Dijon-Prenois - GP de l'Age d'Or 2015

A paddock full of 1.5 litre sixties GP cars.

I have been to the Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or meeting before but never when it has been hosted by the
Circuit Dijon-Prenois or organised by Peter Auto.  In fact I had never been to this circuit before although I remember seeing some great races televised from there such as the 1979 French Grand Prix which saw a Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Jabouille, win a World Championship F1 GP for the first time and a famous battle for second place between Gilles Villeneuve and René Arnoux.

This time I was attracted by a a large number of Lola T70s, a Ligier JS3 and a BMW M1, to name a few.   In the end the Lotus Cortinas, BMW 1800s, Ford Capris and Ford Escorts were the stars of the show.

If you enjoy historic racing and have never been to Dijon then try to get to this meeting next year.  The crowds are not too big, it is a pleasant circuit with some gradient and seems to produce some good racing.  It also attracts a nice field of historic and classic cars. Like Goodwood it also attracts a nice car park full of classic cars.  What's more the entry fee for the action packed Sunday was just 15 Euros and 5 Euros for the programme and no need to book in advance!   For a photographer like me there were enough opportunities to beat the ubiquitous chain fencing.   I attended on the hot and very sunny Sunday when they had eight races.  For me in the year that I am blogging about the 1965 season to see so many cars from that era was great.

Sixties Endurance

On the Saturday there had been a two hour endurance race for pre-1966 GT cars.  I didn't attend but there were a few examples left in the paddock on the Sunday.  The race of course was won by a Cobra from an E-Type.

1964 Porsche 904/6 GTS in the Dijon Paddock 2015

Rare 1963 Morgan SLR - a Morgan+4 chassis with a Chris Lawrence body.

Formula Three Nations Cup

If my memory serves me well the F3 Nations Cup was an event that in the old days used to be held at Thruxton.  Certainly back in the sixties the one litre F3 cars were amongst my favourites.  We used to call them screamers but they don't seem to make the same noise any more!   I have memories of very close racing amongst these cars in their heyday such as the Greater London Trophy at Crystal Palace in May 1969 that Tim Schenken won from my favourite - Ronnie Peterson.   Today's racing was not so close but it was nostalgic to see these cars again.

The battle for the lead in the F3 Nations Cup

A car goes wide to let the 1965 Cooper T76 of Mauro Poponcini through. 

1966 Brabham BT18A driven by the Swiss Christoph Widmer who won the race.  He was followed home by a Techno and a Chevron.

Close F3 racing through the Gauche de la Bretelle curve.

U2TC

These races for under two litre touring cars built before 1966 are always popular if for no other reason than they contain a host of Lotus Cortinas.  For me an added attraction was to see one of my sixties and seventies racing heroes, Jackie Oliver, race again.

Always good to see a hard driven Lotus Cortina.  This was the pole position car of Richard Meaden.

Jackie Oliver co drove the winning 1965 BMW 1800 TI SA with Richard Shaw

1965 Alfa Giulia Sprint GTA spins as a Lotus Cortina speeds by.  However, Dominik Roschmann still recovered to finish third in the Alfa!

The 1964 Lotus Cortina of Troman and Meaden lifts a wheel whilst leading the field

Further back the Minis were having a great race

Classic Endurance Racing 1

This race for sports prototypes from 1966 up to 1971 and GT cars from 1966 to 1974 was what had attracted me to Dijon with its large number of Lola T70 entries and the Ligier JS3.  At the start Martin O'Connell led in the Chevron B19 but when he had an incident the Ligier JS3 of Mr John of B took over the lead and won.

Lola T70 drifting around the Gauche de la Bretelle.

Martin O'Connell led easily at the start in his 1971 Chevron FVC trying to repeat his win of last year.....

....but eventually had an off course incident and retired.  Martin is looking a bit miffed!

This left Mr John of B to win in the beautiful 1971 Ligier JS3 -DFV

A 1966 Ford GT40 holding of a 1974 Porsche 911 3L RSR

Gianlucca Rattazzi's 1969 Alfa Romeo T33/3 at speed

1969 Chevrolet Corvette leads 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona and 1969 Porsche 908/3 which was making its way up the field from the back of the griod

1974 Porsche 911 RSR 3.0L coming to a smokey end of its race

Mauro Poponcini's 1971 Lola T212 FVC

Tom Seiler's 1968 Lola T70 MkIII being harried by a two litre car

Richard Mille's Lola T70s packed and ready to go home

HPGCA Pre-1961

This race for pre-1961 front engined Grand Pric cars was just before lunch and I decided to wander off to see how much of the circuit you could see on the Dijon extension leading up to and from the Parabolica.   Nice cars but not a very exciting race.

