HGPCA Races - Sport & Collection - Circuit Val de Vienne - Mid-Engined GP Cars

 

Rudi Friederichs in his 1960 2.5 litre Cooper T53 leading Max Blees in a Brabham.

One of the highlights of going to the Sport & Collection 500 Ferraris contre cancer meeting at Circuit Val de Vienne was seeing the HGPCA cars.  The Historic Grand Prix Car Association had two races, the second of which was for Pre-1966 mid-engined GP cars.   These were great fun to watch and they were some very fine cars out on track and in the paddock.  All fourteen cars that practised on Friday morning are shown here.  I also ventured into the paddock for more pictures.  So lovely to have so much access to the cars unlike at modern Grand Prix.  I hope I identified the cars and drivers correctly as there were no racing numbers in the programme and I couldn't find any results on the web - please let me know in a comment if I made a mistake.

The front engined grid appeared in my previous post.

John Emery in his 1962 ex-Bib Stillwell Brabham BT4 2,495cc.

Michael Kuiper in his 1963 2.7 litre Brabham BT4.

The Brabham BT4 (No.63) with all of its body pannels off showing the chassis and Coventry Climas engine.

Max Blees in a 1963 2.7 litre Brabham BT7A leading a Cooper.

Barry Cannell in a 1964 Brabham BT11a

Eddy Perk in his 1960 1.5 litre Heron-Alfa Romeo F1 car.  Originally a Formula Junior car it was fitted with an Alfa Romeo engine for races in Southern Africa.

Klaus Bergs in his 1960/61 ex-Camoradi Team Ian Burgess Lotus 18 Chassis 908 F1 car.

Alex Morton in his 1961 Lotus 21 (939/952)

The Coventry Climax engine in the Lotus 21.

Rudi Friederichs in his 1960 2.5 litre Cooper T53

Tony Lees in his 1960 2.5 litre Cooper T53 leading the Cooper of Rod Jolley.

A different perspective on the Cooper T53 of Tony Lees.

Will Nuthall in his 1960 2.5 litre Cooper T53.

Charlie Martin in his 1960 Cooper T51.

Coopers (Red No.64) and (Green No.53) with the body panels off in the paddock.

Justin Maeers in a 1960 Cooper T53

Olivier Huez in a Cooper T51

Huez's Cooper with the engine cover off.

Rod Jolley opposite locking his Cooper T43/51, sandwiched between the Heron and a Brabham.

Rod Jolley's Cooper being worked on in the paddock.

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.

Brabhams in the paddock.

Lotuses in the paddock.

My Favourite Race - Greater London Trophy 1969

The Greater London Trophy Race 1969 for Formula 3 cars.  Clockwise from top left - Barrie Smith in a Chevron B15, Roy Pike in a GLTL Lotus 59, Ulf Svensson in a Brabham BT28 and Alan Rollinson in a Brabham BT21B

In these difficult times where understandably most motor racing around the world is being cancelled, it is good to be reminded of better times, which I hope for most of us will be back soon.  Whenever, I am asked what was the best motor race I ever saw - the answer tends to be the May Bank Holiday Formula 3 race at Crystal Palace in 1969 - The Greater London Trophy.

In actual fact I was at first very disappointed that the annual Formula 2 race at Crystal Palace was cancelled because of money issues and replaced with Formula Three.  Perhaps, in the end it was a blessing is disguise.  The next year F2 was back at the Palace so I did get to see F2 racing at the Palace in the end.  Formula Three at the time used 4 cylinder 1 litre production derived engines - often modified Ford Anglia 105E motors with a 4 speed gearbox derived from a Volkswagen Beetle.  F3 was at the time a major stepping stone to Grand Prix racing.  Thus the F3 drivers at this meeting were hoping to emulate Jackie Stewart, Piers Courage, Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Jacky Ickx.

Thanks to Gerald Swan for these excellent photos from the meeting.  See more of Geralds photos on his excellent website click here for the link.   At this time I rarely took photos at race meetings.

Top - The start of Heat 2 with Mike Beckwith, Wayne Mitchell and Peter Hanson.
Bottom - The start of Heat 3 with Alan Rollinson, Ronnie Peterson, and Reine Wisell.

The format of the meeting was three 10 lap heats and a 25 lap final so we got to see four F3 races for our money.  Unlike today's single marque racing, at the Palace we saw ten different marques battle it out - Brabham, Techno, Chevron, Lotus, EMC, Titan, Merlyn, Matra, Alexis, Mclaren.  all of them the 1 litre screamers that F3 fans of the era remember so well.

Heat one saw the Australian Tim Schenken make his intentions clear in his Brabham BT28 as he beat off American Roy Pike's beautiful works Gold Leaf Team Lotus 59.

Heat two saw British F3 regulars Peter Gaydon and Peter Hanson battle it out.   Hanson won in his Chevron B15 from Gaydon in a Techno 69.

Heat three saw the Brit, Alan Rollinson in an older Brabham BT21B beat off the two Swedes, Ronnie Peterson in a Techno 69 and Reine Wisell in a works Chevron B15.

Top - The start of Heat 1 with Roy Pike, Tim Schenken and Tetsu Ikusawa.
Bottom - Reine Wisell in the works Chevron B15.

So the final was set for a battle royal between a number of drivers who would go on to have F1 careers and a number who were not so lucky.  The list of qualifiers for the final included Ronnie Peterson, Tim Schenken, Reine Wisell, Howden Ganley, Roy Pike, Alan Rollinson, Barrie Maskell, Bev Bond and Mo Nunn. Japanese driver Tetsu Ikusuwa and Canadian Wayne Mitchell were also amongst them.

The circuit map of the Crystal Palace circuit.   i used to stand on the exit of South Tower Corner.

