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.

Course de Côte du Mont-Dore / Chambon-sur-Lac, 2021, HTCC

Almost as though it were a circuit race, a Honda Civic chases a Peugeot 505 up the hill.

There were three things that made this year's Course de Côte du Mont-Dore different to last year's edition.  The first was the weather which on Saturday was very changeable and very challenging unlike the fine weather that had greeted me last year,  However, looking on the bright side, it did make for some interesting photographs.  Secondly, this year all the competitors and spectators needed a 'Pass Sanitaire' to show they had been vaccinated or negatively tested against Covid 19.  For me this was a good thing in these difficult times.  Lastly, this year a class was run for HTCC cars, which for me was a great addition to the event.

The French HTCC or Historique Tourisme Champion Car, as it is known in full, is an affordable Circuit Championship that has been integrated into La Coupe de France des Circuits since 2019.   It was really great to see them on the mountain.  The cars are Touring Cars from 1960 to 1992 and contain Groups 1, 2, N and A amongst others.  Recently, famous 80 year old Rally Champion Jean-Claude Andruet drove a BMW in the HTCC race at Charade and was down in the program to return to Mont Dore, but alas it was not to be. 

All the photos in this post were in the practice runs on Saturday when conditions were rather adverse. i have included photos of all the eleven runners.   I really enjoyed some of the cars being driven quite aggressively considering the weather.

It was really quite dark when the HTCC made there first runs before 9.00am on Saturday but there was worse to come!     This is the fastest runner, Steve Compain in his BMW M3.

Second fastest was, Steve's son, Thomas Compain in this Honda Civic VTEC.  He is seen here driving through the early afternoon rain shower.

The President of the ASA Mont Dore, Patrick Bourguignon, was third in this 
BMW 530 WS.

Fourth was this BMW 2002 Ti of Bernard Frugier.  The marshalls shelter under their umbrellas from the rain.

The Alfa Romeo 75T of Philippe Tournardre came fifth.

Sixth was the Peugeot 505 Production of Jean-Louis D'Esparbes. 

Jean-Louis Seveau was seventh in this BMW 323i.

The Peugeot 505 V6 of 'Levla'.

Jacques Cisotto and his BMW 635M.

The BMW E30 of Dominique Guillaume 

Stéphane Ruiz and his Peugeot 505.

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.

HTCC Peugeot 505 at Mont Dore.

The BMW 2002 Ti returning down the mountain with the mist rising in the background.

Zandvoort Passraces 2017 - STWC Touring Cars

Peter Van der Ham in hisBMW M3 running over the kerbs at Gerlachtbocht

The Super Toer Wagen Cup (STWC) or in English the Super Touring Car Cup is a Dutch Championship with four classes of touring and GT cars.   It is open to most cars ever built as production cars.  However, most turned out to be BMWs in the first round of 2017 at the Zandvoort Passraces.  Here are some photos taken during practice and qualifying.

The winner of the first race was Koen de Wit in his BMW M3 E46.

In second place was another BMW of Jan Visser

In third place overall and winner of Group II was this Volvo 850 of Johan Hoogerwerff

The winner negotiating Hugenholtzbocht.

Second in Class 1 was this Audi TT.

Second in class II was this BMW.

The prize for the most spectacular driver went to 007 Michael Uijtermerk seen opposite locking around Tarzan.

The Volvo under preparation in the paddock.

The winning car in the pit lane.

The winning Class III BMW of Konijnendijk Plugge chased by the sideways 007.

For the Supercar Challenge race at Zandvoort the same day, click here.

For the Porsche ADPCR race at Zandvoort the same day, click here.

For the Dutch Truck Racing at Zandvoort the same day, 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