57 replies to this topic

[SEdward]

I went to the pre-qualifying at Le Mans yesterday. While driving from the start/finish area towards Arnage on the old circuit, I noticed that the ACO has constructed a metal wall that stretches from the Ford Chicane almost to the Porsche Curves and - unless I was mistaken - has knocked down the Maison Blanche.

While I respect the ACO immensely for keeping this wonderful event alive and kicking through hell and high water, and keeping it out of the greedy mitts of Max and Bernie, I am surprised that they would do such a thing.

After all, this humble farmhouse is (was) an icon for all lovers of the 24 Hours and one of the defining landmarks of the circuit. It's where Steve McQueen stops his Porsche at the beginning of the film. It's where the Ferrari team just about wiped itself out the same year. It's where John Wolf perished when driving a 917 at Le Mans for the first time.

Does anyone out there have connections at the ACO? Any ideas why they did this? Do they have plans for the stretch of land between the start/finish and the Porsche Curves?

I am both curious and disappointed.
Edward.

[marat]

There is a new book telling the story of the circuit and answering some questions
about the changes made.
Title is "24 Heures le tour le plus long", Editions Transit, french/english text.

[RTH]

Is there no such thing as a listed building in France then ?

[dretceterini]

Marat, a source of a link to where that book is available please

....and this makes my "to buy" list more than 50

[marat]

Seems not available now at librairie Auomobile.
Try this:

[URL=http://mailto:contact@editions-transit.com]

[dretceterini]

Thanks

[SEdward]

After my trip to Le Mans last weekend, I can confirm that the Maison Blanche has indeed been demolished. What a shame. I can only assume that the ACO acquired the land on which the house stood and has enlarged the "Maison Blanche" camping site.

On the other hand, it was nice to see that someone had painted "Steve McQueen - 1970" on the road in front of where the house once stood, in memory of the opening sequences of the film, when McQueen stops his Porsche and reminisces.

A shame nevertheless.
Edward.

[bill moffat]

Originally posted by SEdward
After my trip to Le Mans last weekend, I can confirm that the Maison Blanche has indeed been demolished. What a shame. I can only assume that the ACO acquired the land on which the house stood and has enlarged the "Maison Blanche" camping site.

On the other hand, it was nice to see that someone had painted "Steve McQueen - 1970" on the road in front of where the house once stood, in memory of the opening sequences of the film, when McQueen stops his Porsche and reminisces.

A shame nevertheless.
Edward.

The Maison Blanche camp site was larger this year but was hopelessly over subscribed (despite the impression that the overall crowd figures must have been significantly lower this year). The new wall was presumably erected to prevent illegal campers jumping over the old wire fence that acted as a boundary to the camp site.

Of more concern to me was the fact that various hospitality tents had extended their empires onto the top of the earth viewing banks approaching the Ford chicane, cordoning off the best (previously accessible) viewing areas for their precious clients .Was this with the blessing of the ACO or just corporate greed ? Next year my chainsaw goes with me.

A special mention for the French gendarmerie who relieved me of 130 Euro in one of their countless speed traps....

[Arjan de Roos]

Indeed a shame. However time does not stand still.

The new track from the Dunlop bridge to the Esses is a big change but I must admit it has something special about it too.
At this spot there used to be a chappel. I remember seeing it in the early nineties. Was it demolished with the new section, or before that?

I was at the race this weekend again after five years. I thought there were many, many more spectators than in 1999. Or am I mistaking?
I was happy not to visit last year if there were even more at that race.

One thing that doesnt change is the moments during the night you can visit places you are not aloud to. We were lucky to have small sit on top of the (deserted) pits roof at 5 am.

[SEdward]

I'm not sure what the attendance was, but the race still seems to be immensely popular. The number of Brits who come over for the race is simply astonishing. This year also saw a healthy Dutch contingent, who certainly helped to create a good atmosphere.

The complete absence of mainstream media coverage is disappointing.

