Rouen-les-AFX

Thursday, 9 March 2023

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.

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Twin' Cup Sprint 2 - Nogaro -2023

The start of the second Twin' Cup Sprint Race with 41 Renault Twingos taking part.

The crowd really got perked up for the Twingo race and everyone got out their phones to take videos. The top drivers were really throwing these little cars around and for aone make series wasn't at all bad.

Three abreast for those further down the field.

The winner was Damien Boiziot in car 107 but it was very close with car 211 of Aurelien Chevry who only finished less than 0.3 seconds behind.

Here you can see how hard Aurelien was trying.

This is the battle for seventh place.

The battle for tenth place.

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.

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..

Restart after a safety car period.

HTCC - Historique Tourisme Champion Car - Nogaro 2023

The start of the first HTCC race of the weekend as the cars negotiate turns 1 and 2. A Ford Sierra Cosworth leads.

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. Nice to see a good variety of cars and some good racing even if the winner was never really in doubt.

Bruno Esperon in a BMW 323i leads a Renault and Peugeot.

Pierre Flamant in his Peugeot 505 Turbo leads a group through turn 1.

Kevin Sable-Fourtassou in a Susuki Swift GTi leads another Peugeot 505 Turbo.

Patrice Faurie in a Ford Capri.

Bernard Frugier in a BMW 2002 Ti.

A close battle between a Toyota Celica and a BMW E30.

The winning Ford Sierra Cosworth of Jean-Paul Guerdoux.

Alexander Lang came second in this Alfa Romeo 75 turbo, seen here fending off a BMW M3 E36.

Benjamin Barrere pushed his Renault R5 Alpine very hard.

Third place overall went to Valentin Gillard in this BMW M3 e36.

The Porsche 944 of Benoit Lom.

The Peugeot 505 V6 2.8 of "Levla".

The Volkswagen Polo of Jacques Tillos.

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.

Work being done on the Brabham in the paddock.

Lotus 59 in the paddock.