Since 2001 · Circuit de la Sarthe
Good times
at Le-Mans
A gang of mates, a tent, an unhealthy amount of beer and the greatest race on earth. Same crew, same nonsense, twenty-odd years and counting.
The grid
The Crew
A consistent core, plus people who drift in and out. What we really need is someone who can carry beer, carry a conversation and, when it all goes wrong, carry the can.
Got the waistline down to a 31 through luck, skill and perseverance. Nothing to do with undiagnosed diabetes. Definitely not.
A legend in his own lunchtime. Proud supporter of 3am walks to the tribunes, growing more deviant with every passing year.
Do not ring this man. The pause between your question and his answer is genuinely terrifying.
Designs cars for a living. Some of them win Le-Mans… some of them don't.
All-round thoroughly decent chap… which is amazing, considering his parentage.
Credited with the invention of drive-home drinking. Why had nobody thought of it before?
International travel, expense account, the lot. His no-show excuses take some beating — “I'm in Singapore”, “I'm up Kilimanjaro”…
Beer quaffer, occasional cross-dresser, all-round good-time girl. We love him for it.
For years it was “once was enough” for this fella — then he only goes and returns 11 years after his first visit, and now he's got a proper taste for it… More to follow.
A lot more comfortable with the questionable topics of conversation since retiring.
We're not really sure, to be honest. More to come…
He can do it — but it's going to cost 'ya.
Like Raffles, the gentleman's gentleman…
Alex, Alex, who the f**k is Alex?
The lap log
The Story So Far
Stint by stint. Surgery, weather, the great camping crisis, and the eternal hunt for one more pint.
Tickets For Anything?
The 30th-birthday treat that just keeps on giving. It all kicked off when Tree and Ison dared their CEO to prove he “could get tickets for anything”. To be fair, he delivered — Audi grandstand seats and entrance tickets. He just forgot the parking. Fail.
The Fun Fair Days
No official records exist — but these were the days of the old fun fair, the “gentlemen's entertainment trailers” and reasonably priced beer. It couldn't (and didn't) last.
We Met The Stig
We met the Stig. The real one — the one in the white suit. We even bought his book. A bit of a legend, in truth. We salute you, sir.
The France Years
A solid decade of France, France and more France — tarmac, sunburn and questionable cheese, year after year. Special mention to Tree, who deeply regrets saying “what's the worst that can happen?” while helping carry a sofa — turns out the worst that can happen is open spinal surgery.
Return Of The Back
Full complement, plenty of quaffing, Tree almost off the pain medication.
WTF?! No Camping
Speed Chills dipped out of secure camping. We found Travel Destinations and — credit where due — they do things bloody well.
The Bloody COVID Year
The world shut up shop and Le-Mans was off, so we ran our own 24 hours in Dave's (Ison's) back garden. In September. Adapt, overcome, open another can.
Field Of Dreams, Take Two
After being dicked around by just about everyone over a few runny noses, we gave France a miss and re-created the “field of dreams” — in August. Different… and, this being a British summer, predictably cold.
The Great French Gear Heist
Our one return to proper tarmac since covid — lovely, right up until some French git nicked our gear from the tents, despite the shed-loads we'd paid for “secure camping”. The AGM duly dictated: England again, but properly this time…
England Again
Heist still stinging, back to the garden we went while the hunt for a proper English site got under way.
The Stevington Years Begin
Dave's back garden shrank when the landlord wouldn't renew the lease on his field, so an alternative was needed. After a few drinks Ison piped up that he knew a little campsite just down the road and would “look into it”. He did bugger all — but Tree's OCD kicked in, convinced the owner we're a respectable bunch who definitely wouldn't trash the place, and the Stevington years were formed.
They Let Us Back
Surprise of surprises, Tithe Farm agreed to have us back — and threw in a shower block. See? We're not that bad.
A New Appreciation Of Porcelain
The year porcelain gained a whole new level of appreciation. No more builders'-site bogs — proper sit-down flushing toilets (which can, admittedly, leave you with Smurf-bum) and a brand-new addition: a full walk-in fridge. We've changed.
Roll On The 95th
The intention: back to La Sarthe. Green flag Saturday 12 June. Target — tent up and ready by mid-morning Thursday. The maths is simple: earlier tent, more beer time.
Pit board
Pit Notes
The links worth keeping in the glovebox.