308 Racing Cup - Magny Cours 2019

David Duponchel leads Sébastien Loeuillet into Chateau d'Eau.

One of the supporting races for the French GT4 Championship at Magny-Cours in September was the 308 Racing Cup.   it was the fifth meeting of the year for this Championship that has seen a battle between Julien Briché and Jimmy Clairet.  In their turbocharged 1.6 litre 308bhp Peugeots the battle was resumed at Nevers for the Pro title.  There was also the fight for the Junior drivers under 25 with Teddy Clairet fighting Florian Briché.  In the Amateur category there was also a struggle between Stéphane Ventaja and Sylvain Pussier.  Look at the pictures and captions below to see who did well at Magny-Cours.  A nice fun championship and good to see them bumping over the chicane!

The battle for the lead with Jimmy Clairet leading Julien Briche.

The battle for third place between Johann Boris Scheier and Teddy Clairet.

Overall winner of race 1 was Jimmy Clairet who also took fastest lap.

Second overall was Julien Briche.  Howver, he took the win on Sunday.

Third overall and top junior driver was Teddy Clairet.  He also won the class on Sunday.

In fourth place and third in the pro class was Johann Boris Scheier.

Runner-up in the Junior class was Florian Briche, seen here at the Adelaide hairpin.

The third placed junior driver, Aurélien Renet sends sparks flying as he bumps over the chicane in practice. 

First in the amateur class was Stephane Ventaja, seen here fighting off one of the Pro drivers into Chateau d'Eau.

Second placed amateur driver was Xavier Guyonnet.

Third in the amateur category was Sylvain Pussier.

Xavier Fouinneau leading a group through the chicane in practice.

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.

Some of the leading group go through the Adelaide hairpin.

2018 Porsche Carrera Cup GB - Round 1 Brands Hatch Indy

Lewis Plato leading Dan Harper, Tio Ellinas and George Gamble through Paddock Hill Bend.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB is the fastest one-make GT championship in the UK.   It features identical 485hp 4 litre flat 6 Porsche 911 GT3 Type 991cars.  The championship acts as a support category of the BTCC.  Three classes are run for Pro drivers, Pro-Am, drivers and Am drivers.  Which category a driver enters depends on their age, professional profile, past performances and sporting spirit.

The first race was really quite wet and here the cars head into Graham Hill Bend.

Brands Hatch held the first two rounds of the 2018 .Championship on April 8th.  Held on the 1.2 mile Indy circuit,  the weather on Sunday morning was rather wet.  Below are the top three drivers in each category and some of the racing action from race one..

Pro 1st - 8 Dino Zamparelli - Red Line Racing

Second in the championship last year, Dino is obviously looking to go one better and got off to a good start by winning the first round from pole position.

Pro 2nd- 11 Tio Ellinas - Slide Sports Engineering

Tio Ellinas is seen here at Druids leading Dan Harper and George Gamble.  Gamble and Harper were hampered by punctures.

Later in the race Tio has fallen behind Dan Harper but fought back to gain second place.

Pro 3rd - 77 Lewis Plato - JTR

Lewis Plato (no relation to Jason who races in the BTCC) leads a tight group into Graham Hill Bend.

Lewis Plato leads Dan Harper and Tom Wrigley through Paddock Hill Bend.

Pro-Am 1st - 71 Jamie Orton - JTR

Jamie Orton has been a chamopion in Caterams and is now looking to add a Porsche title to his CV.

Jamie Orton chases Tom Wrigley around Druids.  He was later to get past him.

Pro-Am 2nd - 76 Greg Caton - G-Cat Racing

Greg Caton at Druids on his way to second place in the Pro-Am category..

Greg Caton chases Seb Perez at Druids.

Pro-Am 3rd - 2 Rory Collingbourne - Welch Motorsport

Rory Collingbourne leads a group of cars into Graham Hill Bend on his way to a podium finish.

Am 1st - 22 Peter Kyle-Henney - IN2 Racing

Peter Kyle-Henney's lovely looking Porsche heads down the short straight into Graham Hill Bend.

Early in the race Peter chases some pro-Am cars at Druids.

Peter leading a group of cars through Paddock Hill Bend.

Am 2nd - 44 Peter Mangion - Team Parker Racing

Peter Mangion in car 44 chases Shamus Jennings through Paddock Hill Bend.

Am 3rd - 18 Gary Eastwood - G-Cat Racing

Gary Eastwood leads Fraser Robertson through Druids.

The only non-finisher was Seb Perez who ended up in the gravel trap at Clearways.

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.

The entry to Graham Hill Bend.

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Final Rounds, Laguna Seca 2017

Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars exiting the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca on Saturday's Round 9.  Winner Austin Versteeg seen here in third place.

