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As I've said too often already, there is a huge
disadvantage to catching up with a story when you rely on memory that is about
11 months old. As I write this part of the story, we are now well into May
2019 and it's definitely a struggle to remember the order of things with any
clarity. For example, I'd completely forgotten about eating tartiflette
for the first time! What I've had to do is to piece things together from
the timings on my photos and video plus using the text and Whatsapp messages
that passed between James, Toby, James F, Allon and myself at the time. I
don't think I've ever been so challenged in the memory department - it must be
something to do with getting older. I promise to do better next (this)
year.....
So, the state of play was that James F and Ramona
didn't make it down to Tertre Rouge after the car battery 'incident' although
messages from Allon showed that he had followed in our footsteps, although
we had left by the time he got there. We ate our tartiflette around 9.45
and then went briefly back into the grandstand. I knew Allon was on the
way back from Tertre Rouge however Toby and James were keen to crack on out to
Arnage and Indianapolis, so James agreed to give Allon a lift out there.
Once we had left the main part of the circuit, we
left for Arnage I guess around 10.20, not having too much trouble with the
traffic this time. When we got to Arnage it was pretty busy and although
we were allowed into the first car park it was completely full and we had to
drive down the road to the bigger overflow car park where there were plenty of
spaces. It just meant a much longer walk back to the entrance to the
enclosure and we didn't get there until about 11.40. Although it didn't look like being a bone-chillingly cold night
(like 2008 and 2011), we dressed up warmly and James and I took our folding
chairs with us again. Allon had previously put his chair in the car, so
Toby brought that with him to make use of until Allon arrived.
As it happens, James F, Ramona and Allon arrived
shortly afterwards and Allon soon joined us to reclaim his chair from Toby!
James I believe had decided to go and watch from one of our favourite spots at
Arnage corner. By this time Toyota were well in control with Rebellion
leading the non-hybrid LMP1s (3 and 4 laps behind) after drama for the #17 SMP
which was retired after long dramas following an accident for Matevos Isaakyan
who moved heaven and earth to try and get the car running again, all to no
avail. The #26 G-Drive car was almost a lap to the good in LMP2 while the
'retro' liveried Porsches continued to hold sway in GTEPro, notwithstanding a
remarkably strong sowing for the #81 BMW.
Having enjoyed a long stint on the banking at
Indianapolis, Toby, James and I moved off to take in the sights of Arnage.
Some time before I had walked back to the car with Allon so that he could get a
bit of sleep in my car. It was only later that I discovered that James F
had been watching from Arnage for some time. I must have walked past him
at some time but as it happened, James, Toby and I didn't met up with him and
Ramona again until later on Sunday. Having had a rare degree of debris
fence freedom at Indianapolis, the curse of the chain-link of course returned at
Arnage....
I never make any great claims for my photography
skills however my new lens did seem to make a difference, even if it was
blooming heavy to hand-hold (somehow I can never quite get on with monopods).
Having been pretty unhappy with my night shots over the last few years, I was
more pleased with this year's efforts, even if they might not win any prizes!
For my videos at Indianapolis and Arnage - follow
this link -
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