LM24: Day 3 trackside report

Drivers sprinted from the briefing to take the annual group photo on the start/finish line, and then scattered as pit stop practice and the last round of seat fitment took place. A second group photo was taken a few hours later – this time for the major P2 entries on the front straight, and from there, the sounds of wheel guns, metal grinders, and every other manner of tool filled pit lane.

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We’ve yet to see the LMP1-H Nissans turn a lap in anger, but it’s fair to say they’ve won the early race to amuse and interest fans. Their paddock hospitality unit looks like an EDM festival surrounded by guardrail, and inside, everything from a slide to massage chairs await its visitors.

The first of two autograph sessions took place from 5-6 p.m., and again, it was Nissan rolling out a car for fans to get up close and view the funky prototype. Its P1 rivals, all veterans of the WEC and Le Mans, could learn from the team’s fan-friendly approach to the sport.

One of the personal highlights of the day was seeing Andy Brown, the renowned engineer who was a key figure in countless IndyCar championships and Indy 500 wins with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Brown, who returned to his native England in recent years to handle family matters, received a call from fellow Ganassi graduate Ben Bowlby asking if he knew of any engineers willing and available to look after the team’s third car at Le Mans. Brown volunteered himself, and is at La Sarthe bringing his vast talents to the Nissan program.

On another heartwarming note, 2014 TUDOR Championship Prototype co-champion Joao Barbosa is at Le Mans for his ninth time, and will anchor the No. 40 Krohn Racing Ligier JS P2-Judd. The Portuguese driver has maintained his tradition of wearing racing shoes painted by his children, and proudly displayed their colorful efforts on pit lane Tuesday (LEFT). Amid the serious faces and importance of the event, something as simple as “My kids painted my shoes” is a nice reminder of the human element that sometimes gets lost within the talk of technology and speed.

Audi assembled its drivers for an impromptu fitness excursion with Tom "Mr. Le Mans" Kristensen (RIGHT), who now looks after driver conditioning for the team, and despite a bunch of laughs on pit lane, most of the drivers seemed more interested in using every available minute to rest their minds before things get loud on Wednesday.

Varying weather forecasts have called for sun or rain tomorrow, and the latest intel says we could be in for dry running. If it happens, we could see phenomenal lap times set by the LMP1-Hybrids around the 8.5-mile circuit – somewhere as low as 3min15sec, as some have predicted.

Looking out a few days, we're anticipating plenty of interesting news on Thursday during the ACO press conference. News on 2017 P2s, the next few years of Garage 56 plans, and more – which could have a large contingent of American sports car brass in attendance – should add to the event's momentum. The president of France is even coming on Saturday.

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