Motors Cup

[Mike Bell]

Includes FJ Lurani, HGPCA, F2, GTSCC and Pre 80 Endurance grids

[Mike Bell]

France again, weekend after Ricard- but a lovely area to visit any time of the year. The GTSCC 2hr race this time is on Saturday eve 'into the dusk'. I'm packing our Spa 6 illuminated pit board in case it gets a bit too dusky....

[Mike Bell]

So, qualifying done, P2 in class, but not much chance of matching Jeremy W in his Healey! The red car (SLR) is going well, and a joy to drive as always.

Race this eve, some fettling to do this morn. Temp currently 9C, which is an improvement on this time yesterday, which was 6C! At least it's DRY!

[Mike Bell]

Writing this from coffee lounge on one of P&Os finest, so no doubt I will lose all the text at some point and have to wait until home....

Had a great weekend at Dijon again! Bit cold, but great food and wine (so I'm told ), great company and good racing on a lovely track. Rumour has it that ferry may even depart on time...

The GTSCC grid started out at over 30 cars, but dropped to 28 by time we got to the race itself. Wonderful mix of Pre 66 GTs and sports racers from Birdcage to Lola Mk1. For the first time I can remember there were Elans on the grid, but classed in GT4 along with the big stuff. Last race of the day is always a concern if the programme is running late, and guess what- it was. BUT we were promised a full 2hrs regardless, and the circuit staff delivered. Luckily it was a dry bright-ish day so at the 7pm finish it was not too dark!

Race winners were Leo and Simon H in the former's familiar black Cob, followed by the Spanish Maserati T61 and Belgian Christian Dumolin's 'also black' Cobra. We nearly scuppered our race in GT3 when Simon, the car owner, pitted unannounced for first driver change! We lost 35 secs while I kitted up (driver changes are 'as quick as you can') and then after 1 lap the SC came out! Talk about getting it wrong...... Anyway, I drove my socks off for the next 50mins and clawed back some positions, overtaking the eventual class winning car apparently in the process (all red Healeys look the same to me), and having a lengthy dice with the Maser and an Elva Mk5, which was completely clean and great fun. Eventually I handed the car back to Simon- almost missing the sharp pit lane entrance due to not wanting to waste seconds- and after all driver changes we were P11 o/a and P2 in class behind Jeremy Welch and Martin Corfield's aforementioned Healey. A reasonable result rescued from a potentially bad one! Think I hardly had a lap in my stint when I wasn't chasing or being chased, so most enjoyable and the car ran strong for whole 2 hrs. OK, brakes and tyres are now scrap, but that's normal.....

Quick turn around now to get car ready and to Portimao. Hoping for more of the same!