Le Mans Classic 2010 photo thread.....

[elansprint71]

Damn........... I was hoping nobody would reply.

[alexblack13]

AB

[elansprint71]

OK; I guess that I have about 18 months before we start the build-up to the next one.....

[Old English White]

Hi Pete ,
Seems we ll never have time to meet during that race ...
Anyway , you are right , few months before the next . Let's continue to show that sunny week-end. We all need to get warm again.
Car #62 ll be around , for sure. So do I. Never too close in the pits , because at this moment , I have my job done. 2010 wasn't that good for #62 & LMC except in practice ... Should have been great after the Tour Auto victory ... The thing is , an Elan is so light , the tracks & tyres so hard on it that it almost need to be rebuilt and adapt to each event ... 3 mens(and what men !) on it after their working day wasn't enough ...
But , in addition to those races , 2012 should mark an anniversary ... a 50th anniversary(not only mine!).
Maybe I am the first to mention it but , if one of us is about working on its Elan , he'll better have to hurry ... 2012 should be busy.
Christian.

[alexblack13]

Quite a tonic in fact. I have now made up my mind to take the Elan back again next year as part of my retirement celebrations.

I will have approx 3 months to go then.

Can't wait..

Thanks for the tonic Peter.....

[elansprint71]

Christian, Alex- we must sort out a proper meeting next time. I saw both your cars, Old English on the (over-crowded) club site and blue-white on the ferry out and at Oueistreham on the way back.
I actually find LMC hard work, firstly I've got the stress of making sure that the CLOGs are cosseted in their luxurious 1c cabins, I have to navigate several cars across not only France but England too, with various breakdowns and diversions and re-builds en-route (not to mention the fact that my normally reliable Elan decided to misbehave). Then there is the aggro of getting a communal (pre-booked but that means bugger-all) emplacement/pitch on the campsite (ACO take the money in October, then shit on you). Then, despite the fact that I'm working for the event organiser, I have to argue the toss with every lardy jobsworth that the unemployment centre has managed to place for a few days at the event, in order to get my accreditations to do the job that they asked me to do in the first place!
I love it really; the folks at Peter Auto are absolutely delightful and could not be more helpful, however the ACO still think it is 1789 and the English are helping the aristos to escape The Terror.

Loads more photos to come, when I get the chance.

[alexblack13]

... Yes a bit more forward planing next time then.

I must admit Carol and I are not overly into camping these days although it has its benefits, such as location for eg but there are a few downsides, like loo visits in the middle of the night (You will not have got there yet Christian) Especially for Mrs B...

I did not have the same level of 'stress' on the return trip as I had going. I was up to a high on the way out worrying about everything. However everything went very well. Hotel was acceptable & we met some great folks there. Into and out of the circuit worked (Just about!) and the only spoiler for us was the heat which we found unbearable. We had one panic on the Sat' getting into our CL parking when a local plod decided to do his own bit of traffic management.Resulted in a bit of an argument which we won, but it nearly went all wrong..

How would it be if we started in plenty time to plan a trip which included the LMC and we based ourselfs in (say) 3 hotels for a 10 nighter (?) A visit (say) to the Millau Bridge? and a meander back up to LM? with a passable hotel for the group. The fast hotel we used was not bad at all and had great facilities on its doorstep, but admittedly lacked the camp site atmosphere. Good though, and was about a 15 min drive to the track / camping Area.

Where were you parked at the circuit Pete?

Al' .....

[pharriso]

Shall I keep on posting these- I can't tell if anyone is interested.

Please do, I love them...

[512BB]

elansprint71 wrote:

Shall I keep on posting these- I can't tell if anyone is interested.

P Harrison wrote:


Please do, I love them...


And so do I Pete, keep going!

Leslie

[elansprint71]

Go on then.... but I'm up to my ears in Mini engine woes at the moment... and than there is that Elan to fix up.....

Alex, last year we were on Maison Blanche, which is marginally less bad than Carting Nord yet infinitely better than the stony field towards the airport.
ACO shit on the fans year after year (which is pretty ironic, considering that they hardly provide anywhere for the fans to shit); they took the full balance for my party booking in October, yet ignored all requests for confirmation of tickets until May!!!!! Brittany Ferries, on the other hand, just asked for 25 quid per person and took the balance six weeks before departure.

The laws governing camp sites in France are pretty strict as regards what must be provided for one's paying guests. The ACO has no hope of complying with these laws and now calls their stony wastelands aires d'acueil which I think means "welcome areas". Bastards.

[alexblack13]

Hhmmm! I'll not bother with the camping Peter... Now that we have been and have a bit of experience of what's what and the weather (heat!) I am so glad we had a room with air-con. Man that was hot. I was paranoid and worried my car was going to overheat big time but thank goodness it didn't. Much to my surprise. My cooling fan control worked perfectly. Yes!

It must have been a nightmare trying to get some sleep in that heat never mind the normal campsite chaos..

Great weekend still and looking forward to going again.

Alex....

[elansprint71]

......
It must have been a nightmare trying to get some sleep in that heat never mind the normal campsite chaos.....
Alex....

"Sleep? Don't talk to me about sleep- I worked a straight 28 hours (no wonder some photos were blurred) suffered extensive smoke inhilation (from the CLOGbarby) drank like a fish- thanks to a Driver/Entrant Area pass and suffered a total lack of fruit and veg for eight days".

"Aye, but at least thee got paid; think of us as getten nowt; lived like Pikeys in a midden; licked track clean with us tongues for thruppence a week, aye, and considered us sen kings amongst men... just fo t'priviledge of being there"

"Luxury..... you had it easy...."



Be back next time.

[hartley hare]

"And you try and tell the young people of today that!! ..... they won't believe you. "

"they won't"!...

great pic's...

stu.

[alexblack13]

I have been there and done that honest. Trips and events various. mainly Kart race meetings. How on earth I did it is beyond me now..

Last time I was in a tent was a trip in Europe touring with the Z4.. We stopped in Bregenz in Austria (By the bodensee as the Germans call it) We had had a great night. Wonderful weather etc and unknown to us we arrived the same time as Elton John who was live that night doing an open air concert. We got the lot and I well remember dropping off as he was singing 'I'm still standing'.... Nae Luck bud.. I was in my bed.... Just heaven!!

Just got the news 1 hr ago that I am now a Grandad!!! No hope for us now eh?

Take care guys...

Alex...

[Old English White]

'You old bugger's !
For the third time 2006,2008 & 2010, in a secret , comfy (showers with hot water!) and very quiet place (despite the Matra's and Cossies engines in the distance) in area of Arnage:



Christian.