Later today I will be hitting the road once again with a trip over to France for the 24 Heures Du Mans Motor Race in Le Mans in the region of Pays de La Loire.
It is over 30 years since I last attended this historic race which is one of the world’s big three races alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.
Back in those halcyon days of the late 80’s and early 90’s, I attended on four occasions with school friends in a variety of clapped-out motors that we all owned over time – a Triumph Spitfire, a VW Beetle, a Peugeot 205, a Renault 5, an Astra, a Lancia Delta Spider and even a Triumph TR4.
Clutching at Straws
On my last visit in 1993, the clutch on my Triumph Spitfire failed and so rather embarrassingly we ended up being towed back to the UK by some lads from Scunthorpe. Another year the tent leaked so badly that in stormy weather we binned it and slept in the car! There is normally some drama!
So on Thursday, I, along with three of those same school friends are heading down via a ferry from Portsmouth to Caen in one vehicle – my Ford Transit Custom Camper. It will be packed to the rafters with tents and creature comforts that we would never have dreamed of when we were all young pups! Mobile phones, event apps, chairs, a sat nav, a table, a wood burner, cutlery, pillows and of course, every camper’s best friend, wet wipes! Oh, how we have aged!
Not Just Motor Racing
As for the race, back then it was Jaguar, Mercedes, Mazda and Peugeot that brought home the spoils. This year – who knows, who even cares! Le Mans is about the experience – I mean the cars are racing for 24 hours so you generally have no idea what’s going on or was that just the beer?! I was a quick runner back in those days and the main image is after I scaled the fence and sprinted onto the track to be amongst the first to greet the winning Jaguar across the line in 1988 – I can’t see that amount of energy exerted this year – I will probably be asleep!
From Friday there is a parade and a party atmosphere in the city then over the weekend at the circuit there are heaps of attractions to keep us entertained from a wild French fun fair, live music every night, a British Pub and an assortment of food and drinks outlets! The 24 Heures Du Mans is not just about motor racing – that’s why I love it.
Follow My Journey
The British media give this iconic event very little coverage so if you are interested in what this event has to offer then you can follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram but if history is anything to go by, I can’t promise a smooth ride!
Till next time
#justonefortheroad
great!