2023. 100 years since the first 24-hour race at Le Mans. Ferrari returned to the top class. This had to be celebrated! Pack your backpack and join the circus they call Le Mans!
Wednesday
05:30: Tired as a floof, I stood at Flesland airport with the plane ticket in hand. On my way to the plane I stopped by a souvenir shop and bought a mascot; Elga the Elk. She is named after a former boss named Elna, and the actress Elga Andersen who played in the film Le Mans (1971). Elga quickly found her permanent place in a shoulder bag marked with the Ferrari logo.
07:30: The feet got a taste of Danish soil during the stopover in Copenhagen. I was still tired, but at least I got to greet a LEGO-type pilot at the airport. Breakfast consisted of a giant Danish sausage in bread.
10:30: Finally in France. Admittedly, the trip from Paris to the city of Le Mans and then to the track remained. The luggage was collected, and together with it, I placed myself on the shuttle train from Charles de Gaulle airport to the nearest train station. Here it was full of people going to Le Mans, it was easy to see by the clothing. The station was full of people with clothing that were marked with the race's logo or various car brands that were to take part in the race.
Already at this point I found that the heat was going to be a problem for me. I am Norwegian and am not built for temperatures close to 30 celsius. I had just sat down for a sip of water when I saw someone beside me carrying a bag marked with the Weathertech IMSA logo. Social as I am, I asked if they were Americans. I was right, and then the conversation began. One of them worked in motorsports in North Carolina (home of NASCAR) and apparently had connections to one of the Cadillacs that would be running in the race.
12:20: The TGV train arrived and I had to say goodbye to Jana for this time. On the train ride I got myself another bottle of water, while Elga got a small bottle of wine.
14:00: Le Mans! Advertising and markings for the centenary in every window and on every wall. The space in front of the train station was filled with posters for the race. I didn't take much time for this; I was going to the Cathedral Saint-Julien to see a small car show. Maybe I got to see a McLaren F1?
Hot as hell after half an hour of walking I made it to the cathedral and the exhibition. The exhibition itself was not much to brag about in my eyes. But at least I got a cultural touch with both sightseeing and a cathedral as well as trying a French IPA at a nearby cafe. But I didn't get to see McLaren. Then it was just a matter of going back to the train station and taking a tram from there to the track.
The track area had many entrances and each campsite had its own entrance. This was something I had not fully understood before I started the journey. I got off the tram near the Porte Est entrance, which was located at Terte Rouge. I didn't see the free buses that went from there, so I had to ask myself where I should go to get to Beauséjour. Of course I hadn't noticed the name, but I remembered that I was going in the same direction as Karting Sud or Porte Sud. The guards were almost as unsure of the road as I was, but I tried the recommended direction.
The trip was long, heavy, hot and sweaty. It wasn't until I had walked two-thirds of the distance between Karting Sud and Beauséjour that I got the motivation; I could see the finish line: The campsite where I was going to spend the night!
I got registered as arrived at Danish GPTours camping before I unpacked and drank a couple of liters of water. Elga the moose had a beer. Dinner was "tenderloin casserole" and tasted absolutely fantastic.
Thursday
Thursday was set aside for sightseeing at the track. I familiarized myself with the free buses, so that I could get around more easily. Porte Sud became the entrance to the track area that I used the most. Near the entrance I spotted Iron Lynx's trailer in the paddock, half hidden behind a banner. I looked in and saw the nose of one of their Lamborghinis.
I walked along the outside of the track from the Porsche Bridge (which is before the Ford chicane and after the Porsche and Corvette curve) and the Porte Museé (which is just off the Dunlop Bridge). The famous Ferris wheel is one of the first things you see near the Porsche Bridge. Closer to the Ford chicane, a large gravel sculpture was "playing" with a full-size Porsche. When the Ford chicane is passed, food stalls and souvenir shops appear. In between you see some activity stalls. I was allowed to enter the stands at the starting area. I looked over the area; The Ferris wheel and the Ford chicane on the right, starting area, main building, pit lane and clock from Rolex straight ahead and the Michelin 7s on the left. The Dunlop Bridge and the museum are somewhere on the left.
