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In 1993 Graham, our Team Leader, and original TeamTritech member Mark Rosten were the first to venture forth the annual pilgrimage the Circuit de La Sarthe. This first year had a very steep learning curve but a good basis was set for years to come. Stories of gravel roads, dust clouds, farm yards, speed humps, flies, bonfires, MacLads, drag racing and a slowing 309 GTi were just some of the stories that abounded from the first trip to Le Mans! For the record a Peugeot 1-2-3 occurred and this was the last time that Le Mans was run to Group C sports car rules
1994 was a missed year due to racing commitments but we returned to La Sarthe in 1995. A wet year but it allowed for the McLaren F1 victory. We had an additional member in '95 and not one connected to the model car team, Graham's brother Robert. It was also the first trip with the new TeamTritech Nissan Primera, although it didn't know its way from Hampton (Middlesex) to Portsmouth, otherwise it wouldn't have turned off the M3 and onto the M25! Traditions created in this year included bonfire jumping (or lack of it in Robert's case) and Kevin's Pink Bucket song (of Roland Rat fame). Notable achievements being the complete thrashing of a Lotus Carlton on the way to Le Mans and the beating of a 325i BMW on the drag stripe. This proved very popular with the crowd! This was also the year that we spotted a car called "Ultima" waiting to board the ferry in Portsmouth. A long fixation has ensued with a member of our happy band. Due to an overload of GB stickers, and Graham's dislike for stickers being left on the car any longer the necessary, Mark created the "GD" stickers on the dockside and the Nissan also acquired the P&O emblem on the bonnet. These remained on the car until the Audi arrived a few years later! This was also the year that Mark took a certain picture that resides at Team HQ. Any visitors to HQ will know of the picture in question! Click here to see more pictures from 1995.
In 1996 and we were back to two! For the records a TWR Porsche WSC95 run by Joest Racing and based on a Jaguar chassis (go figure!) won the race. Unfortunately I cannot remember anything unusual from this year!
1997 TWR Porsche WSC95 Same chassis as last year still run by Team Joest still won! As it turned out this was the last appearance for the TeamTritech Nissan Primera. It was still going strong and claimed another prized scalp in the shape of the Mole Valley TVR boys on the way from the port to La Sarthe. Ok so we didn't have to stop to erect a hood but with some spirited driving the Nissan stayed ahead. We also discovered that the Gendarmes are more interested in TVRs than Nissan Primeras!
In 1998 McNish in the Porsche 911 GT1 won the race from Courage. This year we were camped next to a friendly group of elder race fans in their Land Rover. Needless to say when Graham started the bonnie building feebly cutting up twigs with a Stanley knife when one of the jolly fellows arrived and tapped him on the shoulder and asked what he was doing. The only concerning thing was why he had a machete in his hand! Luckily for our Team Leader he wasn't a mad man and he lent Graham the implement! Mad fool! Whilst warming ourselves later on next to the bonnie our friends went off muttering about needing more wood. Upon rummaging around in the back of the Landie for his axe (!) and not finding it he reclaimed the machete and proceeded to cut down a dead Silver Birch tree! When the tree was eventually felled, the problem of moving the tree to the bonnie was solved by tying it to the Land Rover! Only it became necessary to drive around the camping field with it behind the Land Rover including up the drag strip before it was set alight! More crowd cheering!
In 1999 the Toyotas broke, Audis were too slow and BMW took the honours and we all got wet. This was also the first appearance the new TeamTritech Audi A4 estate and the electric cool box for the beers, oh and cheese. The tracks around the campsite had now been hardcored for no obvious reason but it did allow for really bad drainage, as some of our fellow German campers found out when their camp turned into a lake. Their solution to this problem was also amusing due to the fact that they dug a trench across the hardcore track to drain the lake. This had the effect of flooding the German campers on the other side of the track! Doh! This year also proved that a Porsche 911 Turbo couldn't out brake a Subaru Impreza WRX on gravel, especially when looking at a well-endowed young woman standing in sunroof area of a Golf topless! This feat proved not so good for the Porsche or an innocent BMW! It was also recognised that if you have to get up at 6am it is a good idea to set the Psion organiser to the correct time zone...!
Last updated on the 6th July 2010.