Le Mans '06

[skid]

Well it's over.

I couldn't go this year and Christ have I taken abuse off my Mates!

Text messages questioning my sexuality for missing a petrolhead beer tour does make a grown man feel uncomfortable.... but hey it's the least amount of sympathy they'd expect from me if they let the boys down! ha ha

So Audi won this year with a 5.5l V12 diesel. Pretty phenominal really as thing has 850 ft/Ibs or torque plus good economy helping it through a 24 hour endurance race with speeds over 220mph around twisty French roads!

I sat here watching it live on satellite TV plus had the lap top open with live links to Radio Le Mans a local broadcast English language (and humour) radio for the area covering the race and with an internet link, plus the Le Mans home page had live chrono timing on each car with it's position and laptimes, and 'Racing for Holland' even had a live screen of their race car telemetry direct from the pits to the web.................... until they binned it!;o) Isn't technology cool!!!

I know I'm luckier than most having gone 3 times before but that actually makes it worse as sitting here on my sweaty arse is no cpmpensation for being there. When a good mate said to me on my first tour "Welcome to the wasting of the middle weekend of June for the rest of your life"......... by God he was right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yours, desolate, despondant, but determined never to let the boys down again.
Mark

 

[Anaema]

how did Pescarolo fare in the end, i missed it.

 

[skid]

A fighting second and 6th I think.

Should really have done it last year as it was ideal and they missed the opportunity.

For a private outfit against the might of Audi it's pretty impressive.

Rumours are that Henri Pescarolo himself will liquidate it all and be a consultant to Peugeot next year as they also intend to run a 5.5 V12 TDI engine but interestingly have a much rather wide V something like 112 or 120 degrees I think against the Audo 90 degrees.

Should be interesting next year and I encourage anyone with half a chance to go!!!!

M

 

[Tonyd]

Skid,

If you think the Le Mans 24 hours is good you should come to the Le Mans Classic held every two years. ( this year its on the 7th, 8th and 9th July)

Cars from every Le Mans race through the ages all on the track at some times during the weekend, with privateers giving priceless metal the chance to relive past glories with tail out powerslides and very close contact racing, you can wander round the pits to your hearts content, its not as crowded as the 24 hours and theres less idiotic japery. Its a far nicer atmosphere and just a more relaxed weekend altogether.

The UK Cobra Replica club have over 90 Cobra going this year with 60 Cobras on just one boat going over on the Wednesday!!

I'm taking the BMW Cobra as the first Lexus Cobra still needs wheels and tyres, a windscreen and interior trim otherwise I would have taken that one for a good run.

Cheers,

Tony

 

[cribbj]

Audi have dominated les 24 Heures du Mans as Ferrari did in the 60's. It's become a boring race, with the Audi's just whooshing by every few minutes, burning their high tech distillate fuel, with fragrances more like a high street chip shop than a racecar. Now apparently Peugeot plan to launch a diesel racecar, too? IMO, it's time for a 21st century version of the 60's Ford vs Ferrari shakeup.

I think as Tonyd indicated, the Le Mans Classic will be more entertaining. In addition to the Cobras, there'll probably be a handful or more of GT40's, both originals and replicas, along with a few Ferrari P3 and P4 replicas.

With all the resurging interest in legacy racecars, I wonder why Jim Hall hasn't commissioned someone to build reasonably priced Chaparral replicas? Looking at his website, it appears he & someone else are attempting to do it themselves, however these will probably be like the $750K Holman & Moody GT40 "replicas"; very nice, very authentic, but still priced way out of reach.