The changes to the run down the hill from the Dunlop Chicane to the Esses were made mainly for our biker friends, as was the Dunlop Chicane itself back in, errrr, 1988?

All things aside, Le Mans remains unique and IMHO is one of the few events worth attending.

Edward
(who was also narked by the Ascot-like white fences on the approach to the Ford chicane, probably to keep the great unwashed clear of the fat cat one-timers)

[Barry Boor]

The complete absence of mainstream media coverage is disappointing.

On the contrary, ITV in the U.K. covered the race fairly well, with a long session at the start, a long one at the end and a reasonable reprise of the first 8 hours after Canadian Grand Prix qualifying.

What I miss is the quick reports between programs but then, you can't have everything.

[Twin Window]

How annoying.

However, I'm even happier now that I bothered to take these shots...













...from behind the wheel, without stopping

And whilst I think the painting of a tribute to Steve McQueen isn't inapt, some form of recognition of John Wolf would have perhaps been even more fitting...

TW

[Lotus23]

I last attended LeMans in '63, and the place certainly has changed any number of ways since then. (I was apopleptic when the chicanes were plopped into the Mulsanne Straight!)

Nonetheless, it remains one of my favorite events, and I look forward to at least one return visit before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

[flsp]

Here are two pics taken at Maison Blanche last week:

http://www.lmsr.net/nocars2.html

[bill moffat]

I guess the message is that we all still love the place, I just hope that it is not "sanitised" any further. How many of us are down for the historic event in 5 weeks or so, how about a TNF BBQ ?

Incidentally the recent destruction of the wonderfully evocative pit complex at Rouen underlines the fact that the French have little regard for their motor sporting heritage. I suppose we still have Magny Cours....

[Arjan de Roos]

This year I had some magic moments, like:

Standing at the entrance of the Ford chicanes at 24:00 hours. What speed and precision of steering you see there (in the dark).

Approach to Indianapolis (pretty obstructed, but still awesome).

Esses to Tetre Rouge, remains one of my favorites...

Next year I ll be back. See you there Lotus23?

[Muzza]

Originally posted by SEdward
(...)The complete absence of mainstream media coverage is disappointing.

(...)

Here in the United States Speed Channel covered 21 hours of this year's Le Mans live... And they have been doing this pretty much every year. And, judging by what I heard from friends, Rick Kelly and I were not the only ones taking coffee I.V. to watch it...

The demolition of Maison Blanche is simply unbelievable. I would even say revolting, but I will spare this word for other causes for significant for humankind in general. Anyway, I am glad I took a few pictures of it in 1997 and 1998 (which I cannot post here because my photo files are a mess). Twin Windows, when did you take your shots?

Cheers,

Muzza

[Twin Window]

1988, Muzza.

TW

[LittleChris]

It's always been my understanding that the Maison Blanche after which the right left section is named is the house on the apex of the left hander and which looking south from the pits area had Martini advertising painted on the roof. This is still clearly there in the pics referred to by flsp.

[Lotus23]

Arjan de Roos, you and I share a common race-viewing philosophy: I greatly enoyed your comments.

Yes, a return visit is likely in the next few years. My wife has never attended, so I need to spend a bit of time convincing her first!

[Arjan de Roos]

Originally posted by Lotus23
Arjan de Roos, you and I share a common race-viewing philosophy: I greatly enoyed your comments.

Yes, a return visit is likely in the next few years. My wife has never attended, so I need to spend a bit of time convincing her first!

In fact I bribed my mate's wife with flowers and big bar of chocolate to free him for the weekend. This might help you too along the way.
I guess she must like the atmosphere, especially in the village (at 4:30 for a hot coffee).

[BRG]

Originally posted by LittleChris
This is still clearly there in the pics referred to by flsp.

Now, now, LittleChris, don't go spoiling a classic TNF pained-indignation session by bringing in the facts!

