Le Mans.

Idle thought, many of you there this weekend? Working or watching? I keep meaning to get there for the classic but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

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No, but if they get there arse in gear at our groupage depot tomorrow in Barcelona so I can get a couple of hours up the road i’m hoping to make Chateauxroux for the weekend.

Grumpy_old_trucker:
No, but if they get there arse in gear at our groupage depot tomorrow in Barcelona so I can get a couple of hours up the road i’m hoping to make Chateauxroux for the weekend.

If it’s a warm night, and you sleep with your windows open, you could convince yourself the roaring sound is of cars chasing through the night, instead of a rattly ole fridge in the next row.
[emoji6]

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Always been one of my “bucket list” type things to do. It would be working though, but has never happened for one reason or another. Heading to paul ricard though for more automotive funness.

I’ve been a spectator at Le Mans twice, once when I was with a team running a Group C car in the warm up race on the Saturday morning and once when our car blew its engine after 6 hours, so it was close the doors and head for the bar, which is far better than going out after 20 hours, that’s just a kick in the teeth having worked through the night.

As a spectator the race does have a special atmosphere, but working there you find the garages are too small and too old for modern racing cars and all the kit that goes with them and out the back doing tyres, you seem a bit detached from the racing, I couldn’t see the track or any monitors. However being in a team that finishes the race is a sense of achievement and winning your class is a bigger deal than I ever imagined.

I always like seeing some of the slightly older sporty/flashy lookers on the ferries this time of year. Some of the cars look good too!
I will go have a look sometime I’m sure. Not keen on rubbing shoulders with jam packed crowds, and imagine that there’ll be a bit more space away from the pits area.

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[emoji851][emoji851][emoji851]

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Franglais:

Grumpy_old_trucker:
No, but if they get there arse in gear at our groupage depot tomorrow in Barcelona so I can get a couple of hours up the road i’m hoping to make Chateauxroux for the weekend.

If it’s a warm night, and you sleep with your windows open, you could convince yourself the roaring sound is of cars chasing through the night, instead of a rattly ole fridge in the next row.
[emoji6]

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Your’e wrong, unbelievably there is myself, 2 Dutch trucks and a Spaniard here, dozens of EE trucks parked on the roads around the estate, I hate to think where they’re going to the toilets as they ain’t welcome in the Routiers.
Many years since I was here but the food is still as good if not better than any Routier I’ve used in France, showers immaculate.

Grumpy_old_trucker:

Franglais:

Grumpy_old_trucker:
No, but if they get there arse in gear at our groupage depot tomorrow in Barcelona so I can get a couple of hours up the road i’m hoping to make Chateauxroux for the weekend.

If it’s a warm night, and you sleep with your windows open, you could convince yourself the roaring sound is of cars chasing through the night, instead of a rattly ole fridge in the next row.
[emoji6]

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Your’e wrong, unbelievably there is myself, 2 Dutch trucks and a Spaniard here, dozens of EE trucks parked on the roads around the estate, I hate to think where they’re going to the toilets as they ain’t welcome in the Routiers.
Many years since I was here but the food is still as good if not better than any Routier I’ve used in France, showers immaculate.

Not many places open weekends now. And tis extremely rare I do weekends away now, but Im still surprised that with fewer place open it`s that quiet.

You were wrong about a fridge rattling away disturbing me, unfortunately you didn’t warn me about Air FRance training their pilots here practicing their take off and landings in a bloody 767 behind me all afternoon.

Grumpy_old_trucker:
You were wrong about a fridge rattling away disturbing me, unfortunately you didn’t warn me about Air FRance training their pilots here practicing their take off and landings in a bloody 767 behind me all afternoon.

Yeah, I`m a driver, (more or less) I get the blame for everything!

Franglais:

Grumpy_old_trucker:
You were wrong about a fridge rattling away disturbing me, unfortunately you didn’t warn me about Air FRance training their pilots here practicing their take off and landings in a bloody 767 behind me all afternoon.