Of course, the museum had to be visited. The entrance was apparently at the back of the building on this day. And the line was long! While waiting in line I got talking to some Brits. It was good to hear the British humour.
During the 100-year anniversary, there was a temporary exhibition of cars that had raced at Le Mans. Therefore, the museum looked more like a car show than a museum. There was relatively little general information about Le Mans, but a lot of focus on exhibiting cars. A fun feature was a wall where model cars were displayed. The museum had acquired models of almost all the cars that have taken part in Le Mans from 1923 to 2022. Those that ended up in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for each year were marked with position and year.
And now I FINALLY got to see the car of my dreams; A McLaren F1. There was even a GTR edition!
Not long after the visit to the museum I went to the Village. This is an area on the inside of the track, but still near the starting area. Here there were several food stalls and places to quench your thirst. There were some shops - including LEGO and the race's official shop - and some smaller car exhibitions. It was also over here that Tom "Mr. Le Mans" Kristensen was supposed to have a signing. I stood in line hoping to get the signature of the driver who has won the most Le Mans. The problem was that I didn't know what he was going to sign. Signing Elga was out of the question. Fortunately, I had shopped in one of the race's official shops. There I had received a paper bag with a suitable logo. The bag was signed and a selfie was taken.
I had a little extra time until dinner as I trudged back towards the Porsche bridge. I enjoyed the atmosphere and watched the training of the participants of the 24 hour race The sounds were amazing! In particular, the Cadillacs and Chevrolet's NASCAR (which ran in its own class called Garage 56) stood out. You could hear an American coming long before you saw it! It felt good to see my favorites; AF Corse with Ferrari in the top class (hyperclass), Prema car number 63 with Doriane Pin in the middle class (LMP2) and the ladies in Iron dames in the GTE class.
In between all the trudging and looking at cars, there was some small talk with people. It was clear that the race attracted people from many countries; USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Denmark, Australia, Germany... Denmark was strongly represented among the audience, which is natural considering all the Danish drivers. But it's not just Americans who have trouble distinguishing between Norway and Sweden; Twice even Danes missed the above-mentioned countries. I almost fainted a little. But regardless of nationality, everyone I spoke to had their favorites and several had their stories with Le Mans and motorsport. The varying passion was palpable. It was clear that Ferrari were favorites in the top class and the spectators were fed up with Toyota's continued dominance since 2018.
Porsche cup and Ferrari Challenge are two series in motorsport where everyone in the same series drives the same car model. Both series were to have a round at Le Mans before the 24-hour race When I had reached the Porsche bridge I saw that the paddock for the Porsche cup was open. Porsche is a brand I don't care about, but when I was still here, I might as well take a lap in the paddock. As I expected, there were two Norwegian drivers in the Porsche Cup: Dennis Hauger and Aksel Lund Svindal.
When I got to the end of the paddock I noticed that the neighboring area of the paddock was screened with Ferrari banners. Could this be the paddock for the Ferrari Challenge? Was it open? I slipped along the banners, peeking in between the banners. Yes, THERE was a fantastic car I recognized! Corinna Gostner's Ferrari! Closed or not; I HAD to go in! If anyone tried to stop me, I either had to act like Axel Foley or a stupid foreigner! I continued along the banners.
When I rounded the corner I almost collapsed. There, right in front of me, there were four Ferraris next to each other. Each of them belonging to a Gostner; Corinna, David, Manuela and Thomas. I began to tremble. The adrenaline was pumping. The legs were like jelly. The heart was pounding at over 7,000 revolutions per minute! I have never felt a passion kick in SO strongly before! For a fan of the Gostner family, seeing the cars was HUGE! While I was standing ten meters from the cars and taking pictures, I noticed that I almost fainted. If the favorite driver had appeared, I would have passed out for sure! Fortunately, I managed to calm down on my own before strolling on across the Paddock. I noticed the Ferrari of Lisa Clark, a respectable lady who drives in the American edition of the Ferrari challenge.
