Club Arnage

How was it for you?

Good Points? Bad Points? Observations?

All good this year.

With the usual crowd in BJS and watched from the curves for a good part. Did go up to Tet Rouge for the start and a bit put off with all the new pedestrian bridges. After the start we went for a few beerio in Tet Rouge bar for old times sake then a stroll back to camp site via the big bar in the village. More toilets now, so no infamous wall of pee to go against.

Lots of beer and curry for the week and good company.

We stayed on Épinettes.  It's quite a trek in to the Tribunes heat from there especially in the brutal heat on Wednesday and Thursday. But stoppiing off at DFH  & Team Le Mans Zone made it tolerable.   
I think the ACO have sorted out there IT issues.  The ticket app worked flawlessly.  Though I know some people had an issue getting in to Épinettes as they lost their network at the gate. 
Traffic getting to and from the supermakets was not really a problem.  On a couple of occasions there was a hold up where I the car didn't have the correct ticket and so entered into a long discussion withthe guy on the gate and thus holding up all the traffic.
The installation of the foot bridges helped the traffic flow I think.

If only they would re-open Bleu Nord Camping.

Used to be a regular, from 1998 to 2018 but hadn't been since. A lot has changed - at the circuit itself and around.

The bad:
You used to be able to buy a ticket at the gate. Fat chance of that now.
The wholly ineffective security on the gate and the closure of the Terre Rouge entry is just annoying. Can't take beers in with you any more, and it's 8 Euros a pint inside.
*Massive* crowds around the essses at the start.
Friday's a bit dull now. I can remember the days when people would line up their cars at Indianapolis and Hunaudieres, and you could wander around with a beer meeting fellow car nuts. Now the only people you see on the circuit are cyclists and...joggers?!


The good:
Whatever you think about BoP etc, the hypercars look awesome (especially the Valkyrie) and they sound decent was well - rumbling Caddy v screaming Aston.
Watching at the Esses and Tertre Rouge at 2am is still mind-blowing. Nothing else in motorsport comes close.
Food on offer at Hunaudieres has improved, even if getting there has become trickier!
A big thank you to Zak Brown who cheerfully did a selfie with my lad after we bumped into him and his guests.

After losing Terte Rouge campsite we moved to the inside of Terte Rouge to Team Langoustine.  Great campsite and food provided.
Liked the Porsche curves spectator areas. Now have 2 big wheels, not that I went on them.
The vastly improved toilets everywhere were great.
Terte Rouge fan zone was mostly empty. Rumour had it that the area of the zone means they can sell more tickets.
Overcrowded? Watch the start from Mulsanne then head to Arnarge, which looks like it could do with more food and beer stalls judging by the queue of people.
I really enjoyed it.

we were with Team Langoustine at Tetre Rouge too after many years on Houx Annexe and Blue Nord. We all really enjoyed it and will be back next year. The food was great especially the Nepalese curry. It was nice to have decent bogs and showers with no queues. Highly recommend staying with the shrimp guys.

Definitely. Really good experience.

Our third year on BSJ after being evicted from Epi and MB before that - we're now calling it our new home as it's just too much of a faff to get tickets for the other sites.
Arrived early enough to camp at Porsche Curves - a game-changer compared with the rest of the site as it's so much easier to get in/out
New big screen opp PC means little need to even leave the site now if one is feeling properly lazy.
Not enough bogs across BSJ, but especially at PC - it would cost a few grand for the ACO to double the allocation and the goodwill it buys is priceless.
Missed the karting circuit (no more pissed-up racing, the last bastion of the good (bad) old days now gone), but the fan zone they pun on it was pretty good, big enough bar, live music, new viewing ares etc.
Digital ticketing app worked a treat (who knew we'd ever praise the ACO for any technology?), even managed to immediately donate a spare GE to a friend waiting at Entree Sud on Tuesday suddenly realising they had brought a weekend only ticket !!
Navettes from BSJ entry mean it's now easier to get from there to just about anywhere than almost all of the other campsites (again, who knew we'd ever say BSJ was easy to get to anywhere from?!?)
Overall, as good as could be expected (but the fireworks and drone show was rubbish!)