Yeah, I`m a driver, (more or less) I get the blame for everything!

Grumpy_old_trucker:
You were wrong about a fridge rattling away disturbing me, unfortunately you didn’t warn me about Air FRance training their pilots here practicing their take off and landings in a bloody 767 behind me all afternoon.

I’d be quite happy watching that all afternoon, after looking it up and find 2 Routiers in the area, was going to ask which one it was, but you’ve given me the answer. :laughing:

Anybody still need to catch up on the result of the race or can I mention the result? :smiley:

muckles:
Anybody still need to catch up on the result of the race or can I mention the result? :smiley:

Short of mechanical issues toyota would of always guarenteed it finished the way it did.

I cant wait for him to go and win indy now, hopefully in a honda powerd mclaren. Oh the irony.

Im sick of hearing about him blabber on about his self proclaimed “legacy” every weekend.

I need to get myself a gig on a race team!!! [emoji30] where on earth do they advertise? Or is it word of mouth?

Concretejim:

muckles:
Anybody still need to catch up on the result of the race or can I mention the result? :smiley:

Short of mechanical issues toyota would of always guarenteed it finished the it did

The thing about Le Mans, even without equivalent competition finishing, let alone winning, isn’t guarantied. Last year they couldn’t even beat top cars in the LMP2 category.

nomiS36:
I need to get myself a gig on a race team!!! [emoji30] where on earth do they advertise? Or is it word of mouth?

Sorry massive closed shop, all funny handshakes and brown envelopes, :open_mouth: :laughing:

Ok a couple of webistes, race staff.com and motorsportjobs.com.

But you’ve just got that tidy new truck, built to your specification and truck spec isn’t always at the top of your average race team owner.

However if you’re serious you need to go into it with open eyes, some good bits about the job, but plenty of not so good bits, very little glamour, loads of cleaning and moving stuff.

muckles:

nomiS36:
I need to get myself a gig on a race team!!! [emoji30] where on earth do they advertise? Or is it word of mouth?

Sorry massive closed shop, all funny handshakes and brown envelopes, :open_mouth: :laughing:

Ok a couple of webistes, race staff.com and motorsportjobs.com.

But you’ve just got that tidy new truck, built to your specification and truck spec isn’t always at the top of your average race team owner.

However if you’re serious you need to go into it with open eyes, some good bits about the job, but plenty of not so good bits, very little glamour, loads of cleaning and moving stuff.

Yeah I know, I’m thinking more for the future, say 3 or 4 years when my youngest (currently 14) is less dependant so being away for weeks at a time isn’t a problem.

nomiS36:

muckles:

nomiS36:
I need to get myself a gig on a race team!!! [emoji30] where on earth do they advertise? Or is it word of mouth?

Sorry massive closed shop, all funny handshakes and brown envelopes, :open_mouth: :laughing:

Ok a couple of webistes, race staff.com and motorsportjobs.com.

But you’ve just got that tidy new truck, built to your specification and truck spec isn’t always at the top of your average race team owner.

However if you’re serious you need to go into it with open eyes, some good bits about the job, but plenty of not so good bits, very little glamour, loads of cleaning and moving stuff.

Yeah I know, I’m thinking more for the future, say 3 or 4 years when my youngest (currently 14) is less dependant so being away for weeks at a time isn’t a problem.

The job doesn’t have to mean weeks away, really depends on the race series and team, a British race series could mean one week and weekend away and another in the workshop home every night, (if you can work for a local team), with time off in lieu to make up for working the weekend.
The real problem is the hours can be unpredictable and sometimes testing and PR events can be put on at short notice, due to the whim of drivers, management or sponsors.
And also job security can be an issue, most teams are funded by drivers paying to race and if they go, and the team can’t find somebody to replace them and so does your job.
Even works teams can be dropped by the manufacturer at what seems like a moments notice, I worked for a team, where we were half way through building the new race car and they dropped their racing program, the board decided the money could be spent elsewhere.