Rounds nine and ten of the 2017 North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo series took place at Laguna Seca supporting the Weathertech IMSA race.   It is a very fast one make series for race versions of the Lmborghini Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo.  They have V10 engines developing around 620 bhp which power the carbon / aluminium chassis through a racing gearbox. Around 20 cars participated at Laguna Seca, so an expensive grid!   There are four classes for Pro, Pro-Am, Am and LB Cup.   Both races at Laguna Seca were of 50 minutes duration around this 2.2 mile 11 turn race course.   Young Pro-Am competitor Austin Versteeg in the Orange DXDT racing Lamborghini Dallas No. 7 car took victories in both of the races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Amateur competitor, Yuki Harata had a good meeting as well.  English Team DAC Motor Sports got on the podium in their first North American race.  On Sunday we were introduced to the new Lamborghini Huracán Evo Super Trofeo Evo - a wicked looking car (see below).

The new Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo thar will race in 2018.

JC Perez leads a group of Super Trofeo cars through Laguna Seca's Turn Four.   Perez won the LB Cup class.

The English DAC Motorsport car of Peter Aronson crosses the start/finish line.

Austin Versteeg happy to get a congratulatory hug after his second win of the weekend.

The top of the Corkscrew with the very compettiive Hindman / Agostini car who didn't quite have the luck over the weekend to get a win.

Champagne sprayed all over the podium on Sunday.

Todd Snyder slightly misjudges the Corkscrew on Saturday.

The winning car of Austin Versteeg descends the Corkscrew.

Yuki Harata on top of Sunday's Amateur podium.

Austin Versteeg laps the DAC Motorsport car at the final turn.

For the Global Mazda MX-5 race at Laguna Seca, click here.

For the IMSA Ptotypes at Laguna Seca, click here.

For the IMSA GTLM cars at Laguna Seca, 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.

Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars race through the Rainey Curve at Laguna Seca.

Formula Car Challenge - Sonoma - September 2016

Sting Ray Robb who finished a close second in the Formula Speed class.

Supporting the GoPro Grand Prix for Indy Cars at Sonoma was The Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear.  It is a series with three classes of Mazda powered open wheel single seaters racing together.  The newest class is for 2016 Gen2 Formula Speed cars built by Fast Forward Components with 200hp 2 litre Mazda MXR engines.  The second class is for the Pro Formula Mazda cars, built by Star Race Cars, which have been racing since 2004 with 250 hp Mazda RX8 rotary engines.  Finally, there are the Formula Mazda cars, originally used by the Jim Russell Racing School and now maintained by Moses Smith Racing, that have raced since 1984 with their 180hp Mazda RX7 rotary engines.   Thus, there is quite a gap in age and performance between some of these cars.   There is a championship and a separate podium for each class and it is meant as a stepping stone before drivers go pro racing.  At Sonoma they managed to gather a field of 27 cars for this round of the National Championship Triple Crown.   For these largely amateur drivers to be driving on the same track on the same weekend as the Indy Cars must be something special.

The cars begin to line up in the paddock for the beginning of qualifying.

Bruno Carneiro in his Pro FM car.  He was the Pro FM points leader prior to this race.

Robin Shute and his Pro FM car.  He was to take a good second place in the race.

Steve Baumhoff in another Pro FM car.

Jonathan Sugianto and a Formula Speed car.  He was to finish third in class on Sunday

I caught the Saturday qualifying and race and pictures from it can be seen below:

The start of Saturday's Formula Car Challenge race, which was from a rolling start.  Here the cars enter Turn 1.

Joseph Burton-Harris dominated the race and the Pro FM class.  He was to win both Saturday and Sunday races.

Carter Williams won the Formula Speed class.

Bill Weaver won the Formula Mazda class.

Carter Williams after winning his class.

The Pro FM podium with Daniel Swanbeck, Joseph Burton-Harris and Robin Shute.

Tao Takaoka in a Formula Speed car leads a Formula Mazda car through turn 2.  Tao came third in the Formula Speed class.

Close battle between the Formula Mazda cars of William Sturgeon and Derry o'Donovan as they enter Turn 6 The Carousel.

Between turn 5 and 6.

Derry O'Donovan in a Formula Mazda.

Ricardo Arruda enters turn 2 in his Formula Mazda.

Wade Leathers in a Formula Mazda.

Adam Powell leads another Formula Mazda car through turn 2.

Jim Mali in a Pro FM car exits turn 2.

David Hollander in a Pro FM leads the similar car of Greg Perrin.

Dutch Schultz in his Formula Mazda at Turn 2.

Another Formula Mazda car at speed through turn 2.

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.