Classic LeMans first timer tips?

[decapman]

Actually am posting for a mate who is attending CLM for the first time, in a modern Porsche, with his adult son

I haven't been so cant help
But does anyone have some top tips to get the most from the experience?
Any great hacks or insider knowledge?
All replies gratefully received

I am sure other people here will be interested too if they are considering the event one day.

Marcus

[hot66]

Actually am posting for a mate who is attending CLM for the first time, in a modern Porsche, with his adult son

I haven't been so cant help
But does anyone have some top tips to get the most from the experience?
Any great hacks or insider knowledge?
All replies gratefully received

I am sure other people here will be interested too if they are considering the event one day.

Marcus

I've not missed a year since 2004, its a great event.

The trip down is as much of the experience as the event. Go cross country and enjoy the countryside. Don't autoroute it.

To get the best / essence of it , IMHO you should camp. If he's in any doubt, just watch the film LeMans and see the crowds all camping , getting ready for the race etc . Additionally the campsites are where you see some great cars & meet some great people too.

Get away from the circuit centre & drive to Mulsanne etc

Arnage in the dark ... thats what makes CLM for me & the reason I keep going back

Have a beer in Arnage village and watch the cars go by

Beyond that, just enjoy it and take life at a slow pace and turn your work phone off

Theres loads of other info etc but don't have time to write it all down

[Bootsy]

One tip. If you see Bootsy buy him a glass of red or champagne

[abzadams]

One tip. If you see Bootsy buy him a glass of red or champagne

You met a lot of people in '08!

[Bootsy]

Bloody good set of pins those and tight buns to match I may add

[hot66]

That was a funny night

[Gary71]

That picture had to emerge!

My friend from work who’s now coming with us asked me today about any prep I do to the car etc. I was like “errr pump the tyres up?”

Oh and get Euro breakdown cover!

Actual tips:

Be prepared for any weather from torrential rain to so hot it melts the tarmac.

As James said the night time at Arnage/Idianapolis on Saturday is a key moment. Stay as long as you can.

Watching a D-Type come down through the trees to Idianapolis at 3am is proper hair on the back of the neck stuff.

And then to be woken at 5:30 in your tent by a 917 howling past your head...

Memories

[Gary71]

Also you can get high above the pits in the grandstands at night on the Friday which makes for some cool photos

[jury]

https://vimeo.com/100287592

[sisu]

Each time I go to endurance events like LeMans, Nurburgring24 or Burning Man the same philosophy applies. Take your time getting there. Taking a slightly odd route away from the hordes means you get space to take in the event. There will be traffic so for lunch that does Oysters, Canapes, Main course, Light Dessert and suitable drinks as an accompaniment in keeping with the culture and with endurace event you are going to. A visit after to a local market to walk off the meal and stock up on some fresh ingredients for the meals and drinks at the event. If you want to stop off at a larger town which has a better market then this would be a good espresso stop off and a good chance to stretch the cars legs too. If the destination is more than 5 hours in a day of driving I like to take another day. So I can stop off somewhere and then next day have brunch or coffee and arrive mid afternoon.
Once at the event remember this is going all day and into the night. Take ear plugs and eye shades, pace yourself and enjoy a nap in the late afternoon, I have a hammock that I use, but a tent will suffice. This is so that you can take in some late night or early morning jaunts. As this is what sets this apart from regular party's so don't try and stay awake all the time as you have a long drive too.
The return home is normally the reverse of this if the restaurant on the way was great or had a broader menu than expected. But I like to mix it up given the choice.

[KS]

Or do it the journos way...queue for ages to get your press pass, walk for miles back to the track to then queue to get your trackside photo pass, then grab an hour or two's sleep at about 3.00am if you can, drink beer, walk the track, pass the time of day with other zombie-like journos, drink beer. Realise it's all over, drive home. Oh, and then realise you've got the time of the ferry wrong and have to drive like a lunatic to get back to Roscoff. Repeat in two year's time.

[decapman]

Thanks guys
Some useful tips here, always such a good response here to life's queries!

[mycar]

Never short of great queries here on DDk.

[anglophone1]

Chris's vid says it all!
2014 was the year my white/green 1974 911 was stolen in southern France two weeks before CLM.
Unsurprisingly i wasn't there that year. weather looks awful!
Will be there in Jaffa 911 this year, driving down with DDK tunnelers, although not camping - to bloody old for that now [BandB 20 mins away]
Track laps a must on first visit IMO.
Arnage early morning is spectacular, if extremely alcoholic, pits at night ditto, Mulsanne Sunday morning good too.
917s at full chat good at any time!!
it's still the best big classic meeting I've been to , makes Silverstone Classic look very average.
Be in the McQueen "Le Mans" movie for the weekend!
C

[murph2309]

https://vimeo.com/100287592

That was a wet one.... '16 was scorching....

Still love that video What was the music again?