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Le Mans 2008 - The Tourists' Story - Page 2

Friday - A Beer and a Walkabout!

 

We left Benouville a few minutes after nine o'clock and were soon pressing on towards Le Mans.  After stopping on the outskirts for some more petrol for Jeremy's thirsty Aston – and to admire Alan’s sparkling new white trainers! -  we were soon heading along those familiar roads towards the garage rouge. 

 

Time for a fuel stop just outside Le Mans          Alan's pristine white trainers came in for some attention when they were unveiled....!

 

We finally arrived in the garage rouge at 11.30 and went through our standard preparation routines.  For me, that's just checking on the camera gear!  For others, it was a change of shoes and finding the hat from last year....  As you'll see from the photos, there were no coats being readied.  It was quite bright and sunny although little need for sun cream at this stage. 

 

Arrival in the garage rouge on Friday                   

                   

 

Having got everything we needed for the moment, it was off to buy tickets and into the circuit.

 

        Nick          Allon          The queue for tickets          Chief Tourist Ian, already resplendent in his Shell cap....          We thought this was one of Alan's friends, looking to take a sample of his trainers for scientific analysis as they were SO white......  ;-)

 

Martyn                                       

Will          Jeff          Mark          Clive

 

There's something rather special about that first beer back at Le Mans after a year away.....

 

           

 

      The famous trophy

 

But time was marching on and with it, the time that Allon and I wanted to spend in the pitlane.  So we finished our beers and agreed a rendezvous back at the cars at 4 p.m. in the garage rouge.  I was just hoping I wouldn't end up as wet waiting in the garage rouge as I had last year!   Actually, we had plenty of time because we were lucky enough to have an invite to the Embassy Zytek pit at 2:15 p.m. to look forward to, courtesy of team owner Jonathan France and Ten-Tenths member James, aka Bentley 03.

 

On route to the pits, Allon and I visited the new 'Welcome' building, an imposing looking structure, built roughly on the site of the previous much-loved building, from which I had taken many photos over the years.  The view was nearly as good......

 

Views from the top of the new 'Welcome' building.  Sadly, I never got back up here during the race           

 

There was nothing actually happening at this time, so I dragged Allon away from the model stalls (!) and we were soon off down to the pitlane to join the throng with camera at the ready......

 

Bits of a Rollcentre Pescarolo...      Likewise, the front of a 'works' Pescarolo      Patrick Long outside the IMSA Performance Porsche #76 garage      Rollcentre Pescarolo chassis      Another Pescarolo pit, this time #4

 

The view down the garages      AF Corse Ferrari      Oreca-Courage      'Red 5'      More Rollcentre Pescarolo bodywork

 

Van Merksteijn Porsche nose panel      Spyker bits      A different view...      Lucky number?  Perhaps not.....      Bruichladdich Radical

 

Barazi Epsilon Zytek      Chez Peugeot      Big crowds here, inevitably      Nosey Peugeot...      Pescarolo time again...

 

Once upon a time, when making the pitwalk on Friday lunchtime, I'd intended to try and get a photo of every car - those days are long since past......

 

Bond +2      Another view      Chamberlain Synergy Lola      Still a hive of activity      Charouz Lola

 

Corvette time      Quifel ASM Lola      Epsilon Euskadi      Autocon Creation      Dome 'lid'

 

Interprogressbank Spartak Lamborghini      Speedy Sebah Lola      Cum on feel the noize......      Tokai University Courage      Kruse Schiller Motorsport Lola Mazda

 

Corvette lots, ready for Ebay......      The other Great Dane, John Nielsen      Larbre Competition Saleen      That lovely Lola coupe again...      Trading Performance Zytek

 

Welcome to Audi-land, please take your shoes off when you walk on the carpet.....      Terramos Courage      #1 Audi - three in a row for Biela, Pirro and Werner?      BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari      Terramos front panel

 

Flying Lizards Porsche      Speedy Sebah Lola nose panel      Vitaphone Aston Martin      And a last look down the garages...

 

But it was time to take a rest as 2.15 pm was fast approaching and for us, 2.15 pm on Friday at Le Mans was..... Embassy Time.........