Le Mans 24Hrs 2009

Looks like you were camping in a farm area Sean.

Lee has been there since Wed morning, he's had a great time with his MotoX mates. They travelled in vans and took push-bikes to get around - they've been all over the place!

I kept getting texts to say how good the racing was, especially the Corvettes this morning.

See you next year at the Classic.
 
Well we finally arrived back home at 04:15 yesterday morning. A mere ten hours drive in total and all through the night. Dusk was just falling leaving the ferry, and dawn just broke as we arrived back! Hmm, maybe I should apply for a drive in one of next years Aston’s! :D

We both had a fabulous weekend, and a big part of that was the amazing hospitality shown to us by Sean. :bow: Thanks Sean, it was great to meet you, and please do pass on our appreciation to Philippe and the boys too. They were so nice, but we two ‘ignorant English’ couldn’t quite portray that as much as we would have liked. :eek:

It was my first Le Mans and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the atmosphere was great throughout. The noise coming from those Aston LMP cars was just sensational, and the thunder from the Corvettes was too. I would definitely say I enjoyed the racing at night the most. The engines seem louder and the noise carries more, and I know it’s a bit showy, but I love the illuminated racing numbers and the position lights on the side of the cars as they flew past, it really does adds to the spectacle.

I can’t really call it an exciting ‘racing’ experience though, but that’s understandable with the format it is in, indeed the final forty five minutes or so involved a lot of slow driving to allow fellow team mates to catch up for a p.r. finish, and even stopping in the pits near the end to get the cars washed and polished so they look better in the photos! Unbelievable, and a shame, but it didn’t stop me loving every minute.

Other highlights were;
Seeing all those amazing cars on the journey there and back, in and around the circuit, in the car parks and on the campsites. (Probably worth the journey in itself)
Getting to sit in a 370Z on the Nissan stand. My backside fits perfectly in the seat, as if it were meant to be! :D
Walking along the pits on the Friday. The cars were all in bits, but a great experience none the less.
The weather. Maybe a tad too hot, but better than rain!

And a special highlight was getting a drive in Sean’s 240, my first drive in an S30 other than mine. It’s amazing how similar the two cars are, but then completely different too. Least not the power steering which I have to admit I always thought a ‘bit wrong’. But having experience it, I’ve changed my mind, I like it. Would I do it to my car? Erm……….err…….I don’t know, maybe.

On the whole, an amazing machine. It feels really solid and stiff, sits well on the road and stays very flat around the corners, and is a ‘hell’ of a lot faster than mine. I love the S12 gearbox too, which is a definite upgrade I will look at for mine. I was a bit worried the experience would make me like my car less, but thank God it didn’t. If anything, I like mine even more now, as I now have few upgrade ideas. Thanks again Sean.

And on that note, I have another very special mention to make. A big thank you, and appreciation to……………………my 260Z! I didn’t really expect any trouble from it during the journey, but there is always that worry with a thirty-five year old car, but it didn’t splutter, cough, miss a beat of any description for the full 1400 miles or so we drove, while passing on the way, a broken down Ferrari, Mustang, TVR, and an old MG! What a car!

A thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish! :thumbs:

Oh, and Sean, I discovered a way to pick your nose in the Zed without anyone seeing you! ........Park next to a fluorescent orange Lambo!!!!! ;)








Nosepick.jpg
 
Dale, glad you enjoyed it - see I told you that Sean would look after you!

Have spoken to my lad Lee since he got back - he said just the same as you, atmosphere was amazing, racing not really hot enough to be exciting (apart from Corvettes during Sunday morning) Astons sounded fantastic, diesels too quiet. Also he thought the nightime racing the best- it just came alive.

He took a pushbike and cycled around the track via backlanes to see at various vantage points, a total of 20 miles in all. He and his mates dressed up in fancy dress and went into Arnarge one evening on their bikes - he went as Julias Ceasar (complete with sword). On the way home to the UK they stayed overnight in Calais and someone recognised him as the 'Ceasar' man even though he was normally dressed:thumbs:.

He will be with me next year at the Classic if you fancy coming over :cheers:

These old Zs are reliable too aren't they?
 
Ha, ha - thanks Dale.....Lambos and even Zs aren't that easy to find here - you did enjoy having an itchy nose here AND the attention (for the car) didn't you ?

The French expression - finger in the nose, expressed in English means 'so easy' - you could translate it as 'one hand tied behind your back'. And (both) your company was so easy with us - a pleasure and hats off to you AND your Z for the distance travelled to be with us.

.....but I thought the northeners could drink.......!
 
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