Le Mans 24 hours 2003

[DC]

I spotted this GT40 in Le Mans city on Friday evening. I think it has a Belgian registration. Is this yours Fred??

[Fred/Belgium]

Dave,

No,myne is a Gulf P1075 1968 le Mans winner version.
I believe it is the one from Michel Bouty based in Brussels.
Bentley did it great I heard (I was on a business trip and could not join [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img])

[David Morton]

Hi Dave,
Nice to see you at the LM race and I'm sorry I didn't get across to meet the other guys. Another time maybe? I'm now at the opera in Verona and the weather is just diabolical with many really nice Italian luxury cars (and German) badly damaged by hail this afternoon. I'm putting this on the board rather than sending a private email in case anybody comes to N Italy with a nice auto. Don't! Today the insurance companies must be reeling - bonnets, roofs,
windscreens totally wrecked in the Garda area.
Aida tonight!!
Dave M

[DC]

Hi Dave,

Sounds bad but at least you are all seeing into the future weather [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

It was great seeing all the technical stuff you have in your wagon - I was most impressed by the level of detail you see.

At Le Mans the guys will confirm we had raining rockets. Our site host had a nasty dent in his people-carrier roof from a spent firework. Friday we didn't sleep for a seemingly endless firework display and Saturday for cars screaming out of the Porsche curves, heh, but that's what Le Mans is all about.

One of our band (don't tell him your name O'Reilly!) watched the whole event on satellite sitting about 50 yards from the track - well at least he had the noise and could see all the circuit.

CU in the autumn, I should have my new engine by then,
Dave

[David Morton]

Dave,
I second the fireworks noise. On Sunday night a German party was firing what sounded like mortars until 0200 and he was celebrating the Bentley victory.After loads of champagne I couldn't care less anyway. The party in the motorhome was brilliant.
If you feel like coming out to one of the Euro Gps give me a shout - we have sleeping for up to 5 and from N'ring onwards we have 2 / max 3 people.
I'll be on the road ( at last) when I get back from Italy though I am already planning some updates ie Brakes/wheels and Gearbox.I'll see how the beast runs first and ask if you to have a go to tell me what comparisons you can make.
Do you have any basic set up data for suspension etc or did you use the basic GTD data in their miserable build manual?
Dave M

ps I haven't been asked to do rockets yet!!

[IAN UK]

Dave
I did manage to see the Legends race Saturday morning from the Porsche curves, before I took pole position in front of the Tele.
And if my memory serves me right we did venture out to view the cars braking for the bend at the end of the Mulsanne straight until 3am sunday morning.
My wife (bless her)is still mystified why we go for 9 days when the race only last's for 24 hours, I tell her it's time spent travelling, good job her geography is not to hot.
Roll On Next Year.
PS
David you were three minutes late with your weather forecast which caused the sausages to get wet on the barbie [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
Regards
Ian

[David Morton]

Perry, [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
I accept and apologise for the sausages getting wet. However, in mitigation our prediction system was set for a 0.78 mile offset (the distance between the radar head and the Bentley Pits) and I was unsure of your exact location at the time. I will promise to do better next year if you bring a GPS system and phone me as to your exact position.
Back to Audi next year!!
David (Dave M) [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[IAN UK]

Dave
That's no excuse we were in sausage throwing distance of the Bentley pits and even had a GPS on site.
Next time forget what you should be doing and concentrate on setting your rader antenna on our
Bar-B-que. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
Was it true that all the pit crew of the winning team received a rather posh watch !!
Regards
Ian

[David Morton]

And a big dinner in the Savoy last night!!! I couldn't attend unfortunately due to a previous committment at the Opera [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] (Work not pleasure - Aida is not my favourite)
If you equip your barbeque with its own GPS reporting via GPRS we will have a fix on you where ever you choose to grill [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Next year......
Dave M

ps it was a Bre---ing.....

[DC]

All this technology. What's wrong with the simple old solutions, a wet finger in the air, a dodgy knee that aches in the damp and an umbrella for the BarB if it all goes pear shaped [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[roy snook]

Dave (Morton)
I can tell you Perry's position most of the weekend was with his Butt in a chair in front of the T.V. watching the race on Eurosport, consuming large amounts of alcohol and Grand Marnier crepes-and I was the one who got wet cooking the sausages on the BBQ

[David Morton]

Roy,
Now your talking - Grand Marnier crepes ! I'll definitely be over next year (and sod the weather info).I think somebody had the correct priorities after all. My car will DEFINITELY be there next year even if I have to trailer it around Europe first - it's either that or find some willing soul to bring it down and back.
Dave M

[David Morton]

Dave,
Its techno for the sake of it. Each team has to up-technogiz the next one, much the same as motorhomes (remember what Audi built at LM in 2002?)Similarly - comms
have to be even more techno. But I think what I do is valid as well - in 2001 the drivers were questioning putting on full wets in bright sunlight and Ralf Juttner virtually told them to do as they were told but one of them declined by not pitting - he pitted on the next lap( he spun and clouted the armco and lost 4 places)Ex f1 guy so he knew best!! Any way I'm told I'm there until at least 2007
so I'm looking forward to Crepes..
Dave

[DC]

The crepes tasted as good as the Kings new suit of clothes looked, and as good as the Grand Marnier I took. I probably lost out being only on a flying visit - maybe next year.