found this message on a german Le MAns discussion-form (www.gt-eins.de)

mail from Sansepolcro, Italy, April 30, 2004:
 
AN EXPLANATION FOR THE ANDREA PICCINI /LISTER RACING ISSUE.
 
The Legal dispute between Andrea Piccini and Lister Racing came to an end yesterday on April 29th with the decision that the English team will have pay a compensation for damages.
 
This story has been the talk of many people in the last few days and so Andrea Piccini would like to divulge this information through its press office to clear up this matter. Moreover, Andrea Piccini would also like to avoid having any incorrect information published.
 
At the end of the free practice session on the Le Mans track on Sunday April 25th, Lister Racing’s prototype and truck were seized by the French authority.
 
This decision was made after Andrea Piccini had sued Lister Racing for damages and for not respecting the terms of the contract signed in December 2003.  
 
In fact, Lister Racing had chosen Andrea as its key driver for the 24 hours of Le Mans and for 4 races in the LMES championship.  
 
On January 26, 2004, the team had stated that they had some financial problems and Laurence Pierce; the owner of the English factory, informed Andrea Piccini that he could no longer compete for the team  regardless of the contract that the Tuscan driver had signed on December 19, 2003.  
 
Andrea tried to solve this problem in a friendly fashion for almost a month but Laurence Pierce’s absolute indifference forced him to start legal proceedings against the company with the help of the FLADGATE FIELDERS law firm.
 
When Andrea’s lawyers brought his case to the French authorities, the authorities had immediately decided as a precaution to seize Lister Racing’s assets and means of transportation.
 
While this press releases is being sent, Lister Racing’s assets are being given back since the team is fulfilling the obligations undertaken with the French Authority.  
 

Oh yes, nice & warm, 37 Celsius - body temperature, and after laods of beer and well working kidneys not even really smelly...  

Mark,

it's probably not worth the hassle just for one weekend. We've been in Le Mans since 1985 , had the football-problem every 2 years (euro-and worldcups) and only a few years we had our own tv with us. In all the other years we always found an opportunity to watch football-games e.g. the pub near the track main-entrance, other groups on the campground, you'll find something, just ask around.

Showers: When they're there, fine, if not, also OK.
I'll never forget one of my mates who was taking a pee somewhere at the trees at Houx Annexe, bare-foot, looking down meanwhile and saying: "This will be the only water my feets are going to see this weekend"

Coming from Germany, we drove via CDG to Le Mans almost every year. Just avoid rush hours, (e.g. 5.00 - 8.00 pm) and there should be no problem. In case of a traffic jam theres not much point in looking for a detour, unless you know Paris very well. Just sit in the car, turn on the radio, snatch a beer from the trunk and wait...

As the game is France - England and you are in France at that time, I guess you'll be able to receive it terrestial. The worldcup-games 2 years were also on french, terrestial, free TV. However, if you bring your own TV-Set check first that it can deal with the french system. A couple of years ago we found out, that an older german PAL-system TV doesn't work in France, because their transmisssion standard is SECAM. Many modern TVs are multi-system (e.g. almost all Sonys), they can deal with PAL, SECAM and NTSC as well. So just take a look in the manual of your TV set...

Has anyone confirmation about wether Radio Le Mans will be on air this year? And which frequenecy, again 91.2 ?

I don't beleave in the hare & tortoise scenario. If 4:25 is the best they can do, even a range of 100 laps per tank won't help ;-)

I was really looking forward to the first LMP-Diesel in Le Mans but looking at yesterdays lap times I saw that the much-talked-about Lola Caterpillar was even slower than all of the GT cars (4.25). I was always a fan of the ACO's willingness to accept "exotic" entries (like the Nasamax Bio-Ethanol-Fueled car) but the Lola-Caterpillar performance seems to be more than questionable. May be they should introduce something like a "Fastest category lap time + 10 %"- rule to restrict the grid to entries which make sense.  

Does anyone who attended the testday has information about why they were so slow?

also got my Expo-tickets today, much earlier than in previous years

see you in june

Werner

no need to choose, if enough TV-equipment is available. I will never forget an incredible scene a couple of years ago during  world  cup time (probably 1990), seeing a bunch of people on Houx Annexe, completely drunken, watching 2 TVs at the same time: a big widescreen TV showing a worldcup football game and another, smaller TV on top of that with the volumne off showing hardcore porn. The bunch in front of the TV sets was waiving and cheering all the time, but it was difficult to say at which program...:-)

Ouside assistance

Yes hgb, you're right, I remember the last championsship year 1992 with just 28 cars on the grid in Le Mans.

Le Mans no. 18 for me, yes, I've seen Group C....

Hi folks,

here some pictures of the WR 2004 which we can expect to see in June

http://www.welterracing.fr/technique/_FR/photo.html