LM24 Le Mans 2009 - Page 2

sssssssss · 18 Jun 2008, 14:55 (Ref:2231946)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrimage

“Beauty” – as they say is in the eye of the beerholder…!

I thought the grid this year was one of the most beautiful and diverse I have seen in years.
I like the difference between coupes and open top and the Epsilon was simply stunning.
Then there are the different GT’s and LMP2’s – I can’t wait for next year, especially if the Japanese manufacturers also add to the current grid.
We can also hope for Aston LMP1 works entry in the future and hopefully more Porsche LMP backing.
Maybe even a new Audi and (I guess) a Peugeot second attempt.

I totally agree (although I'd like to see some other manufacturers as well... What about Mercedes trying their luck again?

). However, in the Audi department, although I am (roughly

) an Audi fan, I'm rather tired of the open prototypes sight. I'd love an Audi coupe, just for refreshing the looks... And of course, for having a more competitive car against Peugeot in terms of sheer performance.

The Badger · 18 Jun 2008, 16:59 (Ref:2232023)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cm209

Have you got any idea of the dates?

Its always the 24 week of the year .

cm209 · 18 Jun 2008, 17:10 (Ref:2232036)

The 24th week of every year.Okay

JAG · 18 Jun 2008, 19:28 (Ref:2232123)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Badger

I heard that he was looking at buying a 2nd RS Spyder .

I dont think Audi will release the R10 for a customer programe .

Audi could afford to be choosy in the R8 days, I wonder if they require strength in numbers in future years, especially if further manufactuers enter.

I still reckon we'll see something from Vitaphone.

AstonGeoff · 19 Jun 2008, 11:55 (Ref:2232568)

Quote:

Originally Posted by cm209

Have you got any idea of the dates?

Jean-Louis at our hotel has the 20th/21st of June pencilled in for the 24hrs in his bookings diary for 2009....

And yes we have booked, and put ticket request into ACO.

We are even contemplating going down for the Test day and staying on till the race. If I can get wifi access I can do some (not a lot) of work from there.

**PascaLM** · 19 Jun 2008, 11:59 (Ref:2232572)

Ok for the thread about 2009 but I have not finished my post-LM depression yet.

Marcel ten Caat · 19 Jun 2008, 12:25 (Ref:2232595)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Badger

I heard that he was looking at buying a 2nd RS Spyder .

I dont think Audi will release the R10 for a customer programe .

Let's just say that if Van Merksteijn gets everything he is talking about he can run the VMLMS

The Badger · 19 Jun 2008, 12:43 (Ref:2232609)

He sounds like a right happy chappy at the moment . Bet he never thought he would take the LMP2 title home with to the Nederlands .....

Great to see , I must admit that I never thought this VM effort would be up to much , absolutly delighted to see im wrong .

Spyderman · 19 Jun 2008, 14:53 (Ref:2232686)

He also won this:
http://germancarscene.com/2008/06/19...nts/#more-7805

**Aysedasi** · 20 Jun 2008, 07:03 (Ref:2233165)

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcosgt

Not sure...

I've been going since 1979, but this year was the least enjoyable by far.

For a start Audi annexed the whole of Garage Rouge where we've parked nearly every year and we ended up on Beausejour, which would be in another county to the village if it were in England!

Errr - Actually, that was really my only gripe - The ACO make it very difficult to get parking close to the circuit (and not everyone wants to camp).

Maybe I'll be back next year, but maybe I'll put my feet up in front of the TV and watch it on Eurosport/Motors.

Cheers.

I don't think that's entirely true, is it? Yes, Audi did have a substantial slice of the Tertre Rouge end of garage rouge but not the whole of it, by any means. We were able to park there without difficulty throughout the weekend.

As for the race - the best for many years as far as I'm concerned......

Quote:

Originally Posted by cm209

Have you got any idea of the dates?

I've assumed 13th/14th June 2009.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrimage

“Beauty” – as they say is in the eye of the beerholder…!

Indeed, but the 99 R8C was far better looking than any of the Audis which followed...... IMO

marcosgt · 20 Jun 2008, 08:15 (Ref:2233194)

True, Audi did not have ALL of it, but we were directed to the foul Garage Bleu on arrival on Friday evening and I never saw Garage Rouge tickets on sale on the website (it simply went from Available Soon to Sold Out!) - How did you get yours?

It was a good race, I'm just grouchy because a load of Audi hangers on got preferential treatment and it would've been just as good a race on TV...

I don't go to GPs partly because they're 'hospitality' driven, it's a shame to see Le Mans going the same way - Just witness the way large areas of what were once excellent viewing areas for the Enceinte Generales are now taken over by expensive stands.

Cheers

Sarthe82 · 20 Jun 2008, 08:57 (Ref:2233225)

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcosgt

True, Audi did not have ALL of it, but we were directed to the foul Garage Bleu on arrival on Friday evening and I never saw Garage Rouge tickets on sale on the website (it simply went from Available Soon to Sold Out!) - How did you get yours?

It was a good race, I'm just grouchy because a load of Audi hangers on got preferential treatment and it would've been just as good a race on TV...

I don't go to GPs partly because they're 'hospitality' driven, it's a shame to see Le Mans going the same way - Just witness the way large areas of what were once excellent viewing areas for the Enceinte Generales are now taken over by expensive stands.

Cheers

No offence mate but I think you need to step back and wonder how you would seriously prefer to watch the world's greatest race on the telly because of parking problems and a few corpies spoiling your view?

