24h Le Mans
The great 24 Hours of Le Mans race week kicked off yesterday (Sunday) and continues today with the traditional Scrutineering procedure. A large crowd gathered on Place de la République in central Le Mans, all keen to watch the cars undergo their technical inspection and meet the drivers, collecting autographs and selfies along the way. We talked to Keith who has travelled to Le Mans for his 43rd consecutive 24 Hours.
The crowds gathered on Place de la République once again this Monday, for the second day of Scrutineering as 40 cars and 120 drivers went through the mandatory administrative and technical checks. The first car to arrive for the procedure this morning was the ARC Bratislava #49 Ligier JSP217-Gibson (LMP2). After the Ferraris, Porsches, BMWs, Ford GTs and Aston Martins from the LMGTE Pro class due to comply this afternoon, the last car scheduled to undergo Scrutineering is the Weathertech Racing #62 Ferrari 488 GTE.
Fans of all ages and from all over the world flocked to make the most of this chance to get a close-up view of their favourite cars and drivers. We spoke to Keith, one fan who has travelled from the UK to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 43rd year running.
“Le Mans is such a big event, I don’t come for any one reason. I come for so many reasons. Yes, I come for the racing. Yes, I come for the competition, the technology, the cars and the drivers, but I also come to meet up with all the friends I’ve made over the years. And that’s a great part of it.”
Keith may have been coming to Le Mans for over four decades, but he’s still brimming with enthusiasm. “Scrutineering is great because it’s very easy. You can walk round, you can take your photographs, you can stop and talk to people, you can listen to the commentary. You can watch the cars being scrutineered. It’s almost access-all-areas. Whatever you’re looking for, it’s here.”
When asked what is so special about Scrutineering, he admits it’s not the first time that he’s been interviewed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans! “It’s the atmosphere, it’s so many things. A few years ago, an American documentary producer asked me to sum up Le Mans in one word, but you can’t! And that’s the beauty of it. It means different things to different people. The whole thing is fantastic.”
24 Hours of Le Mans Race Week festivities seems to have got off to an excellent start for racegoers, and Keith confirms: “It’s the best week of the year and as long as I enjoy coming, I’ll keep coming!”
COVER: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, MONDAY 10 JUNE 2019, SCRUTINEERING. The ARC Bratislava #49 Ligier JSP217-Gibson LMP2 prototype was the first car on today’s Scrutineering schedule.
