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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.

Friday was the official start of Le Mans week as Scrutineering began. The event is essentially technical inspection, but it is much more than that. Scrutineering is a two day celebration of the cars, drivers, and teams entered in the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is unlike any racing related event I have ever seen. I loved it.

In a nutshell, it works this way.

The team rolls the car down a barricaded lane to the first if two inspection tents. Each tent has a set of tasks to run through. The car is out on a lift in the first tent. While the car goes through its paces for the technical staff, the drivers appear on a stage for a panel interview. Multicar teams have both sets of drivers together on stage.

When the car is approved, it moves to a large open area for photos of the drivers and crew. Sometimes an entire team’s cars pose as a group. This can take some time. When the photm session concludes, the crew rolls the car arouns the other side of the complex set up on a town square, The Place de Republique. The drivers follow, stopping to sign autographs and take selfies with fans. This takes a while. I did not see one driver refuse any fan. Speaking of fans, there were a lot of them.

If someone had not found a place by the barricade very early, they were out of luck for a prime viewing spot. Is a fan was waiting for someone to leave for a snack or a break, they would be disappointed. Some people stood in the same spot all day.

The race organizers have set up some viewing stands for people to watch from, one by the stage, and the other by the after phot area.

I loved this because it gave each entire team recognition. At most races only the podium finishers and the pole sitter, if different, get any time. Here every car and team member was honored just for being a part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

I wonder if IMS could something like this for the Indianapolis 500. It wouldn’t need to be on this scale. Scrutineering is such a huge PR boost for each team. They get video to take to sponsors, they get incredible live exposure, and the fan interaction is invaluable.

See more photos on The Pit Window Facebook.page.

Greetings from Le Mans. After a long day of riding the rails, I finally arrived in the city made famous by a race. Le Mans is a fascinating town, which was established by the Romans, although the civilization here predates them.

The plane ride from JFK was smooth. If you come here, paying a little more for Premium economy is well worth it for your comfort.

Charles de Gaulle airport is one of the most beautiful airports I have ever seen. Everything is pristine and locations are well marked. The rail system here is very efficient. The trains run on time, and it is easy to get wherever you need to go.

The train station at Montparnasse is also a work of art. It is an upscale four level shopping mall with trains. Like Charles de Gaulle, it was clean and well maintained

The high speed train to L.e Mans was amazing. It was clean and quiet. I got some glimpses of the French countryside along the hour long trip.

Le Mans embraces the 24 hour race as few cities embrace their races. It is apparent from the moment you step off the train. Even the McDonald’s is decked out in che3ckered flags. I went to the Place de Republique last evening to find the area where scrutineering begins today. It is in one of the older areas of town, full of bars and restaurants. I am going back this morning.

Getting used to the six hour time difference is difficult. I am writing this at what is 2:39 am Eastern time in the US. I will try to publish posts at around 6 am Eastern but search your overnight social media for any ramblings I must put out as I write. I may also post at what would be mid to late afternoon.

Juncos vs. McLaren

I can’t leave town for one second before more Indycar drama brews. The incident involving Agustin Canapino. Nuncios Hollinger, and Theo Pourchaire and McLaren is beyond mind boggling. Juncos has always had a problem dealing with the rabid Argentine fans.

Last year they posted very mild statements when these same fans threatened their own driver Callum Ilott after a couple of on track skirmishes with Canapino. But death threats and they don’t say much/ The team relied on a strong statement from McLaren.

For their driver, Canapino, to like posts containing death threats, then deny them is the pinnacle of unprofessionalism. I hope Indycar talks to Ricardo Juncos about this matter. It is unacceptable for a team to so casually brush this kind of fandom aside.

I understand that McLaren has severed their partnership with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Good for them. It is best that they distance themselves. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Mclaren ends up signing Callum Ilott for 2025 after all? I always thought that Ilott driving for McLaren was the point of the alliance.

A nearly four hour green flag running period ended when 2023 500 winner had a major crash in turn 4. Ericsson put his wheels below the pavement and began to spin in the middle of the turn. The left side hit the outside wall, then the car slid nose first into the inside wall in the pit entry lane.. The car slid an dhit the pit attenuator very hard.

There had been no issues since the cars returned to the track following the cleanup of Linus Lundqvist’s crash around 11:30 this morning.

Ericsson got out of the car on his own power and went to the medical center, Track activity stopped for nearly 37 minutes.

The track went green for just two minutes before a red flag waved for rain.

There has been no change in the top speeds since this morning.

The Andretti and Meyer Shank teams had a long run of drafting practice mid afternoon.

Ericsson’s car in the garage.

I’ll be back with a full day wrap up later. We may be done for the day.

Stay tuned for the greatest spectacle in raining.