Club Arnage

Another (potentially daft...) question if I may with regard to the Classic weekend.

Is it possible, say on the Thursday evening or Friday morning, to cycle round the whole lap of the circuit ? For example, if we started at the Porsche curves, could we cycle up the pit straight and under the Dunlop bridge round to Tetre Rouge ?

Or is there stuff going on which would prevent that ? Or even, would the security bods get grumpy ?  I know there are some fairly substantial fences / barriers around by Tetre Rouge, but was working on the basis that they would probably have been removed by then, so there may only be some temporary barriers to negotiate.

Thanks very much (again) for any guidance or suggestions.

You could probably cycle the old 1923 circuit as that bypasses the permanent circuit, but on the modern one you would probably be bounced by Gendarmes or ACO security at the Porsche curves, even on a cold track.

Frankly, not feasable. You can cycle from Tertre rouge all the way to the Porsche curves, but the private part of the track not at all. Of course, you can try and turn right at Porsche Curves and see where you get to before you are stopped though - there are only the usual barriers there and never a cop!

From what I've seen they have gates that prevent access to To/from Terte Rouge.

t.

Indeed, they're fairly substantial.

I was hoping that, given the right timing, they might have been removed prior to the circuit being set up for racing and hence replaced with a temporary barrier.  I was also hoping that, again given the right timing, there may not be a great deal of security around in the evening or early in the morning to police said temporary barriers, before it gets a bit warm to cycle round the whole circuit. 

Guess it will be a case of playing it by ear and seeing what we can, or cannot, get away with...  Worst case a bit of Gallic shrugging while trying to look as though we're meant to be there might be deployed ;)

If caught just shout,wave arms then storm off making them think its their mistake  ;)

Try wearing a racing suit, they might just mistake you for a driver doing a recce.

More likely to be mistaken for the Michelin man if it was a white suit....   ;D

or......even The Stig... ;D ;D ;D

ha ha french stig stricks again.or is it mansell.plot thinkens.

Maybe 'American Stig'.... ;)

Can't you get permission to do this with one of the ACO memberships?

The road is usually closed around midday to allow the necessary barriers to be put into place but, bizarrely, is still a "road" until 4pm when it comes under the control of the ACO and becomes a race track. I know - I got stopped for speeding at Indianapolis at 3pm taking the chief marshal to a briefing! The Tertre Rouge barriers will have gone by 1pm, and the main road parts of the circuit will be pretty busy with workmen so that would be feasable - you'd blend in. Your problem would come when you turned off towards the Porsche Curves and merrily cycle up pit straight toward the Dunlops! No, even ACO members can't get to do this since it is circuit preparation time. I guess the drivers do so if you wear Nomex you might get away with it. Who knows? Best of luck!

PS I remember seeing the Hawthorn video in A D-type giving a commentary as he does a lap. He overtakes a chap with a beret and onions on the handlebars. another option perhaps? ;)

I've seen that bit of film, it's bonkers ;D

Hmmm, a cunning disguise indeed !!   ;D







I'm sure I can rustle up some suitable head-wear, but if you'd care to lend me your D-Type so I can really blend in then that would be grand  ;D

Nice thought, but the D-type is without brakes at the moment - awaiting a new master brake cylinder which broke on the circuit a few weeks back - a brown trousers moment indeed! I found the video of Hawthorn on Youtube. Have alook here at how dangerous the course was in those days. Gods indeed, the drivers of the day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk2irKVQB4I

 :o - I bet that was a little 'exciting' !!   Hope you get it fixed soon - saw the car at Mulsanne last year and it's lovely.  Mind you, the C-Type is rather nice too !!


Another film I rather like is "La Ronde Infernale" which was made in, I think, the late 60's or very early 70's.   Again, it's quite eye-opening to see the circuit then, and the total absence of things we take for granted now, such as armco, run-off areas and frequent marshall posts.

For those coming to the Classic, the C-type will oft be seen at the bar a couple of hundred yards from the circuit entrance but this weekend is at Monthlery doing both the banked oval and the other course which is pure magic - just like a mini Nurburgring. You have a choice - armco or trees if you lose it - and there is one looooong curve left which is 100mph plus - if you dare - plus something approaching the corkscrew at Laguna Seca which is sharp right and completely blind on a crest. It's taken me a long time to get that line right! If ever you get the chance to go there it is a must, even though the old oval has seen better days and it is better not to try and take the high line since the concrete blocks of which the circuit is constructed have lifted in places and last year, at 150mph in the third lane on the banking the D-type took off and I found myself on landing with the box in neutral. I stayed in the second lane after that ::)

Err, blimey !!   :o

For some reason I had always thought Monthlery was pretty flat, possibly because of the banked layout which doesn't normally lend itself to elevation changes.  But it sounds rather more 'interesting' than that !

Interesting how he refers to the "terrible accident" of the previous year as if he were not involved at all.  A coping mechanism I suppose.

That's great to hear !!! I thought they closed Monthléry in 2005. Excellent to hear that it's still used. "Say 'oui' to Monthléry" obviously worked, then. It's the last racing circuit with a banking. Is Francois O'Born still involved ?

//New in 2010 :BE FREE TO WALK AROUND, AND FREE OF CHARGE, INSIDE THE "24 Heures du Mans" CIRCUIT ENCLOSURE (outside races).

(That's in the 'passion 24 VIP list of goodies)

Non members can do this do on payment of 5€.  However, whether they'd let you cycle round is another matter, and not - I imagine - during a race week.

Just watched the U tube clip again and the difference is amazing, especially the fact that Tetre Rouge used to be a 1st gear corner, now look at it !!!

no.had to stop and camp for couple of days in between.

Well, the answer is yes, it is possible :D

No barriers, no security (though we were probably on CCTV from the moment we humped the bikes over the barrier at the Porsche curves...) and the big white barriers had all been taken down.

The hill up to the Dunlop Bridge is quite long and gets a bit steep though... ;)