At this point I figured it was time to get to the campsite, take a cold shower and have a good dinner; a "Le Mans schnitzel".
After a few hours of relaxation in the campsite, it was a trip to Arnage and Indianapolis, two of the most famous turns on the circuit. It was now dark and the last evening training session for the drivers was to be carried out. This could be exciting. I found a seat as close to Arnage as I could get and enjoyed the experience. The cars. The sounds. The atmosphere. The lights. For a supporter of women in motorsport, it was also nice to see that there was a female marshal at Arnage. For those of you who do not know what a marshal is in this context; a marshal is a flagger with signal flags along the course or clears the course when needed. These important people are often the unsung heroes of car racing.
While I was standing by Arnage I got into a conversation with a German. We exchanged thoughts, stories and passion around motorsport. Such experiences - when you can talk about passion with a stranger - are very special. Such experiences should be remembered.
Before I left Arnage and Indianapolis I took the time to admire Indianapolis. Thoughts raced to driver Sarah Bovy and her dog, Indy.
Friday
I decided to take it easy on Friday. After a good breakfast and a few hours of relaxation, I took the bus to Le Mans Center to see the parade. After fifteen minutes of searching for a good place to stand, I found my friends from North Carolina. I joined them. There were probably delays for the parade, because it took time for anything to happen. I was ready with a T-shirt with a motif of Iron ladies and a marker in case I was lucky enough to get an autograph. I had also bought a cap in the campsite. Coincidentally, it had a Danish flag.
During the parade, the cheers from the audience boiled. Again, it was clear that Ferrari was the favourite, not least with the passionate Ferrari supporters who stood next to us. I was obviously placed in the right place. Suddenly one of the Americans exclaims that the Iron ladies were on their way. The T-shirt and marker were ready. At a distance of 20 meters the T-shirt (and a Danish flag on a cap) observed by the Danish driver in Iron dames, Michelle Gatting. The T-shirt was signed and the American took a picture. My legs were tender! This was huge!
A while later I had one of my greatest experiences which includes meeting a celebrity. I have met some celebrities over the years; among the most famous are perhaps Sébastien Loeb, Michael "Magneto" Fassbender, singer Anastacia, rallycross driver Martin "Mr. Rallycross" Schanche and Tom Kristensen. I have mostly dealt with it calmly. But on this Friday I was starstruck like no other. I was like a little girl at a concert with the favorite boy band. (A bit embarrassing)
For there she was; one of my two favorite drivers; Manuela Gostner. I yelled at her and she responded. She came over to say hello. I just had time to say that I was glad to meet her and that I am a big fan. And it was at this point that my brain short circuited a bit. I got a hug and was photographed with Manuela by both American and Giorgio Sernagiotto. The latter is a fantastic driver and a close friend of Manuela. I was given a key ring to wear around my neck, supposedly the last one she had left.
It took a few minutes before I landed again. The American next to me thought it looked like Manuela recognized me. One of the Ferrari enthusiasts next to us grinned at the situation and joked that he hoped Mr. Sernagiotto did not get jealous. I was a little embarrassed, but I knew now that I was REALLY a fan of Manuela. To be safe, I sent mr. Sernagiotto a message and apologized for being a little too starstruck.
In the parade I also got to see Doriane Pin, my other favorite driver. She is a young and promising driver who drives for Iron dames and Prema. This young lady wants to make it big in motorsport, and she's already well on her way! She is absolutely amazing!
I caught a glimpse of Lisa Clark before the parade was canceled early for me. I had to reach the transport back to the track. Pitwalk stood for turn. On the bus I came into contact with some Danes who were also going to the pitwalk. We found the tone and walked together from the bus towards the pit gate. We looked like the Olsen gang on tour. Just before we got to the gate, I had to take a trip to the toilet. I asked the Danes not to wait for me.
