2014 Le Mans – Race day on Saturday (June 14)

Race day arrives. The tour bus picked up Laura and I around 9.30 am, and we arrived at the track about an hour later. We entered the track at the main entrance, then went to Stand 34, where we had seats over the Audi Sport Team Joest pits and front straight. We stayed at Stand 34 for the pre-race activities, the race start at 3.00 pm, and some of the race. We then went to the bus tour barbecue, then to the Dunlop Stand so I could get photos of the cars in the late afternoon and early evening light. Laura left for the bus back to the hotel around 9.30 pm, and I stayed at the track. Stayed at the Dunlop Stand until darkness fell, then went over to Tertre Rouge and the Esses for some night shots. Around 11.30 pm, walked back to the the bus at the track for some sleep around 12.30 am, and was able to get about 5 hours rest. Hope you like the photos.

During the pre-race activities the teams pushed there cars from the pit lane onto the front straight. Here the #0 Nissan Motorsports Global Nissan Zeod RC is being pushed along pit lane (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100)

Some of the pre-race activities including the teams standing in line for the National Anthems (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/16, 1/200, ISO 100)

Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid driver Mark Webber walking to his car (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4, 1/1000, ISO 100)

Former Audi Sports Team Joest driver Allan McNish (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4, 1/2500, ISO 100)

Ferrari F1 driver Fernando Alonso was the guest flag waver for the race start (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4, 1/800, ISO 100)

The grid lined up for the race start (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/14, 1/80, ISO 250)

The race start, and the #7 Toyota Racing TS 040 Hybrid pole sitter leads the other LM P1s down the front straight (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 640)

The #0 Nissan Motorsports Global Nissan Zeod RC speeds down the front straight into the Dunlop Curves complex (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 200)

Another view of the beginning of the Dunlop Curves, this time from the Dunlop Stand (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/16, 1/1000, ISO 2000)

A couple of hours into the race, rain fell onto the track and caused chaos with some of the cars. Here the #13 Rebellion Racing Rebellion R-ONE-Toyota speeds along the short straight between the Dunlop Curves and Bridge (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 200mm, f/14, 1/80, ISO 100)

After the rain passed, the warm yellow light of the afternoon sun covered the track. The #67 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR entering the Dunlop Chicane in front of the Dunlop Stand in the late afternoon (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/10, 1/100, ISO 100)

#24 Sebastien Loeb Racing Oreca 03R-Nissan speeding along the short straight between the Dunlop Curves and Bridge (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and 1.4x extender III, 280mm, f/7.1, 1/60, ISO 100)

#20 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid about to pass under the Dunlop Bridge (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 145mm, f/8, 1/2000, ISO 200)

Into the night at the Dunlop Curves with the #7 Toyota Racing Toyota TS 040 Hybrid (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 280mm, f/4, 1/160, ISO 1000)

On my way from the Dunlop Stand to the Esses, walked past the late night rock concert which attracted thousands of spectators (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 205mm, f/4, 1/320, ISO 3200)