GP de l'AGE d'OR (Peter Auto)

[356sc]

Well having spoken so positively about the scrutineers I guess I had it coming!

Straight after quali, they pulled in all of the 356s and went through them all. They picked up that we had adjustable rear spring plates.....no performance advantage, just makes adjusting the suspension so much easier rather than mucking around with the splines on the torsion bars...outcome quali time cancelled so starting from the back of the grid and one lap penalty. Seemed a bit harsh but rules are rules!

With 56 cars starting, it looked like the back of the grid was in nearby Prenois as the lights went green, but we managed to keep ourselves out of trouble, and with safety cars playing into our hands drag ourselves up to P28 in the final results.

Although the brake pedal was very long at the end of the race, all the fluid was still on board, which is definite progress!

After the trials and tribulations of recent events, we were well chuffed!

Then spent the evening celebrating with Mike and the SLR team...all capped off by having a Spitfire fire up its engine at dusk....now there is a noise to challenge even that of the Howmet!

[delta]

Morning all . It's going to be another scorching day . I had to retire Assagai yesterday as felt engine tightening. Was having a great scrap for class win but hey ho live for another day . We escaped last night and went for a bike ride . Found a lovely village about 8 miles away and had pizza and beer . In the back of my mind I had thought we were biking downhill all the way there . Took an hour to get back 😀. Just sitting outside Delta truck on 2 nd cuppa and feeling very lucky. Not a cloud in the sky .

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by delta

Morning all . It's going to be another scorching day . I had to retire Assagai yesterday as felt engine tightening. Was having a great scrap for class win but hey ho live for another day . We escaped last night and went for a bike ride . Found a lovely village about 8 miles away and had pizza and beer . In the back of my mind I had thought we were biking downhill all the way there . Took an hour to get back ��. Just sitting outside Delta truck on 2 nd cuppa and feeling very lucky. Not a cloud in the sky .

I guess there's not much opportunity for 6am swims in Dijon - otherwise it sounds perfect (other than an uphill bike ride after pizza & beer - you needed Bob & his tandem!).

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by 356sc

After the trials and tribulations of recent events, we were well chuffed!

Then spent the evening celebrating with Mike and the SLR team...all capped off by having a Spitfire fire up its engine at dusk....now there is a noise to challenge even that of the Howmet!

Yes, well done the three of you, despite the penalty. A load of 911s were dragged into post race scrutineering, but no idea of any outcome......

The event seems to be popular with spectators again, like the 'old' events were when run by Patrick Quinou. Lots of car clubs displaying outside and inside the circuit, and yesterday 3 air displays by singular aircraft. These were a vintage 'stunt' byplane, a late model Supermarine Spitfire, and the Hawker Sea Fury that has displayed here previously. This was based at Darios airfield just close to the circuit, where the BBQ was held last eve. All 3 planes were parked outside the open hanger used for the event. Very cool and so well done......

We have CER1 race this afternoon, Delta has the second FJ straight after. First out this morning are the touring cars, so peace will be shattered in half an hour or so! Will be keeping an eye on the relative performance of the cars....

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Yes, well done the three of you, despite the penalty. A load of 911s were dragged into post race scrutineering, but no idea of any outcome......

The event seems to be popular with spectators again, like the 'old' events were when run by Patrick Quinou. Lots of car clubs displaying outside and inside the circuit, and yesterday 3 air displays by singular aircraft. These were a vintage 'stunt' byplane, a late model Supermarine Spitfire, and the Hawker Sea Fury that has displayed here previously. This was based at Darios airfield just close to the circuit, where the BBQ was held last eve. All 3 planes were parked outside the open hanger used for the event. Very cool and so well done......

We have CER1 race this afternoon, Delta has the second FJ straight after. First out this morning are the touring cars, so peace will be shattered in half an hour or so! Will be keeping an eye on the relative performance of the cars....

Lurking amongst the car clubs, at Club Lotus, you could a friend of mine all the way from Wymondham, signing copies of his excellent new book!

Sounds like a great weekend & I'm kicking myself for not being there.

[Gerard C]

It gives Capri 3100, Capri RS, "Batmobile", Capri RS, Mike is it right?
First Grp1 is a 530 ius well known in France, 9 th overall, just fantastic! Yves Scemama's Capri was out of shape during the weekend it seems, Boissy had a DNS. Probably only 15 cars will be classified, which is rather few.

[Gerard C]

Mike please do you know what happened to Boissy? He was qualified but does not appear on the HTC starting grid. Scrutineering issues ?
There is a Capri 3.0 S (Greaves/Galashan), do you know if its a real Grp1 appendix or something "rather" different (i.e. 3 DCNF or one 48 IDA and so on)?

