This weekend is the biggest sportscar race of the year, with the 76th annual running of the 24 Heures du Mans at Le Mans. This is the second year in a row that I am not going and I am really rather glum about it.
At 2pm UK time, 55 cars in four different categories will set off on the ultimate endurance race. The race takes place round a combination of over eight miles of race track and public road and will see the fastest cars hit almost 200mph at four places round the circuit.
However not to be outdone, the group of us who usually make the pilgrimage every year, are instead congregating at one persons house, where we shall drink beer, have several camp fires and watch some of the race from the comfort of a lounge as opposed to a from the trackside. I am sat here listening to the Radio Le Mans radio coverage/commentary. Qualifying starts tonight and some of it is on Eurosport so I am having to Sky+ The Apprentice in order to prioritise my evenings viewing.
I will never forget the first time I saw the start of a Le Mans race, the sound of 50+ cars was electrifying. Then watching the cars racing into the night and then out of the morning dawn at various points of the circuit, along with sneaking onto a restricted part of the circuit and crouching next to the armco watching and feeling the cars go past just a few feet away at 180mph left impressions in my mind that ultimately led to me starting my own race team.
If all goes to plan, then we ourselves will be competing in this race in 2012. Nothing beats an ambitious target I find.
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