C8.R’s Going To LeMans

[ltomn]

I am so excited that both of the two C8 R's are in Le Mans for the 24 hours, that I'm having a hard time containing my enthusiasm. Corvette wants to win this more, now, then ever before!!! We all need to turn out for this! Simply to show our support!!

[John]

That will be so exciting. This year’s race is June 11th and 12th.

[Foosh]

It's nice to see the 24 Hours of Le Mans returning to its traditional Father's Day weekend date in the US. For many years, it's been a great part of that weekend for me.

It's more fun to watch with more hours of daylight on what is closest to the longest day of the year, but weird interesting things do happen during the dark session. When it was moved to Fall during the height of the pandemic, there was way too much darkness.

[ltomn]

I am curious how, or if, the set up will change for the car that has been in the IMSA side of things. GTDPro is not what WEC has going in Europe. I have tried to compare the LMGTEPro to the GTDPro but cannot find IMSA's details on GTDPro. Surely there is a difference!

This is the link to the characteristics of the WEC cars.

https://www.fiawec.com/en/classes/32

This is the only link to IMSA's story on classifications. Very scant information!

https://www.imsa.com/weathertech/discover/the-classes/

[Ray Smith]

I am curious how, or if, the set up will change for the car that has been in the IMSA side of things. GTDPro is not what WEC has going in Europe. I have tried to compare the LMGTEPro to the GTDPro but cannot find IMSA's details on GTDPro. Surely there is a difference!

This is the link to the characteristics of the WEC cars.

https://www.fiawec.com/en/classes/32

This is the only link to IMSA's story on classifications. Very scant information!

https://www.imsa.com/weathertech/discover/the-classes/

One thing is certain: The C8R will carry more ballast than the battleship Iowa in order to "equalize competition".

Ray

[ShrikePilot]

Having been to the 24 back in 2013 (but have yet to do Daytona or Sebring), all I have to say is that it was an awesome experience. The C6.R's were still racing that year, and when we arrived at the track, the race day warmup had begun. It was easy to tell when the Corvettes were on the track. The race viewing experience was so-so (being honest), despite having seats right above the Corvette garage, but we were able to hike around to the different locations. To me, it was the sounds and everything else going on that made it awesome. Concerts, manufacturer midways (it was the first time I saw the C7 up close), food, drink and the overall partying going on. A group of four of us went with a motorhome; there was a massive group of Brits next to us that had already been there a day, and had amassed a beer bottle pyramid over 10 feet high! The Aston Martin cars at the time had Roush Racing V-8's powering them, making their sound the only other one than the Corvettes that was neat. You could only hear the air whistling off the Audi turbodiesel prototypes, and the sounds of the Ferraris were amazing when approaching, but terrible after they passed at speed.

All in all, an amazing event. I want to go again, but want to do Sebring & LeMans next.

[ShrikePilot]

Also, if anyone has any free viewing links/sites, post it! the FIA WEC app looks like it is paid subscription.

[whl3]

If you want a real LeMans experience, consider going with the NCM. The tour group contracted by the NCM takes most all of the drudgery out of the zoo that LeMans becomes! Our reserved seats were on the start finish line and under cover! We did it in 2018 and we will do it again. What I found most unbelievable was the attraction of the Corvette Pit. It received more attention than any other car on pit row! On the pit walk day, I think there was a constant 10 deep audience for the C7.R's. Another interesting part was the number of European owned Corvettes at the Corvette Corral (And yes you read that right! There was a very inviting and cordial Corvette Corral that was available to us!) Moulin Rouge wasn't bad either!!

[Foosh]

Also, if anyone has any free viewing links/sites, post it! the FIA WEC app looks like it is paid subscription.

If you have the MotorTrend cable channel, they are broadcasting all 24 hours. On XFinity, that it is HD channel 870.

[Ray Smith]

If you want a real LeMans experience, consider going with the NCM. The tour group contracted by the NCM takes most all of the drudgery out of the zoo that LeMans becomes! Our reserved seats were on the start finish line and under cover! We did it in 2018 and we will do it again. What I found most unbelievable was the attraction of the Corvette Pit. It received more attention than any other car on pit row! On the pit walk day, I think there was a constant 10 deep audience for the C7.R's. Another interesting part was the number of European owned Corvettes at the Corvette Corral (And yes you read that right! There was a very inviting and cordial Corvette Corral that was available to us!) Moulin Rouge wasn't bad either!!

I wrote an article for the April 2006 issue of Corvette Magazine entitled "A Season for Yellow Tractors". The title made fun of the British journalists at Le Mans who referred to the C6.R as a "Yellow Tractor".

Th article basically chronicled the years I spent with Pratt & Miller and Corvette Racing. As a credentialed photographer you see and hear things the general public does not. While most photographers focused solely on the cars, I focused on the crew and pit stops.

One of my favorite shots were at Le Mans in a year when Nomex was not required for photographers and involved the first and only fuel spill I witnessed.




Another was at the 12 Hours of Sebring when the 4 car blew a half-shaft in the last hour of the race while leading. I was over the wall right down with the crew as they worked to get the car back on track.





It was great fun, but I would never go back as a spectator.

Ray

[John]

Ray what amazing experiences you had. Truly priceless!

Thanks for sharing a very tiny bit of them.

[Ray Smith]

Ray what amazing experiences you had. Truly priceless!

Thanks for sharing a very tiny bit of them.

ALMS required three layers of Nomex but it wasn't until 2007 that they required it at Le Mans, along with a helmet.

This is me at Petite Le Mans at Road Atlanta waiting to go "over the wall" with the crew.



Racing Radios scanning transceiver and noise canceling head set with boom mike to I could listen to the teams and know who was coming in for a pit stop. Three layers of Nomex in July makes for dehydration.

Ray

[Ray Smith]

Here is a collage I made for Olivier Beretta who helped with my French language skills.

[Ray Smith]

The drivers of the 64 car:

Olivier Beretta



Olie



Mags


And Olie with his family

[Ray Smith]

Crew chief for the 63 car Dan Binks wishing the Prodrive Aston Martin team good luck.