Le Mans - A place where you can see heroes weep

[crapcarcollector]

Enjoyed that.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. First time I've watched anything to do with Le Mans for years and years. Feel very sorry for that Aston that crashed out, leading its class, with 46 minutes left. Harsh. 

[Junkman]

That Aston thing in the end was really a shitty piece of luck.

Overall it was one of the most enjoyable editions of the race, with nobody getting as much as injured.

It was a though one to the end.

[jonny69]

Yeah that Aston smash right at the end was a harsh reminder about Le Mans. The race isn't over until you cross the line etc. Plenty over the years have found out about this one the hard way!

[richardthestag]

great weekend, fucking knackered now and Stag has another million things that need fixing. Got there and back on its own power though. and only a little drama

 

 

Vacuum advance fault and rad full of wallpaper paste appear to be root cause. White Stag with bonnet open and half a dozen blokes scratching their heads while i worked became a legend in Beausejour.

 

 

 

[Sloth in a bowl]

I took a lot of junk photos and a few that worked, this is the best I have found so far.

 

 

 

Will post more once I filtered out the shite

[jonny69]

^ I think Murphy's were the team I was getting most excited about. They did really well!

[Junkman]

Car looks reasonably shite.

 

Where are the other pics???

[panhard65]

I got back at midnight and will upload some crap pics when I get back home tonight. I couldn't tell you much about the race other than a Porsche won and we escaped the rain during the race. I can confirm though that lots of beer was consumed and it was a great atmosphere as usual but I am sure there were a hell of a lot more people there this year. I really should pay more attention to the race rather than going shopping for old crap. It was fun pottering around the Bugatti circuit on a 1963 Peugeot BB though.

[phil_lihp]

Something like 265,000 this year apparently, a record according to the LeMans Radio chaps.  I got back at 11PM last night, it was a good weekend.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Le mans photo album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/113220255@N05/sets/72157654243838616 not my best photo set, was too busy watching the racing to think hard about taking pictures.

 

A few samples.

 

Lucas Ordóñez signing a fan's arm during the drivers parade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[panhard65]

A few odd bits of shite as most of the pictures from the track came out really crap.

[Slappy]

Managed to finish my catch up last night having mostly managed to avoid spoilers (but thanks to a Datsun advert popping up on my phone's Facebook feed, the winners got ruined...). Pulled a 17 hour stint on Monday to get most of it in, and the rest last night.

 

Conclusions:

 

Can LMP cars now be too reliable? I'm now longing for Group C, where each and everyone could break down at a moment's notice.

 

Vis a vie: Toyota, only 8 or 9 laps back, a couple of years ago that may have been good for 2nd and 3rd, this year it was 6th and 8th. Good to hear that they're starting from scratch for next year in the powerplant stakes.

 

How good is Audi's forward thinking engineering that they can get a car which has just made a 150+ mph impact with some armco into the pits, check the crash structure and fix a new nose onto the thing in just 3 minutes?

 

Datsun's PR team really need to dial down the Sunset Yellow in their breakfast cereal, well done on getting a car to the finish chaps, but there's a LOT of work ahead to make that design competetive. Pushing physics as hard as the LHC does will not come easy.

LMP2 is utterly brilliant, and the ACO really need to take a good hard look at themselves for even thinking about changing the regs for 2017 (just because Oreca and Onroak are whinging about profitability, yet there were several new designs to hit the track this year including theirs, it's all about survival of the fittest).

 

Aston Martin seem destined to be the bridesmaid after throwing themselves at things that weren't clear track. The 96 was unlucky that it got spooked at just the wrong moment, the 98's rather bizzare demise with 45 minutes to got was just heartbreaking.

 

Even with 22 and a bit hours gone, the fact there were battles for position was fantastic and I'm glad that the Vette won. Should have put money down at a reported 12/1....

 

The sofa that my landlady won on eBay for 99p the other week is extremely comfy and I climbed off it not feeling as if I'd spent the whole day slobbing about on it. I adopted a position akin to a racedriver's for the ultimate race-following experience

 

Being able to fast forward through adverts really is a blessing.

 

I REALLLLY want to go next year!

[panhard65]

Time to dig this thread out again. Is anyone going this year ?? I am setting off with the caravan this evening for an early morning ferry to Cherbourg. If any shitters are going let me know we are there all week and could meet up.

[Junkman]

I'll be finally travelling back from fucking Curryland Saturday, thanks God.

But thus I will even miss the start on livestream, ffs!

[spike60]

I've been more than I haven't in 3 spells starting in 1988 but this year is a no go due to usual parner, No1 son, moving house. First year since 2007 I'll not be there, it'll be a new experience seeing it streamed. We'd had our fill of the campsites some years ago so I got cheeky and asked a French filly if we could stay with her next year, we've been there ever since so I really hope that continues next year. If not, N24 and hypothermia here we come again. At least the rain is warm at La Sarthe.

[jonny69]

Time to dig this thread out again. Is anyone going this year ?? I am setting off with the caravan this evening for an early morning ferry to Cherbourg. If any shitters are going let me know we are there all week and could meet up.

 

I'm going this year. Heading down from Calais on Thursday morning in the Ami and camping in Tertre Rouge.

[panhard65]

I'm going this year. Heading down from Calais on Thursday morning in the Ami and camping in Tertre Rouge.

I will catch up with you later when I am not being charged 1.50 a text by rip off ferries if anyone else is there and wants to get in to the aco and out of the rain pm me your number

[155V6]

There's a 30 minute programme on Eurosport at 10.45 tonight.

[dome]

I need to do this at some point. Radio LeMans is as close as I'll get though

[forddeliveryboy]

I'd like a live feed to Jonny's cyl head temps and road speeds! Hope the car behaves and you all enjoy yourselves.

[Mike D]

I'll be there this year, camping on the Porsche curves, i'll be in a yellow 911, pop over for a beer if you see me

[Junkman]

You'll see, Porkers are faster than Toyopets in the end. This must be the closest and most thrilling edition I ever saw!

With merely two hours to go, we have the first two cars fewer than 30 Seconds apart.

Also, make no mistake, there are still those two Aldis in striking distance, and the fat lady has yet to sing.

 

These are going to be the best two hours of racing of EVAH.

[dollywobbler]

It is building up to be a fantastic finish. I'm using a live stream on YouTube allied to Radio Le Mans commentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoXSKf-fyLk

 

http://www.radiolemans.co/2016/06/12/le-mans-24h-2016/

[Junkman]

I'm on here: http://www.racedepartment.com/live-stream/

You'll also need this: http://live.fiawec.com/#

[Junkman]

I knew it.

That Japaneserish tosh will never catch on.

[dollywobbler]

Gutted for Toyota. That is absolutely astonishing. What a race.

[Junkman]

I mean, did I really see what I just saw?

[155V6]

An unbelieveable finish 

[dome]

Gutted for Toyota I'm a Porsche fan but that was cruel luck.