[LittleChris]

[SEdward]

It's always been my understanding that the Maison Blanche after which the right left section is named is the house on the apex of the left hander and which looking south from the pits area had Martini advertising painted on the roof. This is still clearly there in the pics referred to by flsp.

Not sure myself. Looking from the pits only one White House was visible, and it's the one that has gone. Having said that, I cannot claim to know which particular house gave the corner its name, but it seems pretty obvious to me.

Edward.

[philippe7]

The house on the apex seems rather new and doesn't fit at all with my memories of the place......as far as I remember there was only one "real" Maison Blanche and it has always been on the right hand side of the road as you drove along....ie, the one which seems to have gone.


PS : and by the way.....most of our English speaking members ( and most internet databases actually) seem to refer to "the" Le Mans straight as the "Mulsanne straight" . This is wrong . The straight is called "Les Hunaudières", and "Mulsanne" is the name of the corner at the end of the straight in question.

But then , I would love to hear all of you English speaking people trying to pronounce "Les Hunaudières" properly.....I think I'd be in for a good laugh !

[RTH]

Originally posted by Barry Boor


On the contrary, ITV in the U.K. covered the race fairly well, with a long session at the start, a long one at the end and a reasonable reprise of the first 8 hours after Canadian Grand Prix qualifying.

What I miss is the quick reports between programs but then, you can't have everything.

There was ,as usual great coverage on Eurosport , - something like 8 hrs of live reports including the 1/2 hr Group C historic race live on Saturday morning.

........And its only 4 weeks now to the Le Mans 24 hr Classic race for historic cars of all era's from '23 onwards with 366 entries ! Radio Le Mans will be covering that and you can listen in live on the 'net via www.autosport.com I do not yet know if Eurosport will cover it - hope so.

[VAR1016]

No thread about Maison Blanche would be complete without mention of S.C.H. Davis and his famous drive to victory in "Old No 7"

PdeRL

[Twin Window]

Originally posted by philippe7


But then , I would love to hear all of you English speaking people trying to pronounce "Les Hunaudières" properly.....I think I'd be in for a good laugh !

Oh ye of little faith...

TW

[philippe7]

Originally posted by Twin Window


Oh ye of little faith...

TW

Have I ( once again ) attempted to make some misunderstood attempt at making a joke ?

[T54]

I attended the 24-hour as a little boy in 1948 and every year after until 1070. I saw great races, tragedy and triumph in the "classic" era.
I returned in 1978 and have returned on and off in the past 25 years, and every "improvement" has been a desecration of the site and a restriction for the spectators and the value of the show. Some in the name of safety for all (acceptable), most by pure greed from the ACO to pump more money from a spectator for whom they have ZERO respect. The Brits are now making more than half of the paying blokes and they must really like agrravation, or the huge quantities of ingested beer makes them forget, whatever. Last year, the new routing through the "Technopole" and the barb wires over the parking behind the pits plus the extra 2 miles walk to get across a 500-foot pass did it for me, I am not coming back.

T54.

[bill moffat]

Originally posted by T54
I attended the 24-hour as a little boy in 1948 and every year after until 1070. I saw great races, tragedy and triumph in the "classic" era.
I returned in 1978 and have returned on and off in the past 25 years, and every "improvement" has been a desecration of the site and a restriction for the spectators and the value of the show. Some in the name of safety for all (acceptable), most by pure greed from the ACO to pump more money from a spectator for whom they have ZERO respect. The Brits are now making more than half of the paying blokes and they must really like agrravation, or the huge quantities of ingested beer makes them forget, whatever. Last year, the new routing through the "Technopole" and the barb wires over the parking behind the pits plus the extra 2 miles walk to get across a 500-foot pass did it for me, I am not coming back.

T54.

I agree with some of your sentiments here, there is a degree of sanitisation as we have previously mentioned.

