9ème Bordeaux Aquitaine Classic VHRS - 2024

 

The winning VHRS Subaru Impreza GT of Christian and Marie Lantres.

The Bordeaux Aquitaine Classic Rally 2024 attracted a good field of VHRS cars (Véhicule Historique de Régularité Sportive).  These are competitors who, rather than going for outright speed, attempt to achieve a set time.  They can choose from high speed, intermediate speed, moderate speed or low speed. In any zone their average speed cannot be more than 75kph or they start getting penalties.

The most successful of the VHRS cars on the rally and the most interesting cars of the 39 who were taking part are shown below:

The Podium VHRS cars

The second placed VHRS Volkswagen Golf GTi of Aurelien Carrasco and Nicolas Demptos.

Crossing the Dordogne River as they leave Castillon-la-Bataille is the third placed Subaru Impreza 1990 turbo of Renaud Canuyt and Laurent Jammet.

Other Winners

The best of those attempting a low target time were Patrice and Annie Gabarrou in their Talbot Samba.

Ready to leave for the start of the VHRS rally in Castillon-la-Bataille is the Audi Quattro of Francis Verbiguie and Jean-Louis Lacoste.  They were the best of those going for fast target time.

The Lania Fulvia 1600 of Vincent Mouret and Francois Cardon.  They were the best of those aiming for a moderate target time.

Interesting Other Cars

The oldest car competing was this Peugeot 203 C from the fifties.

An unusual car to see in VHRS rallies was this Buggy Sarap Buffalo.  This is a French beach buggy.

CG Simca  Type B 1200S.   One of my favourite French sports cars!  It was produced in the late sixties and early seventies based on a Simca 1200S but with coachwork by Chappe et Gessalin.

A Toyota Carina, I assume from the seventies.

An Alpine A310 V6.

Ford Escort RS2000 Mk2.

Lancia Beta Coupé GR4.  Lovely to see one of these again!

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.

Opel Kadett B Rally.

Rallye du Medoc VHRS - 2023

The winners of the VHRS rally were Christian and Marie Lantres in this Subaru Impreza.

As has been common in my time watching the Rallye du Medoc, there was a large field of VHRS cars competing in the regularity section of the rally.  Nineteen cars entertained us first thing in the morning just after dawn broke on ES1 and first thing in the afternoon on ES3 just before the rain got worse.

In damp difficult conditions most of the competitors did exceptionally well in keeping to their schedule.

It was fun seeing the Lotus Seven and hearing the navigators instructions as they approached the corner and GPS points.  Thanks to News Classic Racing for publishing their positions.   

Second were Jérôme David and Bénédicte Jolivet in this Peugeot 205 GTI.

Third was this other Peugeot 205 GTI driven by Patrice and Xavier Capdeville.

Fourth were Daniel Lavigne and Cédric Stubbs in this Volkswagen Golf 1 GTI.

Fifth was this Volkswagen Polo G40 driven by Jean-Jacques Hervier and Maryse Errard.

Sixth was this Porsche 911 of Olivier and Alice Villemonteix.

Seventh was this Porsche 911 SC of Christophe and Albane Bru.

Eighth were Julien and Fleur Pujols in this Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Tenth was this Porsche 911 driven by Gérard Laflaurie and

A BMW Alpina C1 came eleventh driven by Bernard Sarazin and Jacques Assailly.

Twelfth were Francis Lanaverre and Aurélien Carrasco in this Porsche.

In 13th position was this BMW 635 CSI driven by Guillaume Morel and Julien Schwartz.

This Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 2000 came 14th driven by Roland Blond and Patrick Poupineau.

In 15th place were Philippe and Sophie Genieys in this Peugeot 205.

A rather unusual rally car, this Lotus Seven, finished sixteenth driven by Christian Varielle and Marc Nadau.

This Mercedes 450 SLC Racing goes wide driven by Jean-Luc Dutel and Didier Faure on its way to seventeenth place.  

In eighteenth place was this Volkswagen Golf driven by Fabrice and Thomas Moliona.

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 last finisher in the VHRS rally was this Renault R19RN driven by William Pattedoie and William Gillet.

Another picture of the Lotus Seven.

8ème Rallye Bordeaux Aquitaine Classic - VHRS, 2022

This Fiat 131 Abarth of Max and Nadege Bazilet particularly caught my eye.  Unfortunately, it did not finish the rally.

Forty one cars started the BAC VHRS 2022 and thirty three finished.  VHRS cars are pre-1991 cars plus  some other more recent prestige series GT cars and they compete on regularity to a set time rather than on outright speed.   They don't have the noise and spectacle of their VHC counterparts but still are are nice to see compete and some are relatively rare to see nowadays and thus well worth waiting for.  Unfortunately, most rally spectators leave before they arrive.

Here are a few that caught my eye on the Bordeaux Aquitaine VHRS rally this year.  The winner was a Mini Cooper S but I seem to have missed it going past!

Caught in the bright sunlight, the Opel Kadett 2.0 GTE of Jean-Paul Lambert and Benoit Airault.   They retired on stage 1.

This Audi Quattro crewed by Francis Verbiguie and T.Passefons were classified fifteenth.

Pascal Houy and Christophe Labadie were classified seventh in this Porsche 911 SC.

This Opel Commodore was classified 30th crewed by Jean-Francois Quintard and Anthony Charmarty.

Runner-up in the VHRS rally was the Subaru Impreza of Christophe Bru and Bernard Lafite Dupont.

This Peugeot 205 GTi was classified fourth crewed by Jérôme David and Bénédicte Jolivet.

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.

This Porsche 911 was classified sixth crewed by Olivier and Alice Villemonteix.

6ème Rallye du Médoc VHC/VHRS 2021

 

The highlight on my morning at the Rallye du Médoc 2021 was seeing this Lancia Stratos.

I have been to the Rallye du Médoc on a number of occasions and as it is now a relatively local rally for me, I just had to go in 2021, especially as I have been to so few events this year due to the Covid restrictions.  I always love to see the VHC cars, so I got up relatively early to see them on the stage 4 between Vendays and Montalivet.  For once, I found a relatively good place to take photos on a rally, with the cars coming towards where I was standing at Pey du Haut.  Unfortunately, I arrived just too late to see Bernard Darniche, a famous French rally driver from the past, open the rally with Vanina Ickx.  But I was there to see the VHC cars who always seem to lead the way.  It was rather dark and grey with some lingering fog but seeing all the lovely Lancias more than made up for the bad weather.  I hope you enjoy the photos I took.

The winner of the 2021 Rallye du Médoc VHC was this Lancia Delta driven by Paille/Gaudin.  Here it is in Parc Fermé on Saturday afternoon.

The second placed VHC car was this Lancia Delta Intégrale with the team of Hayet/Boisson.

The third placed VHC, a Porsche 911 SC driven by Vicaire/François.

In fourth place was the Opel Ascona of the Porchers.

Fifth placed Peugeot 205 rallye of Charron/Huesca.

This Porsche 911SC of Chauvin/Leblanc finished sixth.

Seventh placed BMW 323i of the Longes.

Final finisher was another Lancia Delta Intégrale teamed by Suire/Ducourneau.

Unfortunately the Stratos retired on the final stage.   It was driven by Leroy-Fleuriot/Audibert.

VHRS

There was also a regularity rally for classic cars going on at the same time.   Here are a few seen in the Parc Fermé on Saturday afternoon.

VHRS Alpine Renault A110.

VHRS MGB.

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.