June 2006 Le Mans

[forumadmin]

Enjoyed another trip to the 24 Hour race at Le Mans. A fairly uneventful trip down, thanks to the new motorway. Didn't see any police, or many other cars for that matter. My friends also lost me at the first toll peage, so I made my own way there. I used the new motorway and it does make the drive down very stress free.

Saw one NSX at the tunnel crossing in Calais, L6 NSX, is that anyone here?

The new exhuast seemed to be louder than anyone elses, and caused quite a few TVR and Ferrari owners to slow down to see what was making the noise in the tunnels.

Didn't get to meet any other NSXer at the track. My bad on that one, sorry. Didn't realise the pitlane on Saturday wasn't for the public. I was waiting at the middle entrance for about 30 mins, in a red euro NSX club T shirt.

Here are some of my pics, hope there's some more from other NSXers. Some may recognise the yellow TVR who accompanies me wherever I go.

The trip back was via the Champagne region, where I stayed one night with a champagne producer. Free flowing champers certainly went down well! Also driving in a different direction to every other English car meant I missed the traffic again.

[Senninha]

What a great weekend's motorsport!! Took the scenic route down to Le Touquet on the D940, lots of open sweeping tarmac with little other traffic and Police free! :D

Saw NSX 2000's Circuit Blue in the carpark but no others. By the end of the weekend the DB9's, AMV8's and the red cars were becomming rather common IMO.

I made the pitlane on the Friday but missed out on the Saturday. Stopped of at a lovely Chateau Sunday night an hour and a half north of Le Mans which led to a quiet and free drive to the tunnel on Monday.

Just a few photo's from the event. Hope everyone had a safe a trouble free journey.

Regards

[Senninha]

And here's the top three finishers during the driver parade on Friday....

plus a night shot from 4am just before I went in search of my pillow after having walked around the top part of the circuit to get various different views.

Regards

[Greybloke]

Well I was there, saw no NSX buddies, but had a great time anyway :D

Quick drive down on Friday, staying at a gite with 10 other petrol heads near La Lude about 30 minutes south of the circuit. Spent all day at the circuit taking everything in, and chillin with a few beers. My favourite corner Arnarge at midnight, then off site for a decent sleep :lol:

Back to watch the overnight survivors on Sunday morning, watching from Mulsanne corner. Then back to see the finish from Granstand.

Out to a remote rural resturant in the evening, with my 10 co guests, and head back on Monday (with a few hundred others :roll: ) saw plenty of police, a VW camper burnt out, but some very cool cars. Highlight for me would ne the Rouen tunnel - wow my Dali exhaust is very noisy!

If youv'e ever been tempted to go, do it next year, a real hoot.

[trackdemon]

L6NSX - thats me. Was dashing to make our crossing with some mates! I saw S2NSX over the weekend and bumped into someone from here @ Arnage on friday morning - sorry cant remember who?
Rouen tunnel was great fun coming back :twisted: 360, Chimaera, Griff & NSX. We backed up the traffic then took it in turns to floor it - NSX sounded brilliant. Great weekend, with a good group - here's our convoy:

http://trackdemon.co.uk/misc/DSC_0172-01.jpg

[Senninha]

Trackdemon,

Thats an impressive looking convoy!! Apologies for not seeing/meeting you over the weekend.

Whats the logo you all have on your car doors??

regards

[kowalski]

Yep another great Le Mans,

Travelled down on the Tuesday night from Dieppe on the new motorway, unfortunately in a massive thunderstorm, new road is good though, beats the single lane and multiple roundabouts of the old one.

Took the car out for a drive on the friday, down to Arnage and the pub on the straight. On the way back through town got pulled by 2 motorcycle cops, not for speeding but just for them to have a look around the car before giving me the thumbs up and a smile and waving me on my way.

Met Dale (NSX 1) briefly in Le Mans village, and got accosted by the crowd outside Maison Blanche into revving it up and doing a burnout, at which point met Peter (710) who came back for a chat and a drink. The only NSX I saw was a blue one, W6 NSX on the way back from Rouen.

Had one moment of heart failure on Sunday evening after the race, got the car out on the track for a bit of spirited driving (cops were watching French footy game!) Took the car through Indeanapolis at 85 on the rev limiter, braked for the left hander into Arnage only to floor it again at the apex.

The engine cut out and all electrics failed so had to coast to a halt, thought ide broken it!! Turned out that the battery had slid sideways tearing the wires out of the positive terminal lug! Luckily a five minute fix with a multitool and on my way again.

The car got a lot of positive attention, always a small crowd around it taking pictures. Had a bit of fun in a traffic jam in the Rouen tunnel with an Enzo on the way back. I blawped the exhaust, he replied twice, I did 3, he did 4 then a lotus 7 tried to join in and we both deafened him!!

My 5th Le Mans, cant wait for next year! Hopefully we can make a proper meet next time

leigh

[Greybloke]

Leigh

I think you were parked near the TVR cew, as your car was spotted by some of my convoy?

I didn't see one all week end :cry: Great pics BTW

I agree we should make a greater effort next year to get together.

[kowalski]

Was opposite this lot on Maison Blanche, friends of yours?

Maybe next year we could get some stickers made up like some of the other car clubs, get some t shirts etc to help with meeting up.

leigh

[NSX 2000]

leigh,

It was me you saw in the traffic jam at Rouen, my friend was driving at the time. We then took a short cut :lol: , and then you caught us up again heading back on the motorway towards calais :wink: .

On the way down on Friday we saw 5 sets of Gendarmerie all looking to nick anybody speeding :( . On the way home on Monday we only saw 3 :cry: .

On Saturday night we left the track and had a very nice meal then came back at about 1am to go down to mulsane but ended up in traffic jam :evil: . So at 2am we gave up and headed back to our Hotel and got in at 3am, so we didn't get to see any night time racing this year :evil: Very pissed off!!!!

I did however turn up at 12:30 on the saturday for the pit walk and found I couldn't get in :? So I called Peter from Belgium as he had called me on the Thursday, but he was still sitting in the camp site :( .

I've been going some 14 years now and due to all the cops and getting stuck in the mother of all traffic jams at 1am!!!! this was only an OK year :cry: . But I still booked for next year :lol: .

If I can figure out how to down size the photos I'll post some up later.

Paul (12 months and counting till next year :) )

[kowalski]

Hi Paul,

I think you must have going very slow on your short cut for me to catch you up.... Don't think I exceeded the Speed Limit once over there :wink:

In truth this year there was a lot more cops this year, but generally they were friendly.

Your car looked good, my passenger was trying to get a pic of you and the enzo but ran out of memory on the camera, got one pic though (you can just see enzo's mirrors behind you)

leigh