Le Mans 2008
The Tourists' Story
Saturday Morning - Group C's and Ten Tenths
As usual I was awake nice and early the next morning and Allon and I went out for a walk around the town before breakfast, meeting up shortly with Ian, Martyn, Jeff, Clive and Will in the square.
We soon headed back for the standard Le Cheval Blanc breakfast of croissants and fresh bread with butter and quince jelly and loads of strong hot coffee.
Now this is the time that sorts out the Le Mans motor racing fans from the rest as the likes of Ian, Allon and myself were keen to get back to the circuit in time to watch the Group C support race that was due to start at 10.15. Of course, in any group of people, there are a number of others who are perhaps a little less keen to dash off to watch motor racing. As it happens, as the years have gone by, the ‘less keen’ seem now to substantially outnumber the keen! So Ian mustered Alan into his car but also took with him myself and Allon for the trip out to Mulsanne Corner where we had decided to watch the Group C race from.
We were nicely in position on the spectator bank at Mulsanne Corner, served very well by the big TV screen by the time the cars came around on their parade lap. It was marvellous to see again the Porsches and Jaguars and the singleton Sauber (which sounded magnificent!) but it was slightly disappointing that all but one or two were being driven rather sedately. Don’t get me wrong, I can understand why, but somehow seeing these cars being driven at less than race pace (as was) somehow doesn’t seem right.
After the Group C race it was time to head back to the garage rouge. Whilst there were no time pressures for the others, Allon and I had a meeting to make with the other members of the Ten-Tenths forum which was scheduled for 12 noon. We arrived at about 12.15 and were immediately welcomed by our ‘host’ Pascal, who was liberally dispensing the wine! Also there were Bentley03, Rob Jones, Bernard B, Dominique, KDR, Bluebottle, Dani, Javi, Undoz, nobster, GTfour, and Hursty (with Michelle and James). The crowd was definitely smaller than in previous years (2007 in particular), but there were several members who were unable to make the meeting due to marshalling or photographic duties elsewhere.
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