Now this is where it all goes a bit mad. Or madder……
It is not “allowed” to leave the Le Mans Circuit until you have seen cars into at least one dawn. Luckily, the event organisers had the same thoughts and arranged races in the early hours of the day – I mean 0100 to 0600 – ish. More authentic running for the entrants.
So it was an early alarm for me and out on the circuit for 4 AM. Yes, really. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. The weather was threatening to be hot again, so the sunrise was spectacular. My pictures don’t do it justice.
After a few more races, it was the turn of the 1962 to 1965 cars to give us a taste of the true Le Mans experience – a proper Le Mans start. This is where the drivers dash across the road to their cars from the opposite side of the road, start them up and zoom off into the distance. Not done these days for the World Endurance cars, due to “safety concerns”. Huh !
After one false start, they were off. What a glorious sight. It was all a bit of a show really, as they all then came back on to the grid in a more normal manner, two by two. probably had to do that for insurance reasons, I guess. Bit of fun though and very entertaining for us punters.
By 4PM it was all over. Many of the cars had already been packed away for the rush to the Channel ports or wherever. A lot of the guys in the campsite were the same. By Sunday night, the site was 2/3 empty. Since I was going on elsewhere on Monday, I had the luxury of a complete uninterrupted nights sleep – much needed by now !
All in all, a fantastic experience, which I would have not missed for the world. Yes, I will go again – sometime. Thoroughly recommended for those with a motor racing inclination.
Tomorrow, it’s a quick look around the Le Mans Circuit Museum (yes – more cars !!!!), then off to Rouen, to be a proper tourist.