However it is still the most outrageous of motor sporting events and surely nothing similar would be conceived these days. Yes I miss being able to freely wander the pits on the Friday evening (always a magical time) and the run from the Dunlop Bridge to the Esses looks more like Magny Cours than anything else now. When cars arrive in the gravel traps these days they are rescued by the standard 4WD thingies, up until a few years ago there was a wonderful array of vintage Unimogs and Berliets which I guess were rented off local farmers. But, as the ACO advertised a couple of years ago, "the magic lives on".

Talking of tradition where is the purple light that used to shine in the pitlane from dusk to dawn ? This signified ACO "night time". Failure to light up would mean an enforced trip to the pits whilst your team frantically searched for bulbs or borrowed a nose section from another team..

[T54]

there is a degree of sanitisation

Other people living in freer countries would call this fascism.

T54

[SEdward]

T54, a little bit over the top, methinks.

There is no longer any need for the famous purple light, because all cars are now required to run with headlights on, all the time.

The ACO is certainly far from perfect, but, compared with the Max and Bernie show, I prefer the ACO every time! They have kept this event alive come hell or high water and, more importantly, they have kept out of the greedy mitts of Sir Bernie.

Edward.

[T54]

The ACO is certainly far from perfect, but, compared with the Max and Bernie show, I prefer the ACO every time!

Please come to an American USAC, SCCA, GrandAm, ALMS or ChampCar race to enjoy races where the organisation has some respect for the paying customer. The elitist group running the ACO are just a bunch of insurance salesmen after a big profit and could not care less about the paying spectator, and even less about racing. It is now all business, strictly business, through the gullibility of the abused customers.
Regards,

T54

[bill moffat]

Originally posted by T54


Please come to an American USAC, SCCA, GrandAm, ALMS or ChampCar race to enjoy races where the organisation has some respect for the paying customer. The elitist group running the ACO are just a bunch of insurance salesmen after a big profit and could not care less about the paying spectator, and even less about racing. It is now all business, strictly business, through the gullibility of the abused customers.
Regards,

T54

I'll agree with you on that one. I can't believe how everyone wet their pants in excitement when Mark Webber invited a handful of enthusiasts into the F1 paddock at Melbourne this year..what sort of a monster have we (they) created. As I have mentioned above the corporate cancer has crept into Le Mans and hospitality units are now claiming some of the better viewing positions that used to be the domain of the great unwashed (literally).

When the ALMS visited Silverstone a couple of years ago my cynical attitude to contemporary motor sport was lifted. Great entertainment and spectacle, open paddocks and (whisper it) drivers who were both accessible and friendly. Bob Tullius and Randy Pobst were so talkative that I eventually had to drag my sons away ! Great stuff and a lesson to be learnt.

[SEdward]

ACO are just a bunch of insurance salesmen after a big profit and could not care less about the paying spectator, and even less about racing

Sorry T54, but I simply do not buy that.

They have kept the thing alive for 72 years, and probably will do for another 70 years. To say that the ACO "could not not care less about the paying spectator, and even less about racing" is simply absurd.

If they didn't care about spectators or racing, then the event would have perished years ago.

Find me a better event, and I 'll go there at your invitation.

Edward.

[bill moffat]

Originally posted by SEdward


Sorry T54, but I simply do not buy that.

They have kept the thing alive for 72 years, and probably will do for another 70 years. To say that the ACO "could not not care less about the paying spectator, and even less about racing" is simply absurd.

If they didn't care about spectators or racing, then the event would have perished years ago.

Find me a better event, and I 'll go there at your invitation.

Edward.

I think I'll act as a mediator here. In my view Le Mans is the greatest race on the planet but there is, perhaps inevitably, an F1 style atmosphere to the paddock and pits now. A barbed wire fortress with plenty of troops checking that you either have the correct pass or the right connections.

