8 heures du Castelet LMS

[Kristof]

Just saw on the website that on Friday the track won't be open for the public  ...  French bastards !
Guess we'll have to head on to Saint Tropez on Friday afternoon ... Sun, sea, terrace, wine and hopefully a nice view, it could be worse 

[Kristof]

I'm ready !



 

[lofty]

see you there dottore do you want to meet for a beer ?

[Kristof]

Only just saw your post lofty, wifi in the hotel is a real pain in the ass. Would love to meet up for a beer, I'll send you my number in pm

[Kristof]

Back home ... Great track, nice race, nice weather on Saturday, too cold weather on Sunday ...
Will post more pictures during the week, first some work to do (sadly enough).

[lofty]

hi when you sent reply i was just pitching up.next time.im putting pictures on computer now only got back 3 hours ago.

[Kristof]

Another one




@ Lofty : Next time, we'll meet up for a few beers  !!

[termietermite]

Superb pics as per, Dottore.  How was access around the track for the paying public?  I've only ever been there with a press pass which I probably won't get again. 

[Kristof]

Superb pics as per, Dottore.  How was access around the track for the paying public?  I've only ever been there with a press pass which I probably won't get again.  

Thanx !

Acces 'round the track wasn't bad.  We could walk from the start/finish straight (tribune across the pitlane) up to the double righthander at the end of the backstraight.  Nice views of the sweeping bends before start/finish with a grandstand and bar, and then you could walk back to the end of the back straight.  Lots of possibility to shoot over the fences, just a shame I couldn't shoot through it, as there's a second lower fence in front of the big one (600 mm was't enough).   I was very impressed by the track, everything very clean and still like new, great setting for a racetrack.  Walked through a part of the paddock, but didn't find any more spots to take some nice pictures.  It could have been better if they opened a bit more public-area's (end of the start/finish straight with the corners behind it, maybe somekind of viewing area at the backstraight), but it was quite ok for me.  Only the boutique was a disappointment; located at the entry of the track, and allmost nothing in stock ... and if they had something it was in children-size (small or large if you were lucky).   Good parking facilities inside the track, easy to get in with pre-paid tickets ... lots of tracks can learn from it.  Compared with Spa over here, we're living in the Stone age.

If they organise this race again next year, chances are high I'll be there again.  


Edit ... another picture (no sharpening, just cropped it and added some contrast) 

[Boorish Grobian]

Glad to hear you had a good time, and that Ricard is still in good shape.  I always thought it was a terrific GP venue, state of the art when built in 1970, and remains so.  It's always been mind-boggling to me that the French GP was moved from there, but then again, we are talking about the FIA.  The combination of hight speed sweepers and the long Mistral straight made for a bloody challenging circuit, to drive, and set a car up for.  The Verriere esses, Signes and Beausset were always corners that separated the men from the boys.
Fax