[356sc]

Spoke to soon about sorting out our brake issue... tell tale puddle under a rear wheel when we came to load up this morning....b@&llox!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Mike please do you know what happened to Boissy? He was qualified but does not appear on the HTC starting grid. Scrutineering issues ?
There is a Capri 3.0 S (Greaves/Galashan), do you know if its a real Grp1 appendix or something "rather" different (i.e. 3 DCNF or one 48 IDA and so on)?

Is that the ex JD Classics Spice replica originally built for Henry Mann?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

It gives Capri 3100, Capri RS, "Batmobile", Capri RS, Mike is it right?
First Grp1 is a 530 ius well known in France, 9 th overall, just fantastic! Yves Scemama's Capri was out of shape during the weekend it seems, Boissy had a DNS. Probably only 15 cars will be classified, which is rather few.

Yes Boissy not started, but don't know why. All the other Escorts retired during the race! Ben Gill was the lead version before stopping. The Capri RS3100 was in the hands of its new owner along with Richard Meadon. Good result for them! Steve Dance 2nd in his RS2600.

Don't know the spec of the Gp1 Capri but guess chunterer correct on history. It was the noisiest car on the grid!

[Gerard C]

James, can't reply, sorry!
A Capri 3.0 fitted with its mandatory 40 Weber can't be noisy. So I got an answer, thanks Mike.
A reliable 3100 is new on this grid, maybe they just respect the rev limit and dont send the tach needle too much past the 8500 mark.

[Gerard C]

The 917 and the 512 M have been kicked out from the podium by 2 litre protos!
So for "your" Chevron, I'd say 6th overall and 5th in class the last 2 laps changed the classification. Your drivers must have had fun with some T70 I guess.
Are you satisfied with the pit stop Mike?
Anyway a jolly good weekend for the team. Cheers!

[Gerard C]

Boissy "lost" one cylinder, he could fill his oil catch tank every 2 laps. He can only think about winning the class at the end of the year.
chunterer it seems the Capri is made in Stockport, i.e. Ric Wood. Its a Grp 1+, seems next time they will be in TC2. 48 IDA overbored, front coil over springs, AP 4 pots and large brake discs "bobbin style" and so on… The cooling system of the front brakes is fantastic! Pretty much Group C style…

[Mike Bell]

Yes, we're well happy with results, thank you! The Monteverde 512 had a left rear wheel breakage or puncture with one lap to go, so was stopped in the pits when the flag came down. Maybe if the car had staggered across the timing line in the pit lane it could have registered another lap.... The 917 was 3rd when I last looked, but it was all changing! The B19 owner had a spin in his session but it wouldn't have made any difference to our result. Considering only the car's second race and the owner having to move up to a different performance level,

The Howmet went off during the race, leaving two massive black lines, so I'm guessing something to do with waste gate issue or associated with it! A privilege to see it on track, regardless!

[MartinH]

Hi there to you all ; don't post very often, but do know Mike & of course Iain.

So I help run the Alfa GTAm No. 58 in the HTC & although not the quickest car, it's sure one of the nicest looking & we went from 16th to 12th (so we thought) at the end, but then got shown in 17th before becoming not classified !!!!!!!!!!!!

What happened ??? Well, on the very last lap, we were just being lapped by Meaden, & we were actually a few tenths in front of the Capri at the line, but by the time both cars were over the line we were behind it, & when Dickie slowed down we had to sit behind him as for him the race had finished !! We were then ushered into the pitlane & hence didn't finish the race, as we never passed 'our' chequered flag !!! Hence classified as a non finisher !!

The Alkamel guys saw that immediately & informed race control, who said that they had no time to inform any track crew to waive us thru & complete our lap & so we remained unclassified.

We should in fact have been showed a blue flag along with the chequered flag, but the marshalls didn't realise what was happening.

Moral of the story ; you as a driver have to know who is the race leader (god knows how) & if he's coming past you at the flag, slow down, or speed up !!!!!!!!!!!!!

All in all a disappointing end to a great weekend, especially as the pilot of the Spitfire fired it up towards the end of the BBQ !!!! Mike was probably in bed by then, as he's a serious preparer

BTW Mike, do you know if you've space for us for Monza yet ? I'll pm you.

Yours, Martin

[Gerard C]

Martin, I had almost the same thing at Spa last year. I was safely waiting for the checkered flag at the entry of the pits with some fuel feeding issues. I went through the line in front of almost all the staff after the winner was flagged. Then sent to the podium ceremony which lasted for a while. It was too late to ask for any explanation then was disqualified. Moral of the story? I couldn't see any!
From what you say which I believe, Meaden was not allowed to take over any car after the flag…
Nice Alfa you take care of!

[delta]

Good to see you ,martin, as always. We never have time to chat. Gutted for you with that result.
Just home and looking forward to sleeping in a comfy bed.

[MartinH]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Martin, I had almost the same thing at Spa last year. I was safely waiting for the checkered flag at the entry of the pits with some fuel feeding issues. I