Coupe de France des Circuits - Nogaro - 2023

One of the battles for the GT honours at Nogaro between a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup and a Mini Challenge R53 JCW.

Whilst the rest of the motor racing world was focussed on the Bahrain Grand Prix, I was at the circuit Paul Armagnac in South West France for the opening of the French tarmac circuit racing season at Nogaro.  The meeting was the first round of the Coupe de France des Circuits which is for amateur racing drivers and designed to be relatively low cost.  There are categories for Group A and Group N Touring Cars, GT Cars, single seaters and sports prototypes.  In addition there were races for Renault Twingos and Historic Touring Cars.  I was surprised by the variety and quality of the cars present.  It reinforced my love for amateur motor sport that I have had for 55 years.

The Circuit of Nogaro is also called the Circuit Paul Armagnac in honour of a local racing driver who won the Index of Performance in a DB Panhard HBR at the 1955 Tourist Trophy but was killed in the 1962 Paris 1,000kms.   The circuit is known in France as their first purpose built road race circuit ( Montlhery and Miramas were banked autodromes and other circuits ran on public roads) and had its first race in 1960 when the main race was for Formula Junior cars.  Since then it has held F1, F2, F3000, F3, F4, Sports, GT and Touring car events.  The F1 event was in 1979 and was a round Aurora British F1 Championship.

I found the Nogaro circuit to be spectator friendly, relatively good for taking photos and this meeting had some close racing.  There was a good commentary throughout the day and plenty of positions to watch the racing from.   As it was a free event they were plenty of families present.  The circuit is relatively close to both the town and autoroute.   I have published photos and written a short report on each of the races held at this meeting:

Monoplaces A - The slower single seaters

The Monoplace races are for open wheel single seaters up to 1,605 cc plus Formula Ford, Formula Three, Formula Master, Formula Renault, Formula Premium and Formula BMW.  As there are so many single seaters entered in the Coupe de France des Circuits this year they have been split between the faster Formula Renault cars and the rest.  The rest were mainly Formula Ford cars, some old Formula Renault cars, and joy of joys, a 1963 Brabham Formula Junior car.  Click here to Read More.

A 1963 Formula Junior Repco Brabham BT6 leads a number of later spec Formula Renault and Formula Ford cars.

HTCC - Historique Tourisme Champion Car

The HTCC cars are classic saloon cars such as Group 1 cars homologated up to 1981, Group N cars homlogated up to 1992, Peugeot 505s of the Coupe Antho, and Group 2 and A up to 1992,   The cars are really well turned out and are often in nostalgic liveries.  Click here to Read More.

The start of the first HTCC race of the weekend at Nogaro as the cars negotiate turns 1 and 2.

Monoplaces B - The faster single seaters.

The Monoplaces B were all similar looking 2 litre Tatuus Formula Renault and Formula Master cars and they had had a very good race. Click here to read more.

21st century Tatuus cars made up the grid for the Monoposto B races.

Groupe A - Touring Cars and Mitjets

Groupe A Touring cars  are allowed more modifications than the Groupe N cars and run with a couple of 2 litre Mitjets.   They put on a good show.   Click here to Read More.

A 2 litre Mitjet  dressed up as "Herbie, the love bug" leading two Renault Clio Cup cars who made up most of the field.

Twin' Cup - a race for Renault Twingos who are celebrating their 30th birthday.

The crowd really got perked up for the Twingo race and everyone got out their phones to take videos.  Click here to Read More.

Groupe N and GT - Touring and GT cars

The Group N cars and GT cars run together as there are not enough of them to justify two races   However they did provide good entertainment and I got some different pictures as I was at the opposite end of the circuit for this race.  Click here to Read More.

Groupe N BMWs battle it out with the GT cars.

Sports Prototype / Groupe C

The Sports Prototype race was a real cracker with a good battle between the Wolf Thunder single seaters with enclosed wheels and a CM motor cycle engined sports car.  They were very rapid for 1 litre cars.   Other slower cars of up to 1.6 litres gave some variety to the field.  Click here to Read More.

A 1 litre motor cycle engined CM sports car leads a 1 litre Wolf Thunder Proto.

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 à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

The 3.6 km / 2.3 mile Nogaro circuit seen from above.  Spectators watch from the gradins / bleachers / raised banks each side of the pits.  Photo courtesy of the Circuit de Nogaro website.

It is said that Nogaro was inspired by the Sebring Circuit and it is next door to a small airport and has a mixture of relatively fast straights and slow corners but doesn't have the bumps!

Sports Proto / Groupe C - Nogaro - Coupe de France des Circuits - 2023

 

A  litre motor cycle engined CM sports car leads a 1 litre Wolf Thunder Proto.

The Sports Prototype race was a real cracker with a good battle between the Wolf Thunder single seaters with enclosed wheels and a CM motor cycle engined sports car.  They were very rapid for 1 litre cars.   Other slower cars of up to 1.6 litres gave some variety to the field.  

The start of the Sports Proto race and as you can see there are eight Wolf Thunders towards the head of the field with one of the Group CM cars providing a challenge.

Bringing up the rear of the field were a variety of cars of varying vintages.  Leading this group is a Jema 630 GTR.

This was the battle for the lead with Lionel Jacob in his JAD LW01 providing a strong challenge to the Wolf Thunders.

Later Mike Parisy has taken the lead in his Wolf Thunder.  At the back of this group is Nicco Ferrarin who eventually finished second.

Meanwhile there was also a close battle going on for ninth place. Here Hubert Dubois leads the group in his 1.6 litre RCB.

Xavier Barboncon in his nice looking 1 litre motor cycle engined EMA-Susuki that runs in Groupe CM.