However I feel that T54 has an important point to make. The organisers do have a responsibility to the paying public. In no particular order they (the public) deserve 1) safe and efficient entry and exit to the circuit 2) entertainment with good quality access to race information 3) high quality amenities including WC's and catering 4) a sense of involvement with atleast some access to drivers and their teams 5) entry to all-weather viewing galleries at no extra cost and 6) to be safe. At a glance you will see that the ACO do well on some counts but there is potential for improvement. However apply this wish list to Silverstone's GP circuit....

Incidentally,as a sign of the times, the once-proud JPS Lotus motor home was to be found in the Maison Blanche car park alongside the toilet block....

[T54]

Thanks Bill, for reinforcing my point here. I am of course at an advantage because I am an older geezer who had the chance to have attended a much more friendly (kinder-gentler...) Le Mans era in the 50's and 60's. I also have to note that the visiting British contingent were a bit better behaved then, eeer... more flegmatic?

Find me a better event, and I 'll go there at your invitation.

I will be happy to buy you a glass of English warm beer at the Goodwood Revival Races in September. Lord March DOES have respect for both nobility and proletarians. I have been stunned by the kindness and impeccable correction and respect he has shown to both spectators and entrants both times I was a guest at the Festival of Speed.
Thanks to the kind recommendation by DCN, I will have the great pleasure and honor of attending this greatest of Euro events. You will find me in the paddock.

Things MAY change at Le Mans as once again, the management team appears to have changed, the new guy being an ex top exec at the Carrefour department stores. We shall see...
Regards,

T54

[smithy]

Can you still drive the entire circuit as a public road?

[T54]

No, because part of the circuit is now a permanent smaller track inside the larger track. The front straight on front of the pits, Dunlop curve and almost all the way to the Tertre Rouge is part of the Jean Bugatti circuit used for schooling, motorcycle racing and testing.

The Hunaudieres straight, the Mulsanne corner, Indianapolis, Arnage and Maison Blanche eeerr... "Porsche curves" are still part of public roads.
Regards,

T54

[Muzza]

Originally posted by smithy
Can you still drive the entire circuit as a public road?

No... since 1932!

From 1921, when the Circuit de la Sarthe was first used, until 1931 the whole track was made of public roads. This lay-out included a incursion through the town through a long blast past the start/finish line down to the Pontlieue hairpin and back through Tertre Rouge. Tertre Rouge, by the way, was not a turn properly speaking, but rather a double kink.

In 1929 the very tight Pontlieue hairpin was bypassed with the construction of the Rue du Circuit - basically a short street connecting the two straights in and out of the hairpin. Even though this street was built with the race in mind, it was a public road, so keep on reading...

Then in 1932 the whole north end of the track was modified: the incursion into Le Mans (the town) was abandoned. The ACO - with the help of local authorities - opened a purpose-built road (that means, specifically for racing) between the start/finish straight and Tertre Rouge. I believe this road was private as of its onset and that it was opened to the public only occasionally; later it became closed to normal traffic altogether.

When John Woolfe suffered the accident that took his life in the 1969 edition of the race it became clear to the ACO (most people had already figured that out) that the very challenging Maison Blanche section of the track had become too dangerous for the speeds the cars were then reaching. Along the next two years the ACO bought several pieces of land close to Maison Blanche and in 1972 a new section (again, purpose-built and private) was built. This is the part of the current track made by the Porsche Curves and the fast esse before the Ford Chicane (this chicane had been built in 1968).

Therefore the part of the track between the Porsche Curves and Tertre Rouge is private and closed to normal traffic. One can drive though in the remainder of the circuit - or some two-thirds of it.

(Having said that... When I went to Le Mans for the last time, in 1998, there was a gate on each end of the purpose-built section. And, of course, I drove past them a few times, until les gendarmes made me stop ;) Well, I had done the same thing the year before - and was stopped the very same way!)

[smithy]

So can you see the purpose built track from the old circuit where they have built the new wall? Otherwise, why the wall and the demolition?