At the end of the 25 lap race of this 1.39 mile circuit the top six runners were covered by just 2.4 seconds.  Schenken took victory from Peterson and Rollinson with Wisell, Bond and Pike also in the top six.   Tim Schenken took £550 prize money for his two wins and added his name to a famous list of winners of this race (Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Jack Brabham, Roy Salvadori, Jim Clark, Jacky Ickx and Jochen Rindt amongst them) .   It had been a superb battle with a number of changes in position through out the race.  I left the race a fan of Ronnie Peterson and also the strange nostril nosed Lotus 59 F3 racing car.

For the full list of results visit this excellent site.

There were supporting races for the British Saloon Car Championship and Historic Sports Cars.  Frank Gardner and Gordon Spice won the tin top battles in their Alan Mann Ford Escort and Britax-Cooper-Downton Morris Mini Cooper respectively.   A Lister Jaguar won the historic race. 

For a full list of results of the saloon car races visit this excellent site.

Thanks to Gareth Rees for the programme.

Laguna Seca Spring Classic - Formula B and C

A 1970 Chevron B17B leads a 1967 Brabham BT 21 through Rainey Curve.

Whilst at the Laguna Seca Spring Classic, I saw both Saturday races for the 1965 to 1978 Formula B cars and 1965 to 1977 Formula C cars.   Although not familiar with the formulae, I was certainly familiar with many of the cars.  Formula B was for 1,600cc stock block cars and eventually became Formula Atlantic.  Formula C was for 1100cc cars and emerged out of Formula Junior and eventually merged with Formula Super Vee to become Formula Continental.  I didn't notice any FC cars in the race.  Lovely cars and all the chassis seemed to be of UK origin.   Nice racing and so great to see cars without wings or advertising!

The field comes around on the morning warm up lap.

Winner of the Saturday morning race was Jim Catchot in a 1968 16000cc Chevron B10 Formula B car.

Steve Davis took second place in the Saturday afternoon race in his 1965 Brabham BT16/21 Formula B car.

The start finish straight.

Second in the morning was Martin Lauber in this 1969 Brabham BT29 Formula B car.

Lauber one the afternoon race in his 1,600cc Brabham BT29.

The rear of Lauber's Brabham as he negotiates the last corner.

Robin Hunter in a 1976 1600cc Brabham BT29

Marc Giroux in a 1969 Brabham BT29

Andrew Wait came third in the Saturday afternoon race in this lovely 1967 Merlyn Mk10 Formula B car.

The start finish straight.

Tom Shnurbusch in a 1967 Brabham BT21B

An unusual participant in this single seater race was this 1962 1,600cc Lotus 23.

Another out of place car was this 1979 Ralt RT1.  Following is a 1969 Winkelmann WDB2.  A Palliser to us Brits.

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.

Dijon MotorsCup 2016 - FIA Lurani Trophy - Formula Junior

The battle for the lead on the first lap of the Lurani Trophy with Peter Morton in car 75 challenging hard the pole sitter Manfredo Rossi di Montelera in car 65.

The Lurani Trrophy is a FIA championship for Formula Junior car with races at Hockenheim, Pau, Monza, Nubrurgring, Zandvoort and Dijon.  It is called the Lurani Trophy as the Italian Count Giovanni "Johnny" Lurani came up with the idea for Formula Junior in the later fifties.  It was a path towards Formula One from 1958 to 1963 with drivers such as Jim Clark and Denny Hulme racing in this formula.   I really enjoyed the Saturday race at Dijon-Prenois where these photos were taken.  Lovely to see close racing with lots of sliding through the corners and a great variety of cars.

Behind the leaders this was the battle for eighth place on lap one.

The battle for fifteenth place on lap one.

At the rear of the field Daniele Salodini in the Taraschi FJ leads other front engined cars in the battle for Group A.

The beautiful Stanguellini of Belgian Tom de Gres.

The Fiat engine in the Stanguelini.

On lap two the Lotus of Manfredo Rossi di Montelera has a clear lead that he was to keep for the rest of the race.

The Branca FJ on the way to the grid driven by Bruno Ferrari.

The twelfth placed  Lotus 20/22 of Lee Mowle.

On lap four the Brabham BT6 of Pierre Tonetti has moved up to third place.  He was eventually to finish second.

Peter Morton pushes his car Lightning Enyoyette through the paddock.  

The Lotus 22 of Italian Andrea Guarino.

Further back in the field the Belgian Luc Deneve holds off Colin Nursey, both in Lotus 18s.

The Italian  Guido di Eguido drives his Stanguellini through the paddock.

The only French driver in this race was Caroline Abbou Rossi di Montelera  in her Brabham BT6.

A lock up in the battle between Swiss drivers Urs Mueller and Bruno Weibel in their Lotuses

The front engined Stanguellini and Lola cars.

Canadian Larry Kinch earlier driving the Lola Mk2 to the grid.

The Lotus 18 of John Lord won his class.

The Stanguellini of  Guido di Egudio is lapped.

The Terrier Mk4  Series 1 of Christopher Drake.  He finished second in his group.

The battle for second place with Pierre Tonetti leading Peter Morton and the Wainer of Richard Smeeton.

The Swiss driver Urs Mueller talks about his Formula Junior Lotus 20/22.

Ian Simmonds walks alongside as his Envoy Mk1 is pushed to the dummy grid.  He was to finish a close second in his group.

The Ferrari inspired nose on the Italian Formula Junior Wainer 63.

To find out more about the Wainer FJ car, click here.

The unusual logo on the Wainer.

More from the Dijon Motors Cup if you click on the Motor Sport button at the top of this page.

All photos were taken from the spectator areas without a press pass.

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.