't do that trip again in 2006 (München-Le Mans by all the passes we found in Switzerland, with the Porsche), I'll focus on the Classic race.

Back to topic : earlier in July could be too close from the June event, IMHO...

[Mal]

Is the classic still going to be every two years or are they intending to make it annual?

[FG1]

Originally posted by Mal
Is the classic still going to be every two years or are they intending to make it annual?

Every two years. Next planned for July 2006.

FG

[FG1]

Originally posted by Fab
Hello mates ! I'm back from holidays, phew ! How hot it is those days on Mediterranean shore !

Good to have you back Fab.

FG