24 HEURES TOUT TERRAIN DE FRANCE 2015 - ADIEU CHEVANNES

The winning car, a JMS Evo II, driven by Nicolas Clerget, Serge and Alexandre Finkelstein and Jean-Marc Schmit.  This team had also won in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 !

Held on 12th & 13th September 2015, this was the 23rd running of the 24 hour off road race at Chevannes.  It will also be the last at this venue as the organisers are looking for a new location..  Held on a non-permanent 10km circuit created each year at Chevannes it is the longest non-permanent circuit in France.   In the past some famous drivers such as Henri Pescarolo and Philippe Alliot have competed with some success in this 24 hour race.  Alliot was second in 2008 and Pescarolo was second in the first event in 1993.

The plan of the circuit.  Most spectating takes place by the "stands" or pits.

I decided to attend the event for a few hours on Saturday 12th September for the start at 16.00 and the opening hour.  The weather was not brilliant with rain threatening all the time and with  a couple of showers whilst I was there.  When I got there the support 4 hour race for SSVs (off road vehicles with 2 seats side by side) was well under way.

The AT4R team Polaris RZR 1000 SSV of Philippe Cuvelier which came third in the four hour SSV support race.

The SSV race was on a short circuit in front of the stands.

An SSV car

Whilst the SSV race was on was also a good time to see the cars in the main race be prepared in the pits.  For this short time most were spotlessly clean! 

The Fourniers' Buggy Fouquet that was a very well presented car but only finished 47th.

Temporary Pits at Chevannes.  Vehcle No.37 is a Philippe PRV.

Unfortunately it was raining much of the weekend!  This is a Buggy BMC.

Final preparations

The vehicles made a real spectacle as went down the pit lane over the huge speed bumps to get onto the circuit.  The vehicles themselves were mostly new to me and I have to admit I had never heard of most of them but I was glad to make their acquaintance.

The spectacular Protruck that finished 15th. 

This was a Buggy Porsche.  It finished 44th.

This Nissan Navarra was destined to finish third in the Classic vehicle class.

The Optimus, destined to finish twentieth, goes down the pit lane to the start.

The Delille's Fouquet PRV V6 that finished 33rd.

The KFC sponsored Buggy Fouquet goes down the pit lane.

This Bowler Wildcat finished 23rd.

The BMW Propulsion heading down to the start

The start.

The race was supporting a good cause - "enfants sans cancer"

The cars go on their warm up lap.

On the outside of the front row was this Fouquet Nissan.

The eventual winning car was lined up on the second row.  

The Corvland at the start.  It was destined to retire after 62 laps.  It is a Corvette Stingray body on a Land Rover Defender chassis.  It has a V8 engine.

The Corvland with a body shape of a Corvette Stingray.  Quite a sight!

Then came the start.

The cars line up for the start.

They're off!   Car 22 accelerates away from pole position.  It was driven by Alexandre and Mario Andrade plus Cedric Duple and Benjamin Bujon.

Car No 20 takes an initial lead from car No.22.

Action at the start further down the grid - there were over 70 starters.

The race underway, the weather played a big part with the race dry at times, wet at other times.  The rain made it very muddy.  In the early hours of Sunday the drivers even had to cope with fog.  Perhaps, luckily I didn't stay that long!

This car, an AC Nissan, that started from pole position eventually finished second only two laps behind the leader.

The fifth placed Buggy BMC of Jean-Francois and Xavier Branger and Alain Thibault.

This Rivet RM Sport did not make it to the finish.

The Factory Nemesis Team Bowler Wildcat that finished 18th.

A Buggy Arnoux that was classified 48th.

The Class 68 Team MG Racing vehicle that finished 24th.

The Offroad Concept Team 206CC MGR Nissan that finished 27th.

This Toyota was 22nd overall and won the T2 class.

The Ecurie Delta Rivet BMW that finished 21st.

This Caze Nissan didn't make it to the finish

The ninth placed Nissan Springbok.

The Correze Adventure Team Bowler Evo R

The ZZK Custom Team Protruck at speed along the start finish straight

The 8th placed Bowler Wildcat

17th placed Nissan Springbok

This Polaris RZR finished 13th despite eventually getting weighed down with mud.  As the only starter they also won the SSV class.

The 20th placed Optimus of the MD Rallye Team.

The Horizons Team Philippe PRV that finished 41st.

11th placed Bowler Wildcat

The Land Rover that finished 12th in the Classic 4x4 class

The Jugand 4x4 team Fouquet Nissan that was classified 51st.

Toyota KZJ 73 that was not destined to finish.

Buggy Fouquet

The tenth placed Team Adventure 82 MMP.   This team are the 2015 French Champions in the 2 wheel drive section of the endurance challenge.

This Baja Cox Bugster retired after 121 laps which was a shame as it looked great.

The 72 car seen here is the Toyota that was runner up in the Classic vehicle class.  The Range Rover finished seventh in the same class.

9th placed Nissan Springbok going around the fast bend onto the start finish straight.

This Toyota KZJ 73, running in the Classic vehicle class, retired after 96 laps

The Emmepi team BMC caked in mud that finished seventh. There were 3 Italian drivers and a Frenchman in this team.

The BMW Propulsion is already collecting mud after about 30 minutes of the race.

23rd placed Bowler Wildcat.

This Mitsubishi Pajaero finished 36th.

This Nissan King Cab was classified 34th 

The Offroad Concept Team MGR Nissan that finished 27th

This 1981 Range Rover finished 10th in the Classic Vehicle class.  Apparently this is one of only four Range Rovers of this type.

This Patrol GR Y60 finished 9th in the Classic car class

This Buggy Fouquet finished 23rd

This Optimus retired after 117 laps

This Nemesis R retired after 28 laps. This was the wining team from the 2014 edition but they didn't have the luck this year.

This Caze Nissan finished third.

This Mitibushi Pajaero retired after 118 laps

This Propulsion Nissan finished 14th.  One of its drivers' Yves Tartarin drove in the very first 24hr TT in 1993. 

This spectacular Protruck finished 15th.

This Rivet BMW finished 43rd

This Buggy BMC finished fifth.

This Mercedes AMG finished 35th

This EFA Citroen finished 39th

The Jugand Team Fouquet Nissan coming in for its first pit stop.  It would end up classified 51st.

The Correze Adventure Team Bowler EVO R having a pit stop

This Buggy BTP finished 46th

This MG Racing car finished 24th.

The Quintard Renault comes into the pit lane. It would retire after 84 laps.

The SDS Racing Quintard Renault having an early pit stop 

This Fouquet PRV V6 was classified 33rd.

Close racing at the final hairpin.

This Nissan Patrol GR was the winner of the Classic 4x4 vehicles class driven by Alain Bernard, Stéphane Hermann and Gilles Demeulemeester.

The No.5 Optimus and the No.101 Nissan Navarra.

End piece:

The off road teams know how to barbecue!

A rather different experience for someone more used to tarmac races but I am glad I went.

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