Lap 1 and the 1960 Scarab Offenhauser already has a big lead as it enters the Parabolica.

1959 Aston Martin DBR4/4 lapping the 1951 Maserati A6GCM 

Two pre-war cars - with a Maserati leading Richard Pilkington's Talbot-Lago T26SS.  Good to see Richard still racing this car after so many years.

Steve Hart's 1958 Maserati 250F which finished second.

1960 Scarab Offenhauser back in the pits showing off its trophies - it won both races during the weekend for this category.

1958 Lister-Jaguar Monanapolis driven by Rod Jolley which had finished second in race one the day before.

Listening carefully to the engine in the paddock.

HGPCA - Pre 1966

After lunch we were back to the GP cars again but this time the one and a half litre era cars of the early sixties.  Frankly these gave us a better race.

Close battle for the lead with the 1963 Cooper of Sid Hoole in front from the Lotus 18/21 of Peter Horsmann and the Cooper T53 of Will Nuthall.  In the end Peter Horsmann got by Hoole to take the win but all three ended up on the podium.

It could almost be 1964 again!   John Romano in the Brabham-Climax BT11.  Love the open faced helmet.

Alain Baillie in the 1964 Cooper T71/73

Barry Cannell in the 1959 Cooper T59 leading a big bunch of cars

John Evans in a Brabham BT4 leads Peter Studer in the Lotus 24

Illustrious names from the past on some of the cars

Trofeo Nastro Rosso

A race for Italian cars but also allowing some Italian engined British cars.

Michael O'Shea's Maserati engined 1964 Cooper Monaco T61 blew away the opposition.  Vincent Gaye seen here behind the Cooper in his 1966 Ferrari 275GTB/C took second place

Maserati Birdcage leads Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta.      Josef Rettenmaier in the 1959 T61 Birdcage took third place at the finish.

1954 Maserati 300S leads a 1964 Alfa Romeo TZ

Heritage Touring Cup

Another great touring car race with some lovely Ford Capris and Escort in this field dating between 1966 and 1984.

Rover vs Escort vs Capri vs Volvo vs Mustang.  Wow!

Not to mention BMW vs Alfa Romeo.  The No.92 car seen on the left here, a BMW 3.0CSL driven by Jean-Claude and Ronalf Basso had a superb drive through the field to third place.

This 1972 Ford Escort 1600RS was very enthusiastically driven in the battle for the lead after the Capri fell out but just failed to beat the Escort 2000 RS seen here ahead of it.

Ford Capri in the lead, just, from the winning Escort after lapping the Mercedes

The David Ferrer/Mr John of B 1974 Ford Capri RS3100 Cologne

Great battle between the two fast Ford Escorts for the lead.  It was very close right up to the last lap.  Fantastic!

Classic Endurance Racing 2

The second classic endurance racing one hour race was for the sports prototypes from 1972 to 1979 and GTs from 1975 to 1979.  Again some nice cars but a shame the Lancia Beta Monte Carlo didn't start.

The lead cars on the first lap with Tony Sinclair's 1973 Lola T292 BDG in the lead from the 1972 Lola T290 DFV (I assume the ex Jo Bonnier car) and a 1979 Lola T298 BMW.

1979 BMW M1 Procar - superb!

1976 Porsche 934 leads a 1978 Porsche 930 Turbo.  Both finished on the GT podium.

There were Lolas wherever you looked!    The number 50 car, a  1979 Lola 286 DFV driven by Dominique Guenat eventually won with the number 17 car in second place. 

Au Revoir le circuit de Dijon-Prenois et la 51ème édition du Grand Prix de l'Age d'Or.

A very enjoyable day and some nice pictures to share.  Must put this on the to-do-list again next year! Perhaps, next year I won't try and do Linas-Monthery, le Course de Côte de Sancerre and Dijon all in one weekend and then follow it with the Le Mans 24 hours.  Then again.....

Tyre smoking Lotus Cortina - and it did it every lap and still managed to finish second in the U2TC race driven by John Avill and Ross Hyett.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.