The Road to Le Mans - Day 2
Day 2, May 31, 2023
After a night’s rest the team assembled for Day 2 of the The Road to Le Mans Saga. Our goal was to reach Chartres, which was where the Porsche itinerary from 1951 had the team spending the second night of the trip. We again planned to stop for photographs along the way and were to be joined at the town of Fontainebleau by a photographer from Porsche France.
Fueling up SL 063 in Hallignicourt, France
We stopped in the French village of Poivres for another photoshoot. From our perspective we were literally in the middle of nowhere and this woman comes out of a house and asked, in perfect English, “What are you doing?” It must have appeared strange seeing this little 1951 Porsche running around the village streets.
SL 063 in village of Poivres, France
Even in small villages the locals would come out to see what this little car was doing - the Hero Cards were very helpful in explaining what this crazy group of car enthusiast was up to.
Hein de Groen guides Cameron as they load SL 063 onto the VIC Services b.v.trailer after touring through the village of Poivres, France
The 1951 Porsche itinerary noted Fontainebleau as one of the towns the team passed through on the original Road to Le Mans trip. The Fontainebleau Palace was the best place to note our 2023 redo of the trip, so Hein unloaded SL 063 in the tour bus parking area and Cameron drove up to the front entrance and stopped long enough to get off a couple of images and depart before the local gendarmerie arrived.
Cameron leaves Château de Fontainebleau in SL 063 and returns to the Vic Services’s trailer
Barbizon, France – Porsche France dispatched a photographer to assist us. He suggested the village of Barbizon. It is the perfect location to capture the essence of the small towns and hamlets the team would have traveled through in 1951. SL 063 was unloaded outside the village and Elliot directed Cameron and Tony down the main street stopping frequently as I ran ahead taking photos.
After a long, but exciting day we checked into the Novotel Chartres Hotel in Chartres. The day wound down with another bench racing season with drinks and dinner as we recapped the days adventures. Cameron had the team sign the back of a large aluminum print from 1951 of SL 063 in the garage at Teloché that he intended to present to the garage owner.
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