Ticket and camping permit booked. Other kit mostly (but not all) assembled. Still some stuff to do, but well on the way to readiness.

Based on my experience in 2014, don't under any circumstances let them make you camp on the tiny strip of grass right between the pond and the main access road into the site. I ended up leaving my tent behind because the leak/overflow from one of the toilet blocks effectively turned the pond into an open sewer.

Sadly, I go on foot. Can't quite squeeze a fireplace into my rucksack.

I just buy a disposable barbecue, put it up on a couple of bricks and that works perfectly well for me.

Does that mean ticket agents will send them out this quickly as well?

I was there when the 1972 Le Mans-winning Matra did a demonstration run, sounding like a real racer. Compared to that the Audi sounded like the result of a seedy backstreet knee-trembler between a lawnmower and an egg whisk.

Ticket and camping permit sorted.

I'll be on Expo as soon as it opens.

Confirmed today:

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-with-new-motorsport-strategy-formula-e-instead-of-wec-6980

Until the start of the final lap, anyway.

And, as Audi have done pretty much everything there is to do in today's sportscar scene, perhaps the big cheeses in the VW group have decided it's Porsche's turn to add to their legacy.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport/audi-set-lmp1-and-le-mans-withdrawal-updated

Looks like the mighty four rings might not be at La Sarthe much longer.

https://sportscarracingnews.com/2016/09/27/bmw-plans-le-mans-return-in-2018/

Looks like the WEC's GT grids will have another heavy hitter re-entering the fray.

All good, so it seems, especially with Ford and Ferrari back there as well.

I'm more of a JagerBeam man, personally.

One half-pint glass containing a triple Jim Beam mixed with a triple Jagermeister.

Or you could ditch the Jagermeister in favour of the mighty Absinthe.

The cashpoints outside Carrefour can't be trusted not to swallow your card then immediately declare themselves as 'Non Disponsible.'

Nor can they be trusted not to still list the money I didn't get as still having been withdrawn.

Evening All. Here's the Expo campsite report, albeit belatedly.

Access Access is pretty good, with one main pedestrian and vehicle entrance within two minutes walk of the main circuit entrance. The nearest bar (the world-famous 'Aux Portes du Circuit' AKA 'Jeannine's) is only about 90 seconds walk from the Expo entrance. The site opens on the Sunday before the race at 10am.

Proximity It really couldn't be any closer to the circuit without being inside it. Which is great if you're, like me, disabled or chronically ill. The walk between the Expo entrance and the main circuit entrance is slightly downhill entering the circuit and shouldn't be too difficult to make the return trip. As I go on foot and don't have a vehicle, I find that specially convenient.

Facilities Frankly, woefully inadequate. I found only a couple of toilet and shower blocks in which not all the showers were always operational. The simple fact is that there just aren't enough sanitary facilities for the number of campers, especially later in race week when the site really starts to fill up. So, it would benefit enormously from more ablutions blocks. That said, they are usually kept in decent condition.

Atmosphere Definitely not a site for the party animals amongst us. The atmosphere tends to be one of sociable calmness (by 24 Hours standards, anyway). Expo folk aren't party poopers, but we're not prone to constant drunkenness and industrial-volume music going 24 hours a day. If you're looking for a party site then Beausejour and what remains of Houx Annexe are probably more your thing but, if you like things a little quieter, then you might find Expo more to your liking. Personally, I've come to like this site very much.

General You don't get marked pitches on Expo. The cattle sheds are great if you're travelling with a small vehicle. bike or arriving on foot. They do have concrete floors, though, so banging in tent pegs isn't really an option. You could use an electric screwdriver but, as these are used as cattle sheds the rest of the year, I wouldn't do it. I don't like the thought of leaving an animal lame because they stepped on a screw I'd left sticking out of the concrete. The grassy areas are often on very thin soil so, if you're looking to pitch tents/gazebos instead of using pop-ups, you want to get there early to find one of the relatively rare spots where pegs will actually go into the ground and stay there.

Security Theft isn't much of a problem on Expo. There's only one way in and out and there's no through traffic from other sites, making it one of the safer sites to camp on. If you take sensible precautions like not leaving valuables on display, locking anything valuable in your vehicle and using vehicle locks, bike chains, alarms and so on, you should be fine. Expo's as safe a site as any and better than some.

Overall I like it a lot. It's a close to the main entrance as it can be. It's not rammed with drunkards and general idiocy 24 hours a day. Theft isn't something to worry about beyond the usual precautions. It's only a short walk (around ten minutes) from the nearest tram stop (Guetteloup) and Jeannine's is literally across the road. For me, it's as close to perfect as I can get.

Score 8/10. It would have been 9/10 except for the woeful lack of sanitation facilities.