[Muzza]

Hello, Smithy,

I am not sure how much of the purpose-built, post-1972 section could be seen from the original track... When I drove through Maison Blanc I was focused on the road and its surroundings and I did not try to see the current track from there. Maybe another Atlas F1 member can answer that.

I understand your rationale: if the current track could not be seen from the old one, why building the wall? I just don't know - and I would like to know it too. But trying to understand the ACO can be utterly impossible - and even though I respect les messieurs, logic is not their forté...

Cheers,

Muzza

[RTH]

Originally posted by T54
Thanks Bill, for reinforcing my point here. I am of course at an advantage because I am an older geezer who had the chance to have attended a much more friendly (kinder-gentler...) Le Mans era in the 50's and 60's. I also have to note that the visiting British contingent were a bit better behaved then, eeer... more flegmatic?



I will be happy to buy you a glass of English warm beer at the Goodwood Revival Races in September. Lord March DOES have respect for both nobility and proletarians. I have been stunned by the kindness and impeccable correction and respect he has shown to both spectators and entrants both times I was a guest at the Festival of Speed.
Thanks to the kind recommendation by DCN, I will have the great pleasure and honor of attending this greatest of Euro events. You will find me in the paddock.

Things MAY change at Le Mans as once again, the management team appears to have changed, the new guy being an ex top exec at the Carrefour department stores. We shall see...
Regards,

T54

This is a very good point and hits the nail right on the head .
Lord March has it right , has high respect for the paying spectator and treats them as at least equal to the participants, in a way that has disappeared from all other (at least UK ) venues. There is no need for all this P.O.W. camp fencing everywhere to keep enthusiasts far away from pits & paddock no wonder the crowds are dropping off.

......And yes Le Mans does urgently need to change for the better in this respect as well.

[T54]

Richard,
Thanks! As a footnote let me tell you a little story that will show you the frames of mind of these people, and why I really do not care to come back to Le Mans at this time.

I was a guest of Lord March at the 1994 Festival of Speed for the first time. Arriving at the Goodwood House on Thursday PM, there was hardly anyone on the grounds. I immediately went to see where my car was to make sure that there was no shipping damage and found that there were no facilities for fueling. I came back to the house and asked a nice gentleman where I could find suitable fuel. He made one telephone call and less than one minute later, another gentleman wearing a T-shirt and jeans, and looking a bit haggard showed up and asked me what I needed, then asked me to wait a few minutes. While I was admiring the old paintings on the walls of the house, he came back with two steel jerricans seemingly from the back of a WWII Jeep, and despite my offers of help to carry at least one of the heavy tanks to the pit area that was a good 200 yards away, he walked the whole distance and placed the cans behind the car.
Then he introduced himself: "By the way, I am Charles. Anything you need, please ask me."
This was my introduction to Lord March.

In contrast to this, I attended the 2003 24 Hours and stayed with my friends doing the service for a well-known safety company. They had rented a neat house in the village of Mulsanne and I had a great room there, and the food was just great.
In previous years and for as long as I can recall (since 1974 anyway), they had a compound behind the paddock where they could deliver last-minute equipment to racing teams and drivers, like suits, gloves, shoes... Many drivers found it a good place to relax before and during the race, and food was served for them as well as good company.
For this, the company paid the ACO a fair amount that increased dramatically to the point that in 2003, it was raised to10 times the amount of 2002. At this point, it was getting ridiculous and the company's principal decided to no longer be on circuit as it was just too much money to pay for a return on the investment.
Instead, the factory reps obtained proper crew passes from some of their customers (who PAID the ACO for the passes, properly granted in the names of the company's reps), and began their deliveries directly to the teams in their pit boxes. Well, the ACO political brigade was made aware of such and cornered the two factory reps and on front of their customers, treated them like common criminals, consficated the paid passes, then had the gentlemen escorted outside the circuit by security guards. Never mind that the safety company was one of the prime sponsors of the ACO charity golf tournament on Thursday, never mind that nearly 50% of the entrants were using their equipment.
This was followed by legal action by the safety company for breach of contract and violation of civil rights, which the ACO , on the brink of losing, settled out of court by firing the two marketing geniuses in charge and offering an apology to the company's principals plus undisclosed damages.
But nothing else new for 2004 with even higher fees, so the company went to the Nurburgring endurance races instead of having to fight the ACO again. With over 140 racers at the Nurburg and in a very friendly atmosphere where they were welcomed, business was great, over 50 HANS systems sold in one weekend! Meanwhile, several Le Mans entrants complained to the ACO when they could not get last-minute needed equipment after they contacted the company and were told of the situation.

