24h Le Mans
In the ACO Club grandstands, Test Day is a fun and exciting way to spend a day with family members. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren, passion for the 24 Hours of Le Mans carries on from generation to generation!
Shortly before 9:00 a.m., the grandstands reserved for ACO Club members were already filling up. Friends, couples and families began to take their seats in one of the most coveted spots on the circuit, just across from pit lane. Albert and Mahé were getting settled in, as they do every year, to seats 172 and 173. The grandfather and his grandson wouldn't miss this special day for the world.
Mahé, age 10 and a karting driver himself, had this to say: "The 24 Hours of Le Mans is all about granddad and me. I come to check out the new cars. I really like speed." During race week, his grandfather Albert, an ACO Club member for more than 10 years, "comes to the greatest circuit in the world every single day! We live in Tours, so it would be a shame not to make the short trip." While Albert admits he would like to see Toyota finally win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, his grandson isn't giving anything away. He says he likes "all the cars!"
Leaning on the railing, father/son duo Laurent and Edouard watch as the first cars hit the track. They made the trip from Paris early so as not to miss a second of Test Day. "The 24 Hours of Le Mans is iconic. We love sharing this kind of experience together," says Laurent. His son Edouard, age 19, first joined his father at the race 12 years ago and became an ACO Club member on the spot. "The member grandstands are right across from pit lane, it's awesome!"
To them, Test Day means taking in the sporting atmosphere and the stunning spectacle of it all. In case you were wondering, Edouard is rooting for his favorite marque, Aston Martin.
PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES DU MANS, TEST DAY 2018. Families take in the action at Test Day.
