Cars get on track tomorrow afternoon as preparations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans begin in earnest. The day begins with a three-hour practice session, then after a break is one hour of qualifying . A t two-hour night practice session starts at 10 pm local time, which is sunset here .

Althiough cars did not run today, it was not quiet at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Tuesday is the autograph session and pit walk, where fans were invited to roam the pit area at will. The 60 minute autograph session began at 2 pm, but the line waiting for the gate to the pits to open looked like this at 1:30.

Indycar fans who think the autograph lines are awful at Legends Day, consider yourself blessed. Here there is no organization. It got even worse once the fans reached the pit area. Each team of driv ers sat at a table infront of their trackside garage, but there was no single file line, just a crush of people all wanting a coveted signature or two. There is no waiting your turn. This was not a game for the weak of heart. I did manage to get autographs from the Ganassi Cadillac drivers. I did not have the strength to go to another pit for more. I had hoped get signatures from the Iron Dames, but their area was one of the most popular.

I did get some photos to help get a perspective on track locations. Here is pit out.

The Michelin sign is impressive. I finally was able to snap a decent picture of it today. My issue with getting photos here is that there always seems to be a 7 foot 3 retired basketball player always standing in the front row of a car or driver. Today I erased several shots with fingers and phones in the way.

I located my reserved seat for the race after I left the pits. It is better than I had hoped. I am right across from the Alpine pits, I wil;l have a great view of the opening ceremonies, and I can see the final three turns.

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Life in Le Mans

I cannot remember a time when I have felt more relaxed. Le Mans is pleasant quiet town. The architecture is interesting, and it ooxes history. I have made it a opint every day to spend time at Place de la Republique, the main town square, just to watch people come and go. I don’t get the feeling that anyone is in a hurry to get anyplace or get something done.

Another thing that is quite noticeable is how clean the town is. I have seen very little in the way of litter.

I think it’s a European thing, but people don’t seem to have any sense of personal space. The trams are jam packed. When the train pulls into a stop, n matter how crowded the vehicle is, more people walk right in. Passengers lean against the doors while the train is in motion. These behaviors wouldn’t fly in the states.

I can’t say how the Pafris portion of my journey will go, but I think when I get home, i will miss the town of le Mans the most.

I am excited to see racing at night tomorrow.

Thanks for following along on my journey. I cannot believe Wednesday will mark the halfway point of this trip.