Classes at Le Mans

North Bend, WA -- They say you can't tell a horse without a program -- and the same is true at The 24 Hours of Le Mans, where there are four classes of cars and nearly 50 cars screaming around the 8.48 mile track. So while this should have been one of the first articles, let's look at the classes, what constitutes each class and the winners at the 75th running of this famous race.

There are four main classes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans designated by the following:

LMP1: LMP stands for Le Mans Prototype 1. These cars are among the most expensive race cars in the world, behind only those on the Formula One circuit. (Note: At left you see the Peugeot LMP1) They are sophisticated tigers of speed with the latest in technology (meaning aerodynamics to help them stick to the road) that allow them to attack the famed Circuit De Sarthe. They must weight a minimum of 1982 pounds (that 925 kilograms in euro-speak) and can be powered by several different flavors of engines, including 6,000 cc for naturally aspirated, 4,000 cc for supercharged or turbocharged engines, and 5,500 cc for supercharged or turbocharged diesel engines. This is the class where the fastest cars and normally the overall winners are found, given their larger engines and the ability to use all of that horsepower on this long course. These cars with their specially built chassis, and bodies that look pretty zoomy and turn laps that average over 160 mph for a lap. The bodies can either be open cockpit like the Audis or closed cockpit like Peugeots (though this will change in 2010 where all cars are mandated to be closed cockpit designs.)This year is was basically a race between Audi and Peugeot and although the Peugeot set the fast time in qualifying, when the white flag dropped and the race started, the Audi dominanted the Peugeots (more on that later.)

LMP2: This is the little brother to the LPM1 -- Le Mans Prototype 2 is lighter with smaller engines; Minimum weight is 1652 pounds (or 675 kilograms) and the displacement for the engines is 3400 cc for naturally aspirated engines, 2,000 cc for supercharged or turbocharged engines. While the LMP1 may run engines with any number of cylinders, the LMP2 can run a maximum of eight cylinders. As you can see from the picture at the left, unless you know what to look for it is difficult to to tell a LMP2 from a LMP1 just by looking at the car. So make sure you get a program first thing. While on the Le Mans course where horsepower is at a premium and the LMP1 cars tend to dominate, on shorter and tighter tracks where handling is as important as speed, LMP2 cars have been known to win these events.

Winner of LMP2 class in 2007 was the Pescarolo Sport team that was just a lap behind the Peugeot when the checkered flag dropped. It would have been interesting to see if the Pescarolo team could have overcome the Peugeot team has there been better weather at the end of the race.

GT1: GT Stands for Grand Touring (from the Italian Grand Tourisimo) and basically is a car that is based on production car, meaning that the car must be street legal when it comes from the manufacturer. (At left is the Aston Martin factory car that was driven in part by David Brabham.) It also must have at least two doors that are functional. GT1 rules are for cars that are produced at the rate of one car a month. For normally aspirated engines these cars can have a maximum of 8,000 cc and for supercharged or turbocharged engines the engines can be a maximum of 4,000 cc. Eight for the cars depends on the engine used but is normally between 1125 and 1325 kilograms (in American that would be between 2475 pounds and 2915 pounds.)

The winner of the GT1 class as in fact the very car pictured here, the Aston Martin 009, that finished with 343 laps. The Corvette was second in the class, a lap down to the Aston Martin with no chance of catching up at the end due to the caution flag that was flown during a portion of the last laps of the race.

GT2: This class of cars is for larger manufacturers and the production run rate is a minimum of one car a week. To be honest I am not really sure the difference between GT1 and GT2 -- but it appears to be how big the car manufacturer of the vehicle is; there is nothing that really spells it out, although I am sure that the ACO thinks the rules are quite clear. At left is the Ferrari F 430 which according the program is a GT2 car. Other GT2 cars are the Porsche 911, and the Panoz Esperante.

This class was won by a Porsche 911, number 76, that completed 320 laps. At left is the winner racing down the front straight with the Audi LMP1 car. The car was driving by Frenchman Raymond Narac, an Austrian, Richard Lietz, and an American, Patrick Long. It was the first win for all three drivers.

