I'm all for safety, but watching this video of the 1989 Le Mans 24 hours makes me wish they would take out the chicanes on the Mulsanne straight. Bob Varsha called it "The most famous strip of public road in all of motorsports!" Also the straight after the Dunlop bridge leading into the "Esses" is greatly missed. See for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vugj2PJliQ0

...Okay...

You're right...it's just not the same with not one, but TWO chicanes in the middle. Hearing the LMP1 cars (called "Group B" back then if memory serves me) going ALL the way down the Straight at full gallop was a treat for any racing fan's ears.

I can remember being there in '86 and '87 during the Porsche vs. Jaguar battle. Back then if you were sneaky enough you stood a fair chance of getting out to somewhere along the Straight for a look without getting nabbed by Le Gendarmes.

I've talked to people who were there then AND have been there recently (lucky buggers!) and they say with the chicanes and all the debris fencing it's just not the same. It's still LeMans, it's still an unparalelled thrill to be there, but it's not like the "good old days".

Of course, I'm sure those who were there in the '60s and '70s said the same thing about the track in the '80s...

limeyj - 18 June 2009 02:52 PM

You're right...it's just not the same with not one, but TWO chicanes in the middle. Hearing the LMP1 cars (called "Group B" back then if memory serves me) going ALL the way down the Straight at full gallop was a treat for any racing fan's ears.

I can remember being there in '86 and '87 during the Porsche vs. Jaguar battle. Back then if you were sneaky enough you stood a fair chance of getting out to somewhere along the Straight for a look without getting nabbed by Le Gendarmes.

I've talked to people who were there then AND have been there recently (lucky buggers!) and they say with the chicanes and all the debris fencing it's just not the same. It's still LeMans, it's still an unparalelled thrill to be there, but it's not like the "good old days".

Of course, I'm sure those who were there in the '60s and '70s said the same thing about the track in the '80s...

Group C actually... Group B was canceled I believe before they ever ran at Le Mans.

Ah...now I remember...you're right AND wrong.

Group C was the prototypes. Group B was like GT1 is today. I remember the Porsche 959 running in Group B. Came in 9th overall in '86 if I remember...or was it '85?

Getting old is hell..

The Porsche 961 was a car that was a derivative of a car that was built for Group B and raced at Le Mans(86 and 87) but raced in the IMSA and GTX divisions.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/type/photo/Porsche/961.html

EDIT - Poking around racingsportscars.com, you can find some legitimate Le Mans Group B entries.

There are a few in 1984. I'll leave finding additional ones as an exercise for the reader.

^ Beat me to it...

BTW, there are some Group B cars in a few other years. Here are some, and I'll leave finding others as an exercise for the reader.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Le_Mans-1984-06-17.html

One more thing - I'm impressed that in the mid/late '80s, entire Le Mans fields of cars were filled with C1, C2 and GTP cars. That would be like having 50 LMP1/LMP2 cars today! Those were the days, my friends! (And I thought they'd never end.)

skater2 - 18 June 2009 03:27 PM

The Porsche 961 was a car that was a derivative of a car that was built for Group B and raced at Le Mans(86 and 87) but raced in the IMSA and GTX divisions.

http://www.racingsportscars.com/type/photo/Porsche/961.html

EDIT - Poking around racingsportscars.com, you can find some legitimate Le Mans Group B entries.

There are a few in 1984. I'll leave finding additional ones as an exercise for the reader.

The 961 was the production 959 in Group B racing trim. My bad!

Told you getting old is hell...

skater2 - 18 June 2009 03:36 PM

Those were the days, my friends! (And I thought they'd never end.)

Ahem....

COPYCAT!!!

They were though, and as I get older I'm sorta glad my age is what it is cause I (we) sure did enjoy the 60's - 80's a bunch.....all forms of racing compared to nowadays.

The worse part is, I don't think we (and those that follow) will ever see really good stuff again. It's gotten all too commercial (like just about all pro sports)