Mad Friday

[Robbo SPS]

Despite the usual SPS  Crew antics, damaged cars and injuries this year, we were told a VERY nasty story which goes against all that Le Mans means to me.

Whilst my sister and her chap were enjoying the atmosphere and thrilss of their TVR, they took part in 3 burn outs before heading back ag=fter a long and enjoyable day out in the coutryside.

They were stopped just before entering MB, at the Blue Sud area. They were actioned to burn out, but felt they had done their bit and so declined.

With this 3 people sprayed them with lots of water - not so bad as it was very hot.

Exeption was taken to the TOSSER who poured RED WINE all over my sister, the car and interior and shouted some rather nasty comments. ( those who have met kate are aware she not like me, and is a pleasant lady - not a whore )

They couldnt go anywhere as some french man had gone past them and blocked her in.

She was visbly upset and shacken, her fella was fuming and my crew wanted some revenge.

WHY ??

[Matt Harper]

Shameful. In answer to why? Little inadequate boys with small dicks, who can't handle drink, or cope with a young lady in a muscle car.

[Lawnmower Man]

These sorts of antics are simply not required.  

t.

[smokie]

I saw two events within about 10 minutes outside MB on Friday which very nearly ended in tears. In both events drivers took offence at being sprayed full on in the face at close range with super soakers. Can't say I blame them.

In the first one the guy leapt out of the (French, non high performance) car to "remonstrate" with the offender. A guy eventually got between them and prevented a fight, then as the car drove away he kicked the car.

Shortly after, another driver made to get out of the car to see to the idiot but the coward quickly melted into the crowd...


I remember having a bit of a rant against super soakers here last year when a new car with cream leather got absolutely soaked by some small kid, who's dad was incredibly aggressive when it was suggested to him that maybe he should advise his kid of the difference between a bit of fun and criminal damage.

[ecurie]

I have the impression that the few last years that kind of "hooligan" behaviour has increased.

It has always been fun and the french police are not that bad, as most of the time they will tolerate the burnouts and power slides . However, those aggressive pricks will ruin it for everyone else and the fun atmosphere of Mad Friday will slowly disappear.  

[Neal]

Hi Smokie & Robbo good to meet you two last week. I had a bit of an experience with the soakers, getting it straight in the eye doing about 30mph, a bit painful I can tell you. However the culprits didn't seem to happy with the half dozen stink bombs lobbed at them by my passenger.

[Steve Pyro]

It's very sad to hear of all this.
These are the major reasons why, when we cruise in and out of the circuit to HA, we avoid the road between MB and Bleu Sud and also the HA back roundabout.

However, there's some fairly large, 'handy', blokes in our group who would definatley take offence to a full face of water.

Why do onlookers not realise that not every driver is without any care and responsiblility for their tyres, vehicle and the potential injury to onlookers, and hence doesn't want to play.

My cobra has an auto trans and, without doing some nifty left foot braking, is a bit tricky to do static burnouts.  When I've managed it, the car has a tendancy, due to the limited slip diff, to suddenly hook up a tyre and slew to the left or right - okay if there's no one alongside!

The only alternative is a rolling burnout and people tend to stand in front - so, I don't bother at all and keep well away.  Plus I need a bit of tread on my tyres to get home with.

[huggybear]

We got a small taste of these dickheads when we arrived at BSJ at 1am friday morning after the crappest day in history ( see Tales of Le Mans 2005 thread ). Out of the darkness a drunken yob starts yelling " I hate Porsches, I f*****g hate porsches". We took it as extreme, stella fuelled banter and carried on but this guy came out from his camp and started pointing his finger at us " You c****, you f*****g w******....etc etc". You could see in his face that he wanted bother - not banter. He actually followed us for a short distance shouting obsenities .Now, we laughed it off (privately - there was no communication with this idiot) over the wise crack that if you don't like porsches Le Mans might be a very tough weekend, but it is the first time in 8 years I ever felt in anyway intimidated by someone at LM. It reminded me off walking past Yates' wine bar at kicking out time!Luckily, when we pulled up to pitch  tent we were met by a drunken bunch of proper fans - all strangers, who straight away helped with putting the tent up and plied us with cold beer - faith was restored instantly. Le Mans has always been about much more than the race - its the characters that you meet and the comaraderie (sp?) that we all share. Sure, with all that comes some hi-jinx and jolly japes.
Smashed windows, wine poured into cars and super soakers emptied into them will just stop people bringing their motors to the campsites - lets face it, some of these cars are worth in excess of 100 grand. Not that the value is relevant, its about respecting peoples property and knowing where the line should be drawn.
Christ, I sound like an old man!

