I visit the Le Mans forum over at Pistonheads frequently, as well as the excellent forums at Beermountain. Both are superb resources for anybody who is planning a trip to La Sarth. As many “Beermountaineers” will admit to, there is almost as much fun to be had from the planning of the epic trip as there is to be had by actually being there!

I was reading a post at Pistonheads yesterday whilst on the train to London, in which somebody simply posed the question “Why so good to go visit”. This prompted lots of responses, as you might expect, but one from a forum member called “Johno” stood out, so much so that I wanted to share it here.

Johno captured the sprit and emotion of the event perfectly, in his brief summary in answer to the original poster;

Because simply it is one of the greatest racing spectacles there is and if you have a whiff of petrol in your veins you’ll look passed the camping and crowds and immerse yourself in the majesty of race cars being ragged for 24hrs.

You’ll awaken on the Sunday morning with the sound of the V8 Corvettes tearing down Mulsanne, and then, right then, you’ll realise there’s still hours to go and they’re still racing.

To stand at the edge of the track amongst like minded folk from around the world as the cars barrel into the Dunlop chicane, the glowing brake disks, the flames spat from the open exhausts and then the bellow as they fight to get the power down under the bridge.

To be at Mulsanne corner at night, to walk along the side of the track as they accelerate at night through the trees on towards the fastest part of the circuit and Indianapolis corner.

To press your face to the wire fencing at Arnage as the fastest cars try to thread their way through the GT cars, to smell the hot brakes, breathe in the fumes and enjoy a cold beer.

To witness the ceremony of the start, the ridiculous scale of it all and then weary, tired, unshaven, hungover and with your mates climb back into those same seats which you saw the start from, 22hrs later to watch the final 2hrs and the finish, the cars entering the pitlane the wrong way and the mass track invasion.

I always think everyone should go once at least, no the diesels aren’t great to listen too, the crowds can be a pain, the drive down and back has lost its sparkle, but it’s Le Mans.

This is a race that is 90yrs old, still run on public roads with little interference or modification to them, on a track that is over 13kms long, through woods and run in all conditions.

I’ve only been to 11 x 24hrs and 2 x Classics. This year will be my 12th and I have the small hurdle to overcome of now loving in Singapore. I will be there though 

Go, if you don’t like it at least you’ll be able to say you’ve been and it wasn’t for you. But don’t miss it and look back in xx years and say you never bothered, that’s the worst thing to do.

Addicts are many with Le Mans, we’re a silly brigade, many with completely differing reasons for returning every year to the same campsites, normally amongst the same friends, to have the same conversations and arguments. Get drunk, do daft things and go home to our wives in a worse state than we left. We mellow with age, drink less, lie more, have better cars …. But all of us to the last love Le Mans, dread the marriage invitation season as people compromise our ability to attend and have understanding wives who tolerate this idiocy.

I can’t promise you’ll love it, or even like it, but to see great cars raced on the public roads like this isn’t like going to the touring cars or F1, it’s far better.