French cuisine: the good, the bad, and the baguette

North Bend, WA -- Race track food, even in France, is still race track food. That means it is overpriced (though truth to tell the beef brochette and green beans at American Power Boat Association Nationals in Kankakee, Il is to pretty tasty and at $10 or so, is priced right), under portioned, and cholesterol high.

At the race track in Le Mans, it was pretty much standard race fare -- though the names change with the geography. You can find a pretty wide variety but the pricing hits the top of the scale and in all honesty I did not have the time nor the Euros to try many of the meals at the various food courts around the track.

But you could get your share of American food in France, with offers of Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and as you can see here, Barbecue Ribs. And from a pricing perspective it is probably high because the race track will get its cut too. Of course there are typical French meals available too, including the all-purpose French Dip. Then again for some crew members there was no meal at all, just a cigarette in the wee hours of the morning to tide them over til they could take time and have a real sit-down meal.

Meals at our bed and breakfast were interesting too; They too focused on the ubiquitous baguette, on which we spread butter and a variety of jams and jellies. For Joe and I the surprise was coffee -- on the table were large bowls that looked like cereal bowls, but in which they served the morning coffee. As they say, "When if France, do like the French." So we did.

During the race we ate predominately ham and cheese (Swiss Cheese of course) sandwiches in which the bread was -- but what else -- baguette. We got these from a little stand on the fourth floor of the press building and usually washed them down with a Coke. Joe thought that formula for Coke in France was different but I really could not taste any difference -- though my heavy Coke-drinking days are for the most part behind me.

Of course the race at Le Mans is where champagne was first squirted over media and fans from the victory podium, thus creating a tradition that is seen regularly from podiums around the world. And at the food stand on the fourth floor, there was an option for champagne.

I think during the 2-4 am period, Joe tried to mainline Espresso from the machine in the press room but even that did not help him to stay awake between jet lag and an early arrival to the press box.

One of the interesting things to me, having been to events at all levels, is the fact that there was no "free lunch" for the media at the race. Normally at Daytona for example, or at a major league ball game of any variety in the states, there is some sort of a buffet for folks to snack on. At Le Mans you are "seul (sans compagnie)" -- on your own.

It was very nice of our hosts at the B&B to feed us a little supper Sunday evening when we got back to their place after the race.

A couple of other notes on the French food. Monday morning at the train station, we ordered waffles -- that is something that you expect to be French-delicious -- but these were really not what we expected. These were cold and filled with something that tasted like whipped creme. We were of course expecting hot waffles with maple syrup. Probably one of the worst meals on the trip. You can tell by Joe's expression that this is not a meal that he is excited about. In fact he just had a couple of bites and said "Forget this." I scarfed mine down (something about millions of Chinese children starving that would not allow me to not clean my plate.) But it was not very good.

Joe and I had a most excellent meal at Paris -- Chateaubriand which capped off a nice walk from the Arc 'd Triumph to the Eiffel Tower to our restaurant. So it was not a total loss.

However, the worst meal of the trip was one that I did not eat, but which I witnessed. It was raw hamburger with a raw egg yoke on top (at right.) The person eating this meal then poured catsup over the top and mixed it all together. He scarfed it down like it was filet mignon.

As they say "C'est la vie" -- that's life (in France.)

But if you don't mind, let's hold the baguette for the near future!

What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday

North Bend, WA -- It is a true saying -- "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday." As represented by the French daily sports newspaper L'EQUIPE -- which I think means "The Team" (though my french is less than rusty) you can see that both Audi and Peugeot were winners in the european press.

On the way to Paris on Monday we found a used version of L'EQUIPE and its coverage of motorsports was pretty impressive (considering most newspapers in the US give lip service at best to motorsports) -- it is enough to consider learning French. The cover of the Monday morning edition of L'EQUIPE featured British Formula one star Richard Hamilton winning the GP at Indianapolis with the headline "ROI DES AMERIQUES" which mean King of America if I have my translation right. Next to that headline is a photo of the winning Audi team with the headline "LE MANS RESTE LE JARDIN D'AUDI which means something like Le Man is the garden of Audi. This will give you a little insight into the importance that the European press gives to the Formula One circuit and the respect that the event in Le Mans als has.

