Le mans 2009: The cheap way.

[Jon_Bmw]

I am now pretty confident in saying that my Uni finals will be finished in time for Le mans 2009.

Race Dates: 13th and 14th of June

Race schedule: http://www.lemans.org/sport/sport/calen ... h09_gb.pdf

Camping: £45 give or take on Beausejour

Mileage: Around about 300 miles one way once in Dunkirk or Calias.

Ferry: Norfolkline Dover to Dunkirk, <£40


Things to Do: Drive fast or slow down to Le mans getting to see some seriously nice spectator cars. Get pissed, get stoned if thats your thing. Get close to the race cars with a Pit walk. Watch and listen to some of the best racing cars in the world. The corvette will almost pop your ear drums. Mad Friday. Be naughty and watch a car pass you at over 200mph from 10 metres away, whilst hidden in a bush. Have a laugh with like minded people.

Race ticket cost: Weekends Pass is £60? Students is £30ish. Just fake a student card and save yourself £30.



Average cost per car:

Fuel - £100
Beer and food - £50-100
Ferry - £40
Camping - £50
Race ticket - £60 for two student ones.

£150 Per person for a 5 day party.


Fun you'll have -£Priceless



Usually people get an early Thursday morning ferry and a late one back on the Monday.


Anyone interested?

1) Jon_Bmw
2)
3)

[march109]

I wish, I wish, I wish.

Last year was a blast, apart from jacking a car up on the mud to bleed the clutch that didn't need bleeding, popping an already bald tyre on the M25 that was probably due to some other tyre smoking on mad friday, driving round all sunday when we arrived looking for food and brake fluid. Not to mention almost dying on the hard shoulder of a french motorway on more than one occasion!

Sleeping in the smallest tent known to mankind, waking up freezing cold with condensation inside the tent dripping on me, washing in cold water, puking my guts up on numerous occasions through the week, and the last 2 days of pouring down rain.

But I would love to go back, but this year I'm doing the Shanghai F1 so can't get the extra time off for LeMans, if I do it will bebecause I quit work!

I may also be in employment in China at the time which would hinder things slightly,

Planning on buying a shitter like ziggy this year or taking a car you have now?

[Jon_Bmw]

I have convinced my brother it will be a good idea to go and I know he won't take his Subaru. I most certainly won't take the 205 sh!tzer either! I am tempted to take the iS as LPG is pretty favourably priced in France. I suspect we might end up buying a t5 estate and taking that for some mild amusement.

Shaghai f1 sounds like fun. Last year I left my placement year job early so that I could go to Le mans. They wouldn't give me the time off, so fuck em!

[march109]

I'm sorely tempted to leave, and may. But can't commit until nearer the time.

[march109]

BTW all said and done LeMans 2008 cost me about £400 last year, but it was hardly on the cheap and I needed a new tent, sleeping bag ect afterwards. A couple of new tyres, oil, brake fluid, lots and lots and lots of beers.

In an over fuelling, over heating, over revved 325i. So fuel wasn't cheap.

Even though I got free tickets!

Not doing WRR camp site then?

[Jon_Bmw]

I've presumed people have got camping gear and are taking a reliable good car

The camping is obviously a lot cheaper than the £250 that Guy requires to sign into the White Rabbit Area. It obviously has less benefits, but its a fifth of the price for the same area(35m squared).

A crate of frog beer is like £6, result. Trying to keep it cool is another matter though.

[march109]

Fuck me £250 this year!? Hope hes got lap dancers on this time.

[march109]

Sod it I'm looking into getting the time off tonight.

[Jon_Bmw]

Its certainly an addictive place.

[Ziggy]

Not sure on the details, but I'll be there!

[BadDave]

I'll try and rustle up some of the scottish contingent for this one

I've already mentioned it to them a few months back, but not had much feedback on the idea as yet

[Jon_Bmw]

You scots would definatly need to stop somewhere near dover on the night before or you'll be running on empty. Last year the travelling started on the Thursday morning at about 2am and we arrived at Le mans at around 4pm IIRC, ziggy can you remember?

Be good to see you again Dave, let know if you can drum up some interest with the other local lads.


And a few pictures courtesy of Mike, hopefully you won't mind...too much:

Look like people want to see other pics too, so here are a few of mine. High res copies are available if anyone wants them (apologies for the bandwidth splurge even on these low res ones!)

Ferrari 430 coming in to the Dunlop Curves on Friday night


Team Modena DBR9 at Tetre Rouge


Epsilon Euskadi-Judd, also at Tetre Rouge


Works DBR9


Larbre Saleen S7R exiting Dunlop Chicane


Audi R10 TDI


Modena DBR9 again


Lola-Mazda braking in to Dunlop Chicane


Modena DBR9 yet again, apexing the Ford Chicane


Porsche RS Spyder braking in to Maison Blanche (damn fence!)