Olivier Tabone in his 1.5 litre Alfa Romeo engined Le Gallen LL G82 who finished in eighth place behind the Wolf Thunders.  This is an ex-Coupe de l'Avenir car that runs in Groupe CA.

Xavier Duvignau bumping over the kerbs in his 1.6 litre Serem V858 that runs in Groupe CP.

Continuing battle between the JAD and the Wolf Thunder of Tony Roches who eventually finished third.

A sad end for the JAD that expired in an unsafe position near the end of the race and brought out a red flag.  Thus after count back to the previous lap Lionel was classified fourth and won the CM Groupe.

The winning Wolf Thunder of Mike Parisy.

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 à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

Thomas Ferrando sitting in his Wolf Thunder on the pre-grid.

Groupes N / GT - Nogaro - Coupe de France des Circuits - 2023

Groupe N BMWs battle it out with the GT cars.  Benoit Belouin leads this group in his BMW E36

       that eventually finished third in Group N.

 The Group N cars and GT cars run together as there are not enough of them to justify two races   However they did provide good entertainment and I got some different pictures as I was at the opposite     end of the circuit for this race.

The start of the race seen from the far end of the circuit at the top of the stands.

Three Porsches in the lead on the first lap.

Some variety down the field with a Chevrolet Corvette C6 leading a Volkswagen Golf TCR driven by Francois Chotard who finished fifth in the GT class.

Eventual winner was Michel Nourry in this Porsche 997 R.

Second was Roland Chotard in this Porsche 991 GT3 Cup 2.

Third was Jacques Caumes in this Porsche 997 GT3 R.

The Corvette of Thomas Favaille finished fourth.

The first of the Groupe N cars was the No.34 BMW M3 E36 driven by Olivier Gillard and the second was BMW M3 No.5 driven by Laurent Sylvestre.

A close battle between two of the GT Groupe cars.  The Mini Challenge R53 JCW finished ninth overall but the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup didn't finish.

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 à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

Top non-BMW in Groupe N was this Renault Megane 3 RS N4 driven by Julien Thibault.

Groupe GT and N competitors go under the Dunlop Bridge that leads from the old pits to the VIP enclosure.

Groupe A Touring Cars - Nogaro - Coupe de France des Circuits - 2023

A 2 litre Mitjet  dressed up as "Herbie, the love bug" leading two Renault Clio Cup cars who made up most of the field.

 Groupe A Touring cars  are allowed more modifications than the Groupe N cars and run with a couple of 2 litre Mitjets.   They put on a good show.  Initially, I was disappointed to see so many Renault Clio Cup cars but at the end of the race I had a smile on my face.  26 cars started this race.

The leaders go through the first corner and already one of the Renaults is quite sideways.

By the second corner another Renault Clio had been turned around.  

A good battle between a Renault Clio, a Mitjet and a Peugeot RCZ.  

The eventual winner was Francois Samy in a Renault Clio 3 Cup.

Thomas Laisne in the brightly coloured Disney looking Mitjet finished second.

Thomas Drouhin in this Peugeot RCZ Cup finished third.

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 à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

The battle for sixth place.

Maxime Guedou riding the kerbs in his Clio.

Monoplaces Série B - Nogaro - Coupe de France des Circuits - 2023

21st Century Tatuus cars made up the grid for the Monoplace B races.

 The Monoplaces B were all similar looking 2 litre Tatuus Formula Renault and Formula Master cars and they had had a very good race with three potential winners.

The first lap of the Monoplace B race and Daniel Harout leads in car 32.  After a few corners, car 1 took the lead but retired after two laps.

Some of the cars further back in the field.

The eventual winner was the Belgian driver André de Baere in a Tatuus Formula Master.

Daniel Harout finished second..

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 à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

Restart after a safety car period.

Monoplaces Série A - Nogaro - Coupe de France des Circuits 2023

 

A 1963 Formula Junior Repco Brabham BT6 leads a number of later spec Formula Renault and Formula Ford cars.

The Monoplace races are for open wheel single seaters up to 1,605 cc plus Formula Ford, Formula Three, Formula Master, Formula Renault, Formula Premium and Formula BMW.  As there are so many single seaters entered in the Coupe de France des Circuits this year they have been split between the faster Formula Renault and Formula Master cars and the rest.  The rest were mainly Formula Ford cars, some old Formula Renault cars, and joy of joys, a 1963 Brabham Formula Junior car.

The leaders race through the second corner of their second race of the day.  A Van Diemen RF99Z leading a Swift, a Van Diemen FR90, a Van Diemen RF80 and a Martini Mk54/2.

The early history of Nogaro was associated with Formula Junior cars and both John Love and Jo Schlesser won races in this category at this circuit.  This 1963 Brabham BT6 was driven very well by Patrick d'Aubreby and in the first race of the day he finished eighth beating 14 of the later cars.

Another car I really enjoyed seeing was this 1969 Lotus 59 Formula Ford car driven by André Parisy.

Another car from this era was this Merlyn Mk20A driven by Michel Ghio.  Here he is on his way to seventh place in race 1.

A car and helmet livery inspired by Chris Amon or just the colours of the French flag?  This is Patrick Vernet in his Van Diemen RF00Z.

Remy d'Aubreby finished fourth in race 1 in this Formula Ford Swift SC92.

A Formula Ford Van Diemen Zetec 93.

For the record, both races were won by Christophe Vernet in his Van Diemen RF99Z.  Following is a Royale RP24.

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 à condition de créditer le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com, et de fournir un lien vers cette page.

Work being done on the Brabham in the paddock.

Lotus 59 in the paddock.