I finished mine and then went to the gate. I looked in, saw some stairs and went up to get to the correct street level. What I didn't know was that I entered the wrong gate and thus ended up at the back of the building where the garages are. I strolled down the corridor and suspected an owl in the bog when I saw no way that led to the other side of the building. But judging by the signage, I was in the VIP area. I recognized the names of the lounges from looking at tickets for the tour. This was where the upper class lived. Eventually I was spotted and kindly directed out of the area and in the direction of the correct gate. The problem was that the right port was now closed due to changes in the program. People were frustrated. While I stood there waiting for new updates on whether they would open. Occasionally drivers came by and were let in.
Before I go any further, there are three things I should mention. (1) I see the humor in the situation. (2) At this point I was still having problems with the heat. I looked like a boiled lobster, was half drenched in sweat and my hair looked like the neighbor's hedge. (3) For those of you who watched Top gear when James May was part of the crew; do you remember the clip from the Alfa Romeo tour that was named one of "the most embarrassing flirting on television awards"? I think you already see where this is going...
While I was standing in the gate, Sarah Bovy herself came walking past. I made eye contact and in true James May style said "Hello". She raised an eyebrow. That's when it dawned on me; I must have looked like a disheveled fool. A little embarrassed. In retrospect, I grin at the situation.
But I had to get back to the BBQ in the campsite Fantastic food. In the evening there was another trip to the starting area. On the bus back to the campsite, I observed a group of friends in a good mood. One of them must have had a couple of beers, because he was singing loudly to himself. He had obviously got the craze for the song "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus. One of his friends filmed. I encouraged the cameraman to post the film clip on YouTube. We laughed at the idea.
I fell asleep with a smile on my face this evening and dreamed well.
Saturday and Sunday afternoon
On Saturday it was time for the race. I positioned myself close to the Porsche bridge just before the Ferrari Challenge was about to start. This is where all the Ferraris drove out of the paddock. My heart beat a little harder when the sisters Corinna and Manuela drove past, just a meter from me! Unfortunately, the race was characterized by Full course yellow, but both sisters made it through the entire race. Manuela won the race in her class.
I chose to watch the start of the 24-hour race from the campsite. There they had a giant big screen and on it you could catch up on everything that happened. Unfortunately, the No. 311 Cadillac ran into the guardrail on the first lap. Driver and car made it to the pit and the car was repaired. I thought of my American friends and hoped the Cadillac would perform for the rest of the race. The Cadillac continued the race, but had lost too much time. I followed the car's progress and saw that they had a good pace compared to the others. I haven't seen such a strong drive since the Iron Dames suffered a puncture in the first round.
It rained during the day and it created a circus on the pitch. Even I thought the rain was refreshing. I strolled around the track and got to experience both the race and the atmosphere. It was magical. During the race, I was stopped by two young people who were making film clips for the race's social media. They wanted a short interview and asked how it felt to experience Le Mans for the first time. The answer was easy. It is heavenly.
Saturday evening was the stage for a concert with Mika. I caught the first few songs, but when the rain came I'd rather watch the race. The race took its course with many accidents, often due to wet track. The favorite Ferrari battled Toyota in an exciting battle. The Iron Dames were well on their way to getting the podium, but lost it due to problems with the brakes. They finished less than 5 seconds behind third place in their class. Things did not go so well with Prema No. 63 and Doriane Pin. Due to an accident during the night, they could not continue.
It was Ferrari's car No. 51 that crossed the finish line first. There were full cheers from the stands! the gates between the starting area and the stands were opened and the spectators - myself included - poured onto the track to celebrate the winners. Inter Europol won the LMP2 class and Corvette won the GTE class.
After the victory ceremony I finally got to go down the pit lane. The garages of the Iron dames and the brother team Iron lynx were closed. I went to Prema's garage with little hope of seeing Pocket Rocket himself. I knew the chances were slim considering the team's result. This was meant to be her time to shine in gold. I stood in the garage opening with pain in my heart. I found five T-shirts Michelle had signed. Doriane was there, clearly affected by the past 24 hours. My heart hurt even more. She noticed me and understood what I wanted. She and the mechanics began looking for a marker. It took a while before they found one that worked. When she signed, she received some encouraging words in return.