And that is just the cars, Le mans is about so much more than just a race.

[BadDave]

I'll pitch the idea again,to some of the lads and see what they say.

There was some interest at the time,but we'll just have to wait a bit and see if there still up for a wee continental jolly.

I've been a few times before, 3 days sans sleep.

It's like the wee trip i went on,just after i left the pod last year.
several tousand miles,copius amounts of local "liquid hospitality" and not a lot of sleep.

[Ziggy]

That's about right on the timing Jon At least I wasn't doing all the driving this year. Although sleeping while Mark was driving might have been a challenge!

-> Linky <- to my pics from '08.

[BadDave]

I've managed to get the time off.Got it finally sorted out with my manager today.
I won't be able to make the ferry on the Thursday morning but should make an early one on the Friday morning.
It also means i can stay an extra couple of days over there if i wish.

I'll have room for a passsenger if anyone else is up for the trip.

[Jon_Bmw]

Cool Dave. I still haven't done ANYTHING about this yet

Caught up with uni work, wife, trackday prep and other daily life stuff.

Pretty sure there is always going to be tickets for Beausjour, so thats not an issue, and there will always be boats. Before the end of March, i'll have this nailed down as to what exactly I am doing.

[Ziggy]

Would have thought we'll go for Wed o'dark-thirty -> Mon eve, as usual...

I'm still undecided as to whether to go WRR as the last couple of years, or just cheapo.

[BadDave]

Still no interest from any of the Scottish contingent yet.

It's disappointing really.

[BadDave]

Would have thought we'll go for Wed o'dark-thirty -> Mon eve, as usual...

I could do an all night driving stint on the Wednesday after i've finished work and make it across the pond sometime on the Thursday.
Haven't given much thought to the return leg of the trip yet.

[Jon_Bmw]

Would have thought we'll go for Wed o'dark-thirty -> Mon eve, as usual...

I'm still undecided as to whether to go WRR as the last couple of years, or just cheapo.

Which day did we go? Am I going mental, I thought we left silly o clock thursday morning? Perhaps we did go on the wed morning! Loosing my marbles at 22.

[tomson]

I could be up for this. will talk to you about it Friday Jon

[Jon_Bmw]

I'll talk you into it, no problem.

[Ziggy]

Wed 0800 ferry @ Dover, Mon 1801 @ Dunkerque

Expect I'll book the same ferrys again, at some point in the next couple of weeks!

[tomson]

Ok after a very brief chat with Jon on Friday, I'm in - didn't need much convincing really

So what days should I book off work, looks like Wednesday 10th, 11th, 12th & Monday 15th ? ?

[Ziggy]

That's all you'll need off if we do it Wed->Mon, but I'll be booking Tues off too as recovery time!

[Jon_Bmw]

Good man. All too easy to convince.

[BadDave]

What's the deal with the camping at Beausejour.

Is it just a case of turn up on the friday sometime(in my case) pay the money and find a spot to throw up the tent????
OR
Is a safer bet to book it through the ACO in advance??

[Jon_Bmw]

I think you can just turn up on the day, but that is pretty risky.

The ACO have sold their allocation to Beausejour already at E55 iirc. You can get them from here, although they only have 11 left. Seems I need to work out what I am doing sooner rather than later.

http://www.teamlangoustine.com/_tl/prod ... mpsite.asp

[tomson]

I'll be booking Tues off too as recovery time!

Thats what I was thinking !

[BadDave]

Thanks Jon

That's the tickets booked now,unlesss I hear otherwise.
9 camping tickets left on that site now.

Just need to sort out the ferry now.

[tomson]

Seems I need to work out what I am doing sooner rather than later

Bloody hurry up then if there are only 9 spaces left!

[BadDave]

Seems I need to work out what I am doing sooner rather than later

Bloody hurry up then if there are only 9 spaces left!

Calm down.
I said that site only had 9 tickets left.

There's bound to be others available surely.
Motor racing international have the camping tickets listed at £66 iirc.

[tomson]

Oh i see, surely it would be better if all the zoners were together on the same campsite though....?

[BadDave]

Oh i see, surely it would be better if all the zoners were together on the same campsite though....?

True
Would make more of a "party" atmosphere.

Just checked the ferry and it looks like £35-£40 return with norfolkline.

[Jon_Bmw]

Dave, hold fire on the ferry unless you are definatly only able to go on the friday, that way we can get everyone on the same boat as well.

To get everyone together, ideally we all need to rock up at exactly the same time, in convoy at Beausejour(BJ ), obviously this could be a problem for Dave...

Tommy stop fretting pet, there will always be BJ tickets available from somewhere and hardly above face value either. I am thinking of booking mine before the weekend though. I need to have a chat with ziggy and his co pilot mark and see what way they are doing Le mans this year.


Anymore people, come on, its a cheap weekend.