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So, I reached my eighth day of the Le Mans trip
and here were on race morning. My back had been playing me up quite a bit
over the last twenty-four hours and it was no better this morning, typical as we
reached the point at which there would be a lot of standing, walking and sitting
still in grandstands... Hey ho, this was Le Mans and I was still
determined to enjoy it, dodgy back or otherwise. I'd managed to get to
sleep by 10.20 last night and was awake just after 7 am, but slept on for
another hour or so before calling home as usual in the morning. By 9 am I
was up, showered and dressed actually feeling a fair bit better for the movement
- or was it the Ibuprofen? One or the other! The rabbits outside at
the back of the hotel were up and about too!
As usual, we were hearing stories of big traffic
jams to get into the circuit so James, Toby, Allon and I left just after 10 am.
Yes, there was a bit of traffic off the main road down towards the main
entrance, but frankly no worse than usual and we were soon parked up in Parking
Blanc. After posing for a 'team photo' (courtesy of Allon), we went for a
wander into the circuit and feeling peckish, we ended up in what I still call
'the Welcome Building', the tall building (with a restaurant) that overlooks pit
out. We indulged in coffee and ham and emmental baguettes while watching
the Road to Le Mans race.
It was at this time that James indicated that he'd
had a bit of luck. He had left a comment on the Rebellion Racing Facebook
page which had won him a prize of a poster signed by the six Rebellion drivers.
As he was the only winner whom was actually at the circuit, we were invited to
meet the chap from Rebellion to collect it. We were asked to go to the
Rebellion hospitality at the back of the paddock, however the overzealous
security guards wouldn't let us down into the paddock from the Village.
Fortunately the fellow from Rebellion (whose name I can't remember) came and met
us and got us in. And there was a nice surprise - James' poster was handed
over by none other than Thomas Laurent who posed with us for a few pictures.
Another one of those rather special moments that crop up at Le Mans from time to
time.
The detour to the paddock hospitality had actually
delayed our visit to the Ten Tenths meeting so we hurried on over to join the
already rather large throng that had gathered in our usual meeting place.
All of the normal suspects were there apart from James F and Ramona who were
running late and indicated that they were going to have to give it a miss.
It was another splendid meeting with lots of food
and drink on the tables and it was great to meet up with so many old friends.
As always however, there was a need to get back to the other side of the track
in order to take up our places in the grandstand.
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