Le Mans – David M's photoblog

Monochrome Wheels

03/04/2020 David M2 Comments

This is my contribution to Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge: Wheels.

Having started digitising my slide archives I am planning on digitising my black and white negatives once the slides are finished. I copied a dozen or so black and white negatives as a test and of those about half were motorsports. Which worked out rather well for Cee’s challenge.

Cee's Black and White Photo Challenge: Wheels

Moto cross or scrambling as it was known as in the 1970s when the photo was taken. In those days there was a rope protecting the spectators.

Cee's Black and White Photo Challenge: Wheels

Team Bike entering the start/finish straight at night. Eight hours down, sixteen to go. Taken 38 years ago today at the 1982 Le Mans 24 hour motorcycle race in France.

Cee's Black and White Photo Challenge: Wheels

Team Bike approaching the start/finish straight at around noon during the 1982 Le Mans 24 hour motorcycle race in France. Twenty one hours down, three to go.

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Number

19/02/2020 David M7 Comments

This is my contribution to the Tuesday Photo Challenge – Number and in this case the number is 59 during the first weekend of April 1982.

That was the race number for Team Bike in their first World Endurance Championship race, a 24 hour motorcycle race at the historic Le Mans race track in France.

Tuesday Photo Challenge: Number

Number 59 makes a pit stop in the middle of the night. The bike is refueled and the oil level in the motor is checked while the riders discuss something and a French official uses a torch to watch the pit crew.

Tuesday Photo Challenge - Number

Number 59 enters the start/finish straight at around midnight. 9 hours into the race, 15 to go.

Tuesday Photo Challeng - Number

Number 59 makes a dawn pit stop. Tyres are being checked to decide if either will need to be changed on the next pit stop while being watched by multiple French officials.

January Squares: Inspection-light

26/01/202026/01/2020 David M9 Comments

This is day 26 and the last Sunday of Becky’s January Squares: Light photo challenge so I’m going with a shot taken in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

This is a Team Bike pit stop at around 3 o’clock in the morning. One of the pit crew is using an inspection light to check the oil level in the engine while a French official uses a torch (flashlight) to make sure the British are following the rules to the letter. I’m using inspection light although they’re known as a trouble light in Canada.

January Squares: Inspection-Light

January Squares: 11:10 p.m. Taillights

18/01/202018/01/2020 David M8 Comments

This is my Saturday, day 18 contribution to Becky’s January Squares: Light photo challenge.

I picked this photo because it was taken at 11:10 p.m. on a Saturday night according to the giant clock at the end of the pit lane. Two taillights heading up the start/finish straight at the Le Mans race circuit during a 24 hour motorcycle race. The race started at 3:00 p.m. so just over eight hours, or one third of the race down.

January Squares: 11:10 p.m. Taillights

January Squares: Headlight

04/01/2020 David M9 Comments

This is my day four post for Becky’s January Squares: Light photo challenge.

A rider enters the start/finish straight at around midnight during the Le Mans 24 hour motorcycle race in 1982. Even in those days most endurance race bikes ran twin headlights but this machine is competing in the silhouette class where the race bike has to have the same silhouette as the production machine it’s based on. So a single headlight and only minor modifications allowed.

Nine hours down, fifteen to go.

January Squares: Headlight