Six of the best from 2018

Six favourite memories from 2018

What are my six top memories of 2018 which can be represented by some great pictures I took during the year?   Looking back at 2018 there is much to choose from, including my first visit to Spa-Francorchamps, driving around the old Targa Florio circuit, seeing Toyota win their first 24 Hours of Le Mans, revisiting Brands Hatch after so many years and seeing all of the beautiful old sports cars at the Le Mans Classic and Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI.

No.6 - Seeing a different person win at the Course de Côte de Sancerre.

Jordan Lamonica winning a Sancerre in 2018 in a Norma.

I have been at every Sancerre Hillclimb since 2013 and for five years it was always the same winner - Serge Thomas.  This year he didn't compete so there was a good battle between Gael Boisson in a F3 car and Jordan Lamonica in a Norma M20FC sports car.  Eventually, Jordan pulled out a great third run up the the hill to take victory.   I like this picture, as unusually for me, I don't include the whole car.  I also like the green vegetation giving the image of speed in the foreground.  For more pictures of this event and to find out why this is my favourite hillclimb, click on the link below:
http://rouenlesafx.blogspot.com/2018/06/course-de-cote-de-sancerre-2018.html

No.5 - Another great day out watching the Tour Auto.

BMW 2800 CS on the Tour Auto in Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Watching the first day of the Tour Auto has become a habit since 2014.  This year the first day was through the beautiful region of Burgundy.  I saw the first stage near Auxerre, moved on to the Dijon-Prenois circuit and then saw the cars drive through the famous wine town of Nuits-Saint-Georges.   I love this picture that I took in Nuits-Saint-Georges as I captured both a beautiful car and framed it with a vine.   For more of this event, click on the link below:
https://rouenlesafx.blogspot.com/2018/04/2018-tour-auto-competition-cars-1966-to.html

No.4 - Seeing Alonso and Toyota both win their first Le Mans.

The winning Toyota just a dusk begins to fall.   A magical time to view the cars through the Esses.

I live relatively close to Le Mans so it is somewhere I tend to visit at least one or twice a year.  This year, it was good to see Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, Fernando Alonso and Toyota all win their first 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Also quite sociable this year as I went with Gareth Rees and met up with a couple of his American friends.   For more pictures, click on the link below:
https://rouenlesafx.blogspot.com/2018/06/24-heures-du-mans-2018-lmp1.html

No.3 - Seeing some great cars and battles during the Le Mans Classic in July.

Two Ford GT40s battling too hard and getting caught overtaking under a yellow flag period.

My second visit to Le Mans was for the Le Mans Classic with six great plateau of cars plus the Group C race, Global Endurance Legends and Jaguar and Porsche races as well.  A real feast whether on track or in the paddock.  I particularly enjoyed capturing this moment in the first plateau four race where two Ford GT40s were battling so hard that they didn't see the yellow flag in time.  A picture that tells a story is always good.  For more pictures from this plateau, click on the link below:
https://rouenlesafx.blogspot.com/2018/08/le-mans-classic-2018-plateau-four-1962.html

No.2 - WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Franchorchamps.  My first visit to this classic circuit.

A Ford GT driven by Harry Tinknell speeds past the spectators on the way down to Eau Rouge.  He crashed heavily shortly after this picture was taken.

I was very lucky to have great weather for my first visit to the classic Spa-Franchorchamps circuit.  The occasion was the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Franchorchamps and Alonso's first WEC win.  I was also lucky to have a Spa veteran, Gareth Rees, show me the ropes and guide me around the circuit.  A memorable day.   I like this picture as it shows the crowd in the foreground as well as the car. 

No.1 - The amazing Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI at Laguna Seca.

A 1972 Porsche 911 RSR descending the corkscrew at Laguna Seca.

Two days of photographing classic Porsche racing cars and racing drivers at Laguna Seca - this is almost my idea of heaven!   This is a circuit I have loved from the time I saw Rennsport Reunion V there in 2015.  With good weather and experience of the circuit, I think I took some of my best pictures to date.  So many to choose from, but I love the crispness of the front of the car but movement in the rest of the picture as well as the overall composition.  For more great pictures from this race, click on the link below:
https://rouenlesafx.blogspot.com/2018/10/porsche-rennsport-reunion-vi-weissach.html

So that was some of my highlights from 2018.  For more select your event from the following page.
https://rouenlesafx.blogspot.com/p/motor-sport.html

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.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI - PCA Scholar-Friedman Cup

John Seidell in a 1997 Porsche Boxster leads a 911 at the Corkscrew.

The Porsche Club of America (PCA) is the largest single marque racing series in the World with 2000 licensed racers and 32 sanctioned races a year.  This is amateur club racing but forms one of the seven races at the Rennsport Reunion.  At this meeting they race for the Scholar Friedman Cup, which is named after two of PCA's founders who started the racing series in the early nineties.  One of those founders, Alan Friedman, was actually racing.  As you will see below a large variety of cars take part.

Alan Friedman racing a 1973 Porsche RSR.

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion is a unique event, that is held once every three or four years, dedicated just to classic and more modern racing Porsches, their drivers and the men and women who made it all possible.    Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI held over four days in September 2018 was again located at Laguna Seca like the last one in 2015.  No surprise as Laguna Seca is in California, which also happens to be the biggest market for Porsche.   This year the event was subtitled The Marque of Champions - a name that speaks for itself.  The event was also part of Porsche's 70th birthday celebrations.

A large variety of cars take part.  Here a fairly standard Porsche 944 is overtaken by a RileyDaytona prototype.

On the wonderful 2.238 mile Laguna Seca road course, seven groups of Porsche cars raced over the weekend.  The PCA Scholar-Friedman Cup event was for the amateur club racers of the PCA.  Fifty cars started the race.

