Has anyone ever been to the 24hr LeMans? Ive always fancied it and I'm thinking of doing a road trip either next year or the following with my son. Never having been I'm just wondering if it's as good as it looks to be! Any thoughts or advice?

Yes: it's great.

It's an experience that every petrolhead should have at least once in their life.

How old is your son, though? If he's not yet a teenager, I could imagine it being a fairly trying experience, 'cos it's a test of endurance for the spectators as well as the cars.

I've been going for 7 years now, it's great. It's a proper build up festival to the race, there are a lot of periphery car shows and events on in the build up to the event in the week. The drive down is a bit of a venture in and of itself too. I've been down in a kit a few times and it's fantastic, lots of small back roads and twee "centre-ville" to stop for a coffee and croissant in, but the main roads are smooth and a joy to drive down if you need to make good progress.

Taking push bikes to the circuit is recommended, one of the hardest things about it is walking from one end of the main circuit, (terte rouge) to the other end (Porsche curves) can take an hour. Then getting to arnage and mulsanne corners definitely requires some form of transport (bike / car / bus). Being more independent on transport means that if you're both a bit tired, you can just get back to the campsite and sleep.

I would thoroughly recommend it!

I've done it twice - both times driving a Furore there & back & camping. I did a full write up article for one of the Kit Car mags a few years back, if you'd like a copy I think I still have it on disc somewhere

It is as others have said an eye opening experience - tho' "Mad Friday" is no longer anywhere near as mad as it used to be - the Gendarmes sit fairly tightly on it nowadays.

The weather can be somewhat challenging in an open top car such as mine! & I would second that for anyone under teenage years it is probably too challenging for them or too restrictive for you

Go every year, have done for a decade. It's a great laugh, and there is a race too. What do you want to know?

I went on one of Chris's ^^^well planned lemans trips, 2011 I think, but could of been 2012, Twas the year that Alan Mcneish had that dreadful accident near the Dunlop bridge

I loved it, so much ive tried a couple more times to go, but other factors have stopped me,
For me, I would recommend one of Chris's trips, there well run, well organised, we all camped in the same area, and all seemed to get on VERY well, well, I did !, as my ma8 Pete, was a grumpy old fart, and didn't quite gell with the youngsters

I believe, that when Chris does one of these tours, he makes no money out of the deal what so ever, and for the hassle alone, he should!

I would recommend taking a normal car, like we did, a Jag XK8, nice and comfy, 30 Mpg, and when we got there we could of done another 450 miles, unlike some in their Elises, and Mr2 etc

Also, going in a group gives you back up when things go wrong, and one of our members needed that help and backup, 200 miles away from the ferry to get us home, yet we rallied round, and sorted the problem, not fixed it and we all made the ferry home

what are the dates next year ??? as im in, Chris


steve

[Edited on 8/8/19 by steve m]

Thanks guys, some great tips there. We do a nurburgring trip every year for the last 10+ years and fancied something different. My lad would be 9 when I go - I know this might restrict some of the things I could do but I think it would be a cracking experience with him.

Race is 13-14th June 2020.

You are right that I make no money out of the trips, often I loose on them, but someone has to organise you lot! Only thing that has changed since you last came is that I insist everyone books their own channel crossings. It was just getting too complicated with a big group.

30 of us last year by the way.

Anyone wishing to join us I need a commitment usually around mid-September to get the tickets reserved. The site we go to is always the first to sell out.

We did Spa / Ring / Le Mans 24hr trip this year. Spa 'Track experience' on the Monday then onto Ring for a bit of Touristfahrten before heading to Le Mans