[LM24 Race] Staying up for the whole race...

[GT6]

I totally agree Le mans is all about night racing, this is the only major race that runs through the night, everyone must see at least a few hours of night racing and it possible those magic 20 minutes as the sun rises, if you miss that then you miss the greatest moment in the greatest race

[broadrun96]

One of the few good things about watching from East Coast US time is the race runs only slightly into the morning. Nice to watch all night, with the usual supply of coffee and red bull but be able to nap listening to RLM's post race coverage before waking 12-1ish for the Canadian GP. And still a nice night's sleep before back to work on Monday. Does usually mean bedtime around 8-9 on Friday to bank up some rest, but often excited like a little kid on christmas eve so sleep is tough.

[GTfour]

My schedule for the race for most of the years I've been, is to whitness the start of the race from a grandstand, view for a few hours, then walk the outside of the track to Tertre rouge, view for few hours then head back to camp to enjoy a nice BBQ before darkness sets in, then gather everyone to prepare to head into the magical Le Mans night, starting of with a lenghty visit at Arnage corner to see the disks, the flames and the stupifying acceleration to then get back on the road to the Mulsannecorner viewing area, to hear them spaceships approach, seeying them brake and round the corner for an hour or so and then finally walk as far along the Indy straight as the fence allows us, to whitness the night turning into day where the cars blast by you high in fifth gear.
I then must go and find my bed for about three hours, wake up again, go back to my grandstand, buy tartiflette for breakfast on the way there, and view the last few hours of the race...

In all my years of attendance, I've never managed a full 24 hours 'stint'.

[Steptoe]

Only managed to do the full 24 once in either 96 or 97 same car won so memory is a bit uncertain. I was completely useless the next day and walking round like a zombie. Now I try to grab a couple of hours and get back up before sunrise, which is well worth it. As Ayse says sleep Friday night does help but we tend to party a bit too hard on Friday which makes saturday a struggle.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Steptoe

Only managed to do the full 24 once in either 96 or 97 same car won so memory is a bit uncertain. I was completely useless the next day and walking round like a zombie. Now I try to grab a couple of hours and get back up before sunrise, which is well worth it. As Ayse says sleep Friday night does help but we tend to party a bit too hard on Friday which makes saturday a struggle.

And there you have it. Your choice, party hard on Friday or watch the race all night. So I'm not a party animal........

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

And there you have it. Your choice, party hard on Friday or watch the race all night. So I'm not a party animal........

I'll join you in not being a party animal! - well at least not when theres Le Mans.

I'm going for the full 24hours in my first attempt at the track.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by CTD

I'll join you in not being a party animal! - well at least not when theres Le Mans.

I'm going for the full 24hours in my first attempt at the track.

That's the spirit! Start as you mean to go on!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

That's the spirit! Start as you mean to go on!

I gotta keep my streak going from the last 2 years where i was up for 24 and 36 hours in a row

[GT6]

Originally Posted by CTD

I gotta keep my streak going from the last 2 years where i was up for 24 and 36 hours in a row

did you wake up at 3.00pm on saturday?

[CTD]

Originally Posted by GT6

did you wake up at 3.00pm on saturday?

I took an hour nap before the start, as i had been up since the warm up .

[pach233]

I, like broadrun have been on the east coast for all of my existence and awareness of Le Mans which means the race tends to end around 9:00 AM for me. Through my teen years I never quite made it all the way always sleeping a couple of hours towards the end (4-7 AM my time.) I made it the full 24 two or three times a few years back but the last couple of years haven't been quite as successful. Couldn't imagine sleeping at the track though, I become way too engrossed in t&s and the rhythm of the race for that.

[Aysedasi]

I've added a poll to the thread - we don't have enough polls in here......

[GT6]

where is the poll?

[Aysedasi]

Top of the thread....

[MJones94]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I've added a poll to the thread - we don't have enough polls in here......

Good idea! I will be watching the race from home this year, and I doubt that I would be able to continually watch the feeds for the entire duration. Next year I will definately stay up for it all though, I mean you don't pay to sleep during a race!

[Aysedasi]

Chalk up another convert..........

[GT6]

found it voted for probably not

[nobster]

probably not, will have to drive back to Holland right after the race so have to be fit enough to do so.

[Bentley03]

Definitely!



(Had to vote 'Definitely!', didn't understand the other options )

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by nobster

probably not, will have to drive back to Holland right after the race so have to be fit enough to do so.

Take the Monday off mate, it's well worth it and one can relax after the finish.

[isynge]

Closest I've come was 2008, when ardour ran out a little bit after dawn (combined a little bit with creeping cold and damp), and seem to recall the drive back to Tours on Sunday afternoon being a little emotional - although not so bad as the long schlep back to Mons in 2007, where vast amounts of rain and getting lost in Rouen made it more than usually challenging.

These days I don't pretend there's any real prospect of staying up for the duration. Sometime around 0200 I'll run to a standstill, and get some sleep, if dawn happens so be it, but if not I can generally take that in stride, and capitalise on some decent coffee, the cool feel of Sunday morning, and a chance to catch up on what's happened over the few hours I've missed.

Doing the full 24 hours is clearly core to a lot of folk, just feels a little too iron man for me.

[Mal]

I stayed up once in about 2008- but last year I inadvertently came up with a cunning plan thanks to the ten tenths meeting - After consuming the Hungarian rocket fuel and various French tipples at the meeting big Mal and I lost our self control and went straight to a bar in the village and consumed several bottle of Sancerre. After the start we ended up crashed at the campsite by 7pm. I woke up at 11pm and promptly wandered off wide awake and stayed up all night - Big Mal unfortunately never made it out of his tent until about 8.00am in the morning

[Aysedasi]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!!

[HR186S]

Its tough to do the whole race here in Australia. Race start is 11pm! A nap beforehand is a big help.
I've watched the past 2 years live, the first was after staying awake all day working from 9am. Was up for 32 or so hours before I had to rest my eyes and listen for a few hours.
Last year I scheduled holidays around the race and it was much better. No resting my eyes, and only took a bit of a break during some safety cars.
Plan on the same this year, can't wait!

[Tim the Grey]

My all time record was Le Mans Classic in 2008. I think I did near enough 52 hours straight. Boy did I sleep when I could after that!

I've seen a LOT of disposable pop up tents in spectator areas at LM. So you COULD go hardcore... But then you spend what you saved on Merguez, Frites, and Beer anyway???

I can normally keep going, but most often will wander back for a light lunch and snooze around 11ish Sunday.