Rouen-les-AFX: Dijon-Prenois

Showing posts with label Dijon-Prenois. Show all posts

Saturday, 19 October 2019

2019 Dijon Motors Cup! - CSCC Modern

A Lotus and two Peugeots late in the race.

This race on Saturday at the Dijon-Motors Cup featured a very varied field even if the fastest cars all seemed to be Caterham Sevens or BMWs. The race was part of a series organised by the Classic Sports Car Club and is part of their Cartek Motorsport Modern Classics championship. Basically it caters for GT and Touring cars up to the end of 1999 and the 2000s, but rather a lot of the cars seemed more recent. Races are of 40 minutes duration with a mandatory pit-stop and can be for one or two drivers. Their Saturday race started dry and sunny and then the rain came, so not an easy race for the drivers. Very nice to see 38 cars taking part and provide us with a nice spectacle on the beautiful Dijon-Prenois circuit. All of the photos were taken with a Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L ISii USM lens on a Canon 7D Mkii body, and this was the first time I had used the lens. The combination proved ideal for Dijon and the damp conditions.

Many of the competitors in this race are shown below. The race for overall victory was between the 2.5 litre Caterhams. However, there were plenty of classes for the other competitors to race over.

The variety of machinery can be seen in this mid-field shot at the start of the race.

Colin Watson won in his 2,400cc Caterham C400

Jonathan Pittard came second in a Caterham CSR. Here he leads Mathew Evans in a BMW 1 Series.

A group of Caterhams. Car No.45 is Christian Pittard who eventually finished third in his Caterham 7.

Richard Carter was fourth in the Caterham R300.

On the right in this picture, Mark Smith came fifth and in his 1993 BMW M3 Evo E36.

On the left in this picture, the Simpsons came sixth in their Peugeot 206 RC

Adam Howarth came eighth in this 1997 BMW E36 M3.

No.1 Andrew Rath in this 2006 Lotus Europa came ninth. On the inside is Chris Griffin in a Lotus V6 Cup R.

Taking the inside line, No.17 Alan Thompson finished tenth in his 1996 BMW E36 M3. Here he is overtaking a 1997 Lotus Elise S1

In eleventh place was Bruce Wilson a a Caterham CSR Superlight. The No.49 Mini came twelfth.

Colin Philpott came fourteenth in this 1989 Jaguar XJS.

The BMWS of Dominic Malone, Mathew Evans and Mark Smith early in the race.

Chris Boon's 1996 Jaguar XK8.

The 1994 TVR Tuscan of Matt Holben.

Michael Holt and his 1995 Jaguar X300.

The Caterham Blakckbird of Tidy and Armes leading the Simpsons Peugeot.

Matthew Sanders in a BMW M3 leading Simon Evans in a Mazda RX-8

French driver Christophe Deboffe in a MK Indy R leading No.22 Martin Glennie in a 1997 TVR Chimaera and No.89 a 1995 TVR Griffith.

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.

Still close racing in the difficult conditions.

Caterham Blackbird and Trophies.

Sunday, 13 October 2019

2019 Dijon Motos Cup! HSCC International Historic F2

Formula Two and Formula Atlantic cars racing at Dijon-Prenois in 2019.

I was very pleased to see 27 cars come out and race in Saturday's Historic Formula Two race. Even though it had rained earlier on in the day the track was dry for the race. This was the final race of the Championship for these guys and what better place to end than the undulating Dijon-Prenois Circuit? Strangely, I don't remember Dijon-Prenois hosting European F2 races back in the seventies but it is nice to see the cars race there now. The championship is split into five classes:

The Jochen Rindt Trophy - is for 1,600cc F2 cars raced before 1972. Frenchman Robert Simac has won the Championship this year and won the class at Dijon in his 1971 March. Brings back memories of Ronnie Peterson winning the 1971 European Championship for March!

Winner of the Jochen Rindt Trophy was Robert Simac in his 1971 March 712M

Nick Pancisi in a March 712 leads Julian Stokes in a wonderful 1971 Techno F2 car. This was the battle for second in class.

Techno F2 in the paddock

The Techno at speed

The Vern Schuppan Trophy - is for 1,600cc Formula Atlantic or Formula B cars raced prior to 1976. Richard Ellingworth won the class on Saturday at Dijon in his 1974 March 74B. Mark Goodyear took the championship but didn't finish Saturday's race in his Lotus.

Richard Ellingworth leading Mark Goodyear at Dijon. March vs Lotus.

Mark Goodyear's 1970 Lotus 59

The Gilles Villeneuve Trophy - is for 1600cc Formula Atlantic or Formula B cars that raced between 1976 and 1978, excluding ground effect cars. Michael Wrigley (March 79B) won a close fought battle between himself and Martin Bullock (Chevron B34) on Saturday at Dijon but Martin Bullock took the Championship.

Michael Wrigley winning his class in the March 79B.

Wrigley leading leading No.2 Daniel Clayfiel's March 722 and Martin Bullock's Chevron B34.

The Bruno Giacomelli Trophy - is for 2 litre Formula Two cars of 1972 to 1978 excluding ground effect cars. These cars are the fastest in the championship.

Matthew Watts in the 1977 Martini Mk19/22 leads Martin Stretton in a March 782 and Andrew Smith in a March 742. They finished in that order,

Mark Hazell in a March 782. Brian Henton won in a March at Pau and Misana in 1978.

David Tomlin in the 1973 Rondel Motul M1who finihed fifth overall on Saturday at Dijon and third overall in the Bruno Giacomelli Trophy for the year.

Frank Lyons in a 1974 Chevron B29.

Peter Williams in a 1977 Ralt RT1

Mark Charteris came sixth in his 1974 March 742.

Laurent Vallery-Masson in a 1978 March 77B.

Matthew Wrigley in 1978 Chevron B42 finished fourth.

Martin Stretton in his 1978 March 782 drifting into second place.

The Jim Clark Trophy - is for 1600cc cars from 1967 onward that don't have aerodynamc devices sich as wings. There was only one of these at Dijon but I was very pleased to see it as Elfins are rare in Europe.

The 1968 Elfin 600B of Australian Stephen Weller who has won the Jim Clark Trophy this year.

The Elfin at the rear of the field at Dijon-Prenois.

Wednesday, 9 October 2019

2019 Dijon Motors Cup! Colmore YTCC Race 2

Lots of variety - A 1967 McLaren M1 and a 1970 Dodge Challenger.

The Dijon Motors Cup has lots of variety. The Colmore YTCC race was a case in point. Everything from a Can-Am McLaren to GT cars to Touring Cars. YTCC stands for Youngtimer Touring Cars Challenge. I am not sure I would call a McLaren M1C a Youngtimer Touring Car but who cares! I saw the second race on Saturday and it was getting late and most of the crowd was going home. The fun part was watching Walter Hoffman climb from the back of the grid tp second place in his McLaren. The only one he didn't catch was the 1969 7 litre CN-Cobra of Christian Nowak, another rather strange Youngtimer Touring Car! Despite my reservations about the name, this was a nice field of two to four seater cars from the 60s 70s and 80s. It is a Dutch series but the field at Dijon was very European with many nationalities taking part.