The lead cars on their pac e lap at the Corkscrew.

The Race
What was nice about this race was that we saw a number of cars that we hadn't seen race all weekend.  It was also nice to see the fastest car have to fight for victory.  Great club racing.

Eventual winner was this 2008 Riley Daytona Prototype driven by Pierce Marshall.

The early leader was Robb Todd in a 2018 Porsche GT3 Cup car.  He eventually came second.

Third place went to a 2015 Porsche GT3 Cup driven by Jesse Menczer.  He won his class.

In sixth place came a 2016 Porsche GT4 CS driven by Chris Bellomo.

This 2012 Porsche Cayman R came ninth driven by Geoff Isringhausen.

Rich Polk finished tenth in this 1973 Porsche 911

A 2000 Porsche Boxster driven Jan Sussman finished thirteenth.

Claudio Kaempf came seventeenth in this 1970 Porsche 911.

A very popular car was this 2000 Boxster S in Highway Patrol colors driven by Chris Murray.  It finished nineteenth.

Twentieth was this 1981 Porsche 911 driven by Sean Neal.

A 1986 Porsche 911 driven by Evan Close  came 35th.

A spin for this 1972 Porsche 911 RSR in qualifying.

A beautiful 1981 Porsche 911

For my recent Motor Sport blogposts click here.

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.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

A 1998 Porsche Boxster driven by Trygve Isaacson.

Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI - Flacht Cup

Clay Koevary in his 2000 Porsche GT3R

As a bit of pleasant relief from the older historic Porsches was a race for more modern Porsches such as the recent GT3 cars.  The newest car was from as recent as 2016 whilst the oldest was from 1991. There were a number of well-known drivers competing from various eras and they included Cooper MacNeil, Kévin Estre, Jorg Bergmeister, Johannes Van Overbeek, Anfdew Davis and Jeff Zwart.  About fifty cars were entered of which about 35 started the main race.  This all led to fast and close racing.  In terms of speed they were as fast as the Porsche 962s.

Porsche GT3 cars at the Corkscrew.

The Porsche Rennsport Reunion is a unique event, that is held once every three or four years, dedicated just to classic and more modern racing Porsches, their drivers and the men and women who made it all possible.    Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI held over four days in September 2018 was again located at Laguna Seca like the last one in 2015.  No surprise as Laguna Seca is in California, which also happens to be the biggest market for Porsche.   This year the event was subtitled The Marque of Champions - a name that speaks for itself.  The event was also part of Porsche's 70th birthday celebrations.

The battle for the lead of the Flacht Cup race.

On the wonderful 2.238 mile Laguna Seca road course, seven groups of Porsche cars raced over the weekend.  The Flacht Cup event was for more modern Porsches such as 964, 993, 996, and 997 GT cars.  Flacht is near Stuttgart and is where Porsche have their Motorsport Centre that produces cars such as these.

Drivers

Kevin Buckler, Kees Nierop, Chad mcQueen, David Murry and Andrew Davis.

A number of Porsche GT drivers from the nineties and after were present as guests of Porsche.  A reminder of their Porsche GT careers is found below:
Kevin Buckler - GT class winner in the Daytona and Le Mans 24 hours of 2002 for Porsche.  Overall winner of the 2003 24 Hours of Daytona in a Porsche 996 GT3 RS.
Kees Nierop - Drove a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car in the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona.
Chad McQuuen - The only son of Steve McQueen, he drove in the 2003 3 Hours of Daytona in a Porsche 996 GT3R.
David Murry - 1995 SCCA World Challenge Champion in a Porsche 911 Turbo and winner of two races in the 1997 Exxon GT series in a Porsche RSR.
Andrew Davis - Winner of the 2011 Grand Am GT Driver's Championship with Brumos Racing.

A 1994 Porsche 964 Bi-Turbo about to be lapped by the leader.

The Race
The cars are presented below in the order they finished in the main race.  Unfortunately, I did not stay for the main race and thus the pictures are from the excellent qualifying race on Saturday and Sunday's warm up.

Jorg Bergmeister won in this 2012 Porsche GT3 RSR.  He he leads the similar coloured second place car at the Corkscrew in Saturday's Qualifying Race.

Frenchman Kévin Estre was second in this 2010 Porsche GT3 RSR.

Cooper MacNeil was third in the 2016 WeatherTech Porsche GT3R.

Fourth was this 2008 Porsche 911RSR of Ernie Francis Jnr.

This 2016 Porsche GT3R driven by David Calvert-Jones was fifth.

Sixth was David Donner in a 2012 Porsche 997 GT3R.

This 2011 Brumos Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car was seventh driven by Andrew Davis.

Johannes Van Overbeek was ninth in this Flying Lizard 2004 Porsche 996 Cup.

Tenth was 2004 Porsche 911 996 RSR driven by Wade Carter.

A 2012 Porsche RSR driven by Josh Simpson was fourteenth.

A 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car driven by Larry Webster was nineteenth.  Here he is at turn three.

Seen exiting turn four  is Chris frank in a 2000 Porsche GT3R.

1993 Porsche 964 RSR driven by Jeff Lewis.

2004 Porsche 996 GT3 RSR driven by James Sofronas.

Carl Toffelmire in a 1994 Porsche 993 RSR.

Robert Dalrymple in a 2013 Porsche GT3R

A 1991 Porsche 911 GT2 driven by Alex welch into seventeenth place.

Tim pappas in a 2016 Porsche GT3R

Exhibition Cars

2015 IMSA GT Champion, a Porsche 911 RSR.

Jeff Zwart's Pike's Peak car, a Porsche 911 GT2.  It still holds the record for a High Performance Showroom Stock Car.

For my recent Motor Sport blogposts click here.

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.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

Porsche traffic at the Corkscrew.