[Nordic]

Sorry to hear about the trouble your sister had Robbo, I saw you just by the hypermarket after another bit of bother you where having. I hope that got sorted in your favor.

I think it won't be long before there is a fatal crash of some sort at the Houx Annexe roundabout, and like Steve B we keep well clear when driving. This year there was an undercover copper (he still had a gun and cuffs, but no uniform) watching the goings on riding a trails bike.

Judging by some of the antics I think a stonger police presence will be made next year. Attacking an ACO lorry with beer bottles and giving the driver a load of abuse was not the smartest move either.

[Bob U]

You could be right about next year Nordic. The last time I went there I saw a middle aged woman seriously injured when a Renault 5 driver lost it on the roundabout and hit her. The police broke up the crowd and it did sound a lot quieter for a few years, until this year when it sounded full on even at the far end of HA. Next year will probably see a large old bill presence to stop it getting out of hand.
 
I am all for people having a good time and a laugh but not at the expense of someone getting hurt or even killed.
It seems to be a regular thing to do this on Mad Friday and if it was banned at one location it would only move on to another. Why not install armco and marshall it, it could then be monitered by the police and stopped if it gets more dangerous than it already is.

[Lancs Se7en]

What appears to be happening here is an extension of the weekend binging/looking for a fight/smack any one that I dont like mentality that we see every weekend on our streets. Its not just about being drunk its about looking for trouble. Some of our group including me were the worse for wear on the Thursday but we just kept on staggering around the track looking for the way back to the tent and keeping ourselves to ourselves
At one time it was only about lighting up the tyres and eccentrics getting upto all sorts of other relatively innocent things but with respect shown for those who just wanted to get on their way but it now seems well out of hand.
I dont mind putting the Se7en sideways or giving it some gas but only when I want to. Its never totally safe to do even this however and I dont feel confident enough to do huge powerslides or doughnuts to order. On the track then ok but not when there are drunken idiots around.
Wasnt there an incident at Houx this year with a truck driver?
Did any one else see the nutters on the road to Gucelard on the Friday evening? There were about 6 blokes totally starkers wandering all over the main road.
In many ways the locals are extremely tolerant of the antics, it must really piss people off seeing the state of the roundabout in Arnage after each night including Sunday.

[ecurie]

Two years ago there was quite a lot of police on the HA roundabout, which kept things more or less "safe".

This year, apart from 3 undercover cops, the police were almost absent.
I only saw one BMW driver being cautioned, but they let the troublemakers alone.

[Robbo SPS]

Thought :

Get  Team JPC's Rotty for close protection ??

MArk any comments

[Perdu]

Some dimbrained twat (Not a REAL t w a t!) was shooting paintballs at the windscreens of cars at the HA roundabout. He missed often! He was about to die before it got cooled off but he didn't have a clue what those things can do to peoples eyes.
He needed Police action there and then and I hope they do take a hand again, totally effin stupid behaviour.

Now I sound even worse than my usual old woman bit...

[DickieAttwood]

For the past few years we've negotiated the HA roundabout on Friday evening unscathed - this year was a bit nasty, my sons best friend returned an unexploded water bomb straight into [I think] someones face.

All this was on the approach to the roundabout from the north heading to Entrance Sud. After this all the windows went up and I floored it across the roundabout to be confronted by a race coming the other way, swerved around the oncoming Civic Type R  and breathed a sigh of releif.

Was I wrong to go that way?...... maybe...well yes I suppose.

Will I go that way next year on Friday?..... No.

Did I care that some innocent got a water bomb in the face - No I was pretty pissed with them all.

Robbo I agree with you entirely - This is not what It's all about

D.A.