This was without a doubt the best LM in my recent memory, if the closest parking was in Paris and I had to finish the rest of journey on a pogo stick I can assure you I'd still be there, long may my obsession continue!

**Aysedasi** · 20 Jun 2008, 08:58 (Ref:2233226)

I got my garage rouge tickets in advance from 1st Tickets - have done for the last two years. OK, you pay a premium, but it's well worth it for the peace of mind.

Yes, Le Mans has become much more hospitality driven, but such is life - I'm probably more of a traditionalist than anyone here - I moan about anything that changes - but race-wise, in comparison to the processions we've had for many years, this was actually rather special, IMO.....

GT6 · 20 Jun 2008, 11:00 (Ref:2233347)

Yes I to can see the rise of the corporate hospitality at Le mans but it is still not over the top, new stands are erected, but you can chose to use them or stand infrount of them for free. There is still plenty of room for everyone and if you prefer to sit in a hospitality car trying to get through the massed fans or get out and walk like the rest of us it's your choice.

Without the income from hospitality suites etc the cost would almost certainly be much higher and also it might make Le mans less attractive to major manufacurers. A balance is what is needed and compared to almost every other sport I think Le mans is a lot closer to the fans.

**Dani Filth** · 20 Jun 2008, 20:40 (Ref:2233738)

Quote:

Originally Posted by PascaLM

Ok for the thread about 2009 but I have not finished my post-LM depression yet.

haha .. that sounded so much like what i felt ..
first few hours after the race I barely spoke .. it's a bit better now .. but 2009 it's not coming fast enough if you ask me

cmk · 20 Jun 2008, 21:41 (Ref:2233770)

Mr. VM may be talking about an R10, but is he talking to Audi about an R10? I would imagine that they would be even less inclined to ahve the R10 in private hands than they were with the R8, and they were already extremely choosy there. Given that the R8 ran in customer hands either against factory R8s or as semi-factory entries, there was never any chance of an older model beating a newer one (except in chassis age) and the privateers kept up Audi's honour during their 'break' from works campaigning, you know, the one where Juttner et al. kept on showing up everywhere anyway... In this case, if they do replace the R10 with a new P1, having the R10 beat it might well be against Audi's interests.

But hey, if VM can get one, good on him! They've done well (which is a credit to Equipe Verschurr as much as anyone).

marcosgt · 20 Jun 2008, 21:55 (Ref:2233780)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarthe82

No offence mate but I think you need to step back and wonder how you would seriously prefer to watch the world's greatest race on the telly because of parking problems and a few corpies spoiling your view?

This was without a doubt the best LM in my recent memory, if the closest parking was in Paris and I had to finish the rest of journey on a pogo stick I can assure you I'd still be there, long may my obsession continue!

It was a good race, no doubt, but the only reason to be there rather than watching the TV coverage is for the atmosphere.

In my view, that's waned considerably in recent years.

My obsession's continued for many a year, but I'm going to think seriously about next year's race.

Cheers.

**Aysedasi** · 21 Jun 2008, 08:09 (Ref:2233900)

Shame you feel that way

For me, the atmosphere was as good as ever - particularly for the driver parade in town on Friday night, when I spent most of my time at the 'collection area' - far better than watching them on route! But I do miss the parade of drivers along the straight before the race - that's two years without it now, so I guess its not going to come back now......

Bluebottle · 21 Jun 2008, 09:59 (Ref:2233957)

I'll be going, havn't been since 2004 (Apart from the Classic)

Nordic · 21 Jun 2008, 16:00 (Ref:2234150)

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcosgt

It was a good race, no doubt, but the only reason to be there rather than watching the TV coverage is for the atmosphere.

In my view, that's waned considerably in recent years.

My obsession's continued for many a year, but I'm going to think seriously about next year's race.

Cheers.

Having missed this years race and watched a good part of it on telly, rest assured it is no where near as good as being there.

Dispite the **** count going up every year (or am I getting older?) I have no intention of missing next year.

**Aysedasi** · 23 Jun 2008, 06:50 (Ref:2235406)

Well I have every intention of being there in 2009 as that will be my 24th 24 Hours....... This year was good, next year will be even better!

Justin Moran · 23 Jun 2008, 07:24 (Ref:2235426)

Will be taking a sabatical for next year but I will be back! Only next time I intend to be trackside marshalling!

**Aysedasi** · 23 Jun 2008, 13:29 (Ref:2235686)

Can I ask everyone how certain we are of 20th/21st June 2009? It's just that I may now have to compete with a colleague for this time..... Are we saying the 24th weekend of the year (which would be 13th/14th, wouldn't it?) or the weekend at the end of the 24th week (which would be 20th/21st)?

cm209 · 23 Jun 2008, 13:51 (Ref:2235720)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Can I ask everyone how certain we are of 20th/21st June 2009? It's just that I may now have to compete with a colleague for this time..... Are we saying the 24th weekend of the year (which would be 13th/14th, wouldn't it?) or the weekend at the end of the 24th week (which would be 20th/21st)?

That would be good to know.IT's a non irrelevant difference in terms of bookings and so on...
However, bad idea tha tramway. I preferred the bus shuttle form the station to the mai entrance of the track.
I risked of loosing the TGv to Paris charles de Gaulle TGV with the consequence of loosing the plane on the return home due to the tramway.

Marcel ten Caat · 23 Jun 2008, 14:18 (Ref:2235740)

In 2003 we had 14/15 June, in 2004 it was 13/14th.
The last time the start was on June 20 was back in 1992.

My guess would be 13/14th of June

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