2015 Tour Auto - Leg 1 at Magny Cours

Following on from my previous post on the first special stage, Gareth, Peter and I drove down to Magny Cours which was the first visit of the Tour Auto Optic 2000 to a circuit in its 2015 running.   Here are some pictures I took at Magny Cours both in the paddock and out on the race track.

An Alpine Renault A110 leads a queue of classic cars to check in at Magny Cours

Porsche and Ferrari refuel in the paddock

Alpine Renault A110s arriving in the paddock.  These cars were running in the Regularity category and the lead car here is the 1970 1,600S car of Georges Meylan.

Gareth chats with Jochen Mass about how the first special stage went in the De Tomaso Pantera

Paddock scene with nice looking 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB and co-driver Stephanie Baud

Symphony in Red

It was nice catching up with some of the nice Alfa Romeos, Maseratis and Ferrari in the paddock from the Regularity category.  Here is my symphony in red....

Top - 1957 Maserati 200 SI, Middle - 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta, Bottom - 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ

There was also some nice Porsches, a Ligier and some non-red Ferraris in the paddock.

1966 Porsche Carrera 906

The 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB Daytona of Alexander Rittweger

Although not in the group we saw racing, this Cosworth engined Ligier JS2 was the fastest car at Magny Cours driven by Mr John of B

The Race for VHC cars

Whilst Gareth and Peter were still examining the cars in the paddock, I was eager to get out and see some of the VHC race/special stage which was held in very bright sunlight for an April day in the centre of France.  These would be the cars that would be battling for the overall victory in the Tour Auto.

The cars start off on their warm up lap

Ferraris, Mustangs and a Lotus further back on the grid.

With the pace car pulled into the pits they are off racing with Ludovic Caron's Cobra leading the Jaguar E Type of Jean-Pierre Lajournade.  Jean-Pierre Lajournade was the eventual overall winner of this year's Tour Auto beating Caron by a small margin.

Shaun Lynn in the Cobra took an early lead.....

...but before long the Richard Meins' Ford GT40 was out in front.

Behind the GT40 positions were changing and the Cobra of Andrew Beverley took up the challenge, but watch out for Ludovic Caron who is joining the lead group in his black Cobra

Ludovic Caron's Cobra takes the lead braking for the chicane from Richard Meins' GT40

Leading group just before I left to get on the road again, with Caron leading Meins, Beverley.  This is how they finished but with the gaps extended to 2 seconds between first and second and second and third after their race of just under 17 minutes.

The 1962 3.8 litre Jaguar E Type of Franck Augis bumping over the kerbs at the exit of the chicane

The fast Bussolini Porsche 904 GTS chases the Cobra of Mark Freeman....

...and then speeds past the pits

Ferrari 275 GTBs, Alfa Romeos and Porsche battle it out further down the field.  The leader of this group in his 1966 Ferrari is Laurent Desplaces.

More photos to come soon as we also covered parts of the road section.  

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