Sunday evening and Monday
It was time to start the journey home. On the internet, I had found a cheap hotel that should be located a little north of the center of Le Mans. The fact that the circuit is south of the center of Le Mans did not make the journey any shorter, and I knew how easy it was to miscalculate the distances. The free buses had stopped running, so I had to go back to the campsite to collect my luggage. After it had been collected and a liter of water had been bought, it was just a matter of getting on.
Since I had no idea which bus to take and if it even ran on Sundays after 6pm, I started walking. Of course I went in the wrong direction in relation to the plan. I had my suspicions for quite some time before I arrived in the city of Arnage. From there I started walking north. After a while I found a bus stop where I took the time to read the bus route. Fortunately, it wasn't long until the next bus to the center of Le Mans. It was a feeling of happiness to see the bus coming.
I got off near the train station in Le Mans and jumped on the tram which went in a north-westerly direction. The tram's route would not take me all the way to the hotel, but every meter of transport was helpful. On the trip, I got talking to two people from England. They were father and son who had their first trip together to Le Mans. They had enjoyed themselves.
After crossing the river Sarthe, I jumped off the bus and started walking for 90 minutes. Fortunately, the evening air had started to get cooler. On the way through the Madeleine district, I kept my eyes open for bus stops to prepare for my journey home on Monday. Apparently bus route number 20 was the right route for me.
When the charming and quiet district of Madeleine had been passed, a dirt road was the way to go according to Google Maps. The road followed the river and was clearly a green area. The area was summery and memories of summers in Grimstad came to mind. But at one point it was not Grimstad that was in mind. When I walked under the bridge on which road D313 is, I got associations with Italian horror films from the late 1970s and early 1980s. It sounds completely wrong, but the feeling I got was not fear, but glee at how appropriate it could be to shoot a scene here.
I arrived at hotelF1 at 21:30 and checked in. It was a simple and small hotel which was absolutely ideal for a simple overnight stay. The room had two single beds, TV and a sink. The toilet and shower were a little further down the hall and had to be shared with the other visitors. Unfortunately the toilet did not have a sink. I had a shower before today's dinner was bought; a bottle of Coca-Cola and a Bounty chocolate bar.
Getting up on Monday morning was easier than feared. The bus from the hotel to the train station was just as easy. While waiting for the train I noticed a guy with a Corvette logo on his T-shirt I dared to congratulate him on his win in the GTE class. He thanked us and we had a little chat. Finally I asked him if he was a supporter or if he worked for the team. It turned out that I was talking to Mark Stielow, director manager of motorsports at General Motors. I blushed a little.
The rest of the trip went as planned and without significant incidents.
Summary and thanks
I was hoping for a better position for Prema, Iron dames and Cadillac No. 311, so I am very happy on behalf of Inter Europol and Corvette. I wish them the victories. Seeing Ferrari's historic victory was a great experience! The previous victory was in 1965.
The trip has been absolutely fantastic. Many feelings, experiences and experiences have arisen, for which I am very grateful. The feelings stayed with me long after I got home, a sign that Le Mans really IS a passion. Even though it was a car race I went to see, I got a lot of impressions that didn't always have to do with motor racing.
Finally, I would like (in alphabetical order) to give an extra big thank you to those who made the trip an extra good experience:
Ferrari + AF corse, Congratulations!
The german dude at Arnage, thanks for the lovely chat
Giorgio Sernagiotto, nice seeing you at the parade
The Gostner family
+ Manuela Gostner, you made dreams come true. Congratulations with the win!
GPtours + guests, thanks for the lovely stay
Iron dames + Prema, keep on pushing! You are doing a good and important job!
+ Doriane Pin: NEVER give up! You are about to be a legend, even if some races don't go your way.
+ Michele Gatting: Thanks for the autograph!
Jana, I had a wonderful time with you guys!
Mark Stielow, thanks for the chat
The marshalls, the unsung heroes of motorsports
Moritz, sorry we didn't meet, but it was fun to experience the days together via Instagram
Tom Kristensen, thank you for the autograph