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"Le Mans", Starring Steve McQueen
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Written by:
Jeff Olson
SPEEDtv.com http://www.speedtv.com
SPEEDtv.com http://www.speedtv.com
06/19/2007 - 07:00 PM
Indianapolis, Ind.
The rich spectacle of Le Mans has to be seen to be appreciated. (LAT photo) ยป More Photos
Random musings from a spent post-Le Mans brain that endured three in-flight movies (two of which featured John Travolta) and a salmon dish that tasted vaguely like the sole of a work boot:
If the Brits think Clapton is God, then Canadians should spray-paint "Fellows is God" on every overpass in Ontario. Not only has Ron Fellows endured for 20-some years as one of the best in the North American sports car scene, he's won Le Mans (twice), the Rolex 24, three American Le Mans Series championships and has 16 ALMS wins, 19 SCCA Trans-Am wins and even a few NASCAR Busch and truck wins to his credit. This is his last full-time season, and he deserves every accolade that comes his way. Sadly, he's largely unknown to American race fans. That's more a reflection of the upside-down U.S. racing scene than it is of Fellows' accomplishments. In Europe, he'd be a superstar. Here, he's all but anonymous. Something is horribly wrong with that.
Let's hope Sebastien Bourdais goes F1 as expected, but let's hope it's with a more competitive team than Toro Rosso. His stints with Peugeot's runner-up effort at Le Mans were nothing short of brilliant. Afterward, he said what everyone else thought, that the team's accomplishment was as significant as a victory. During the pre-race parade, Bourdais received a welcome that would rival anything Dale Earnhardt Jr. receives at Daytona. In France, he is a superstar. Deservedly so.
Colin Braun is headed for NASCAR. If this doesn't make sports car fans weep, nothing will. Can't say I blame him, as that's where the money and opportunites are, but it's a blow to the road-racing side of the game. Again, it's more evidence of the twisted state of affairs in American racing, where NASCAR is king and quality in any other flavor is ignored. The ridiculous popularity of a stock car racing is truly discouraging to the thinking race fan open to other motorsports experiences. Of course, just because The Jerry Springer Show gets big ratings doesn't mean it's quality material. Nor does it mean is has any redeeming social value. It only means a large number of Americans fill their leisure time with garbage.
Nothing in the world compares with watching the Audi R10 diesel in Le Mans' Indianapolis corner, a hard left-hander at one of the fastest sections of the track. The braking is immense, the steering harsh, and the acceleration unequaled. The Audi practically floated through the turn, whispering sweet nothings as it did so. By the way, the road-going Audi R8 is the hottest sports car on the market. (Note to editors: My birthday is fast approaching. A gift would be nice.)
At least phenom Colin Braun (middle) got a taste of Le Mans success with a podium place in GT2 before the NASCAR Effect sets in. (LAT photo) ยป More Photos
Steve McQueen is bigger in France than he is in the States. You'd think the guy who filmed Le Mans in 1971 and the greatest chase seen ever put to film (Bullitt, 1968) would carry the posthumous fame of James Dean among American race fans and car enthusiasts, but he doesn't. Instead, his legend is largely European. Shops at Le Mans were jammed with McQueen memorabilia. I managed to snag a replica Gulf shirt with "Michael Delaney" stitched above the right pocket, possibly the most significant purchase of my lifetime. McQueen was beyond cool. He invented it.
Jeff Olson relates the uplifting tale of Davey
The view from the first chicane on the long backstretch is what I imagined Le Mans would look like. Hard downshifting and braking past a row of country homes and timber, then a quick right-left-right before the long straight resumes. We stood there for some time at dusk Saturday. Definitely the best imagery of the race.
Pay no attention to the fools and crooks who currently run this country; the French are delightful people. They were courteous, mannered and inquisitive throughout the trip. During our last meal, the staff at our hotel served pizza, fries and hamburgers that interesting interpretation of American cuisine were toasted. It was a sweet gesture, and, for someone who hadn't eaten that day, one of the best hamburgers in the history of ground beef.
Likewise, I saw no ugly Americans. True, we were vastly outnumbered, but we all acted appropriately. We expect the French to be rude, and they expect us to be fat and loud, but neither generalization proved true.
French women are lovely. If you tell my wife I said this, I will deny it.
Brits know how to party. At one point Saturday night, we encountered a free-for-all food fight at the champagne party, which was jammed with hundreds of impossibly intoxicated Englishmen. The last ones standing were engaged in a spirited battle of flying croissants. At least we thought they were croissants. They may have been dog biscuits for all we know. And yes, some stereotypes apply. The Brits really do throw like girls.
If you haven't seen an ALMS race lately, I highly recommend it. The LMP2 cars are the sexiest machines currently racing in the U.S., and ALMS is rich with name talent. Acura is expected to join Le Mans in 2008, so next year's race could include Bryan Herta, Dario and Marino Franchitti, possibly even Tony Kanaan, building American interest in the world's most famous endurance race.
Returning to post-9/11 America from a foreign country is a test of composure, especially when travelers emerge from the maze of Customs, trains and shuttles only to face another massive line and dozens of TSA employees standing about as if nothing needs to be done. Upon departure, my shaving cream was cause for a four-alarm shakedown. Meanwhile, two rather shady looking characters walked by without so much as a blink. Fortunately for the world, one steely-eyed TSA agent saved us from a few ounces of Barbasol. Excellent application of taxpayer dollars.
Whatever happened to trains in this country? Aside from the Northeast and a few large urban areas, passenger trains are non-existent in the States. Trains were the key technology in the westward movement; now you rarely see them. The best transportation experiences during the entire journey through France were the train rides between Paris and Le Mans.
A moment of aw-shucks romance: Tom Wallace, Corvette Racing's chief engineer, proposed to his girlfriend Karla Berger, a manager on the Corvette Racing engineering staff, before the race with a ring fashioned of a plastic twist tie. She accepted, and wore the ring throughout the race. There's a movie in there somewhere. If I weren't so exhausted, I'd send a script to Travolta.
Jeff Olson is a Senior Writer for RACER magazine.
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