The inside coverage of motorsports for the previous Sunday was a treasure trove on articles and advertisements that was very interesting. Consider the fact that the Audi's basically had their way with the pole-setting Peugot's and had it not been for a couple of out-of character incidents during the race the Audis would have been one, two, three in the race with ease. Of course that is why you race -- but in the end the Audi had a 10 lap lead on the Peugeot, which it appears was lucky to finish.

Coverage of the event was in two stories, the first of which was headlined with a picture of the Audi splashing to victory in the rain with the headline "Audi vainc, Peugeot convainc" which again roughly translated means Audi defeats, Peugeot convinces. Accurate and interesting. That the Peugeot team hung in there for the 24 hours put significant pressure on the Audi team, particularly given the fact they were down to one car and had to be thinking "What else can happen?"

A second story was focused on the Peugeot team -- and rightfully so -- this is a French newspaper published for the French fan and Peugeot is a French car maker. The headline here was "Mieux qu'un coup d'essai" which I have no idea how to translate -- something like "Better in the trial than the race" referring to qualifying in the pole position I guess. Below this story there is also a half page add for Bosch featuring the Peugeot car from Le Mans. This partifcular advertisement focused on Bosch and was certainly nice for Peugeot -- given the fact that Bosch is a German company.

There was also inside coverage from the Formula One race and an add touting Michelin's 10 consecutive win at Le Mans -- nice but since they supply 95 percent of the tires there, not surprising.

However, the treat of the day was the full page back cover ad by Audi. It is a very dynamic image with two really nice touches -- first the headline -- which again my translation is not 100 percent accurate -- "C'est normal d'arriver premier quand on a un an d'avance". My translation is "That's normal to arrive first when you are year ahead" which I guess is a shot at Peugeot's three year plan. But the Coup de Grace is the photo -- if you look at the large version of the ad and check the rear view mirror of the Audi -- you will see the Peugeot.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

North Bend, WA -- One of the driving factors for visiting the 24 Hours of Le Mans came from our appreciation of the Steve McQueen movie of the 1970s by the name Le Mans, a film that features the race more than the actors. (Above, Joe in front of a map of the track on site.)

The opening sequence of the movie shows McQueen in a cherry Porsche driving through the French country side to the track. At one spot he stops and in the background one of the other characters of the movie is buying flowers. It is very romantic. I wondered if the romance of this movie was created by hollywood or if this French ambiance was still apparent.


Well the truth is, as someone more sage that I once said, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

The actual French countryside has not changed that much over the years. While the city of Le Mans has grown up, the surrounding countryside has stayed in general the same. Sure there has been development -- but for the most part it is still the countryside of France.

One of the things is that the track has changed with the times. In the name of safety and comfort the track has been updated since the movie -- and for the most part this is a good thing. Our time at the race course was simply too short to really get an understanding of the entire layout.

However there are two very good web sites that will assist you with better understanding the track. The first is from Wikipedia and will give general information about the track call Circuit de la Sarthe. Additionally, another pretty cool way to understand that more than eight mile long track is to check out the Google Maps view of the track.

One of the appreciations of this track is that over the 75 years that they have raced here, it has remained true to its original idea of testing man and machine over a 24-hour period of time. While the track has changed, it is still, at more than eight miles in length, one of the great challenges of a race car driver and a race car in the world today.

As we were heading for Paris on the way home, we had already started thinking about returning next year. I noted that mayhaps we should consider another city track -- Monte Carlo for the Formula One race. Joe responded: "Well dad, that is four hours and this is 24 hours. Monte Carlo is two miles and this is more than eight. This is a better bang for the buck."

You can see the differences in the track and the area over the last 30-plus years at a very nice site with the headline Le Mans then and now. As you can see while the track has been updated, as has the local area, it is still a race through the French countryside.

We hope that never changes.

Epilogue: We are not finished yet

North Bend, WA -- Epilogue -- it means: a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel. I don't think of this as a novel -- but it definitely will have an epilogue.
Over the course of the month of July we will share our thoughts about the trip and the event and we will also share some photos of the race that we did not have a chance to post (like the one at left.) Both of our trips home were rather uneventful -- though mine was a bit longer than I would like as I had the London to Houston to Seattle route that got me home at 2 am June 30th.
Stay tuned.