This is not the only problem there, as tire, brake and other equipment companies have been treated the same and several have threatened to pull out because of the exhorbitant fees (for a standard 40-foot trailer, the equivalent of $50K for the weekend!!!) charged by the ACO, when they are actually working to help the good running of the 24-hour race. Now this are the suppliers. The spectators are treated strictly as cattle which the ACO milks every year for more and more money while offering less and less.
Welcome to France and its attitude problem... Let's hope that the new management will eventually can the elitists and begin respecting the very people who feed the golden goose.
Regards,

T54

[Mark Bennett]

So that's why I didn't see them this year

My gripe this year was the sudden (from Saturday) "no-entry" for pedestrians to the village through the normal road behind the pits. If you came from the Porsche Curves end, then you had to walk on the road (with vehicles travelling far too fast) all the way around the back of the Group C paddock (no entry allowed ) to the road by the "ACO Welcome" building. This effectively meant the village was one-way-in-and-out, meaning that it wasn't worth going in after the first trip (infact, we didn't go back in after Thursday...
I tried to make the point to an ACO representative in the welcome area, that mixing (increasingly drunk) pedestrians, wearing headphones, with moving traffic was NOT a safe move. The response? - "we have a 30KPH speed limit". I pointed out that the ACO security people appeared to be doing more like 100KPH on thier bikes - weaving in and out of the pedestrians, and that this was a far more dangerous change than the previous (mostly) pedestrian only route. I hope I got the message across.

This change also resulted in some vendors pitches being in an area that only the teams had access to. I bet they were pleased...

[SEdward]

Welcome to France and its attitude problem...

One of things I like most about TNF is the absence of chauvinistic rantings. Which is why this post disappoints me. Rant on about the ACO if you like, but let's steer clear of this kind of comment.

Edward.

[T54]

Edward, with all due respect, this race is not held in Bostwana. I love France and am disappointed of the attitude of the elit over there with little respect for the "lesser" humans. Chauvinism is not in question here, greed is. A fair comparison and a hope of improvement for a race that we all love, is.
I invite you to atrend other venues in the UK, Germany and the USA to see the difference in organisational ATTITUDE. All I am asking is for a fair exchange: the spectator is due fair compensation and a non-hostile environment for his money, and there is no reason to charge racers and suppliers for providing the show.
Kind regards,

T54

[RTH]

These stories are just awful, yet I am not the least bit surprised, why is it that when people already have a success on their hands they are not content with that, they have to get greedy selfish and nasty.

I dearly wish we had a 24 hr sportscar race of our own in the UK and the British spectators could then "take the pressure off the ACO's resources "

For many reasons it seems Lord March is becoming a folk hero.

[T54]

For many reasons it seems Lord March is becoming a folk hero.

In any and every business or other matter I had the privilege to deal with Lord March over the past 10 years, he has only shown to me the kindness, compassion and respect I wish every human being owes anyone, rich or poor, village idiot or rocket scientist.
As a great-great-great-great illegitimate grand son of king Charles II and Louise de Keroualles, a French spy woman for king Louis XIV of France, my wish is for more unions of the kind if they are to produce such persons.
I also must say that the organisation has been rather impeccable in spite of the enormous difficulties, traffic being one of them.
Two thumbs up for Charles, and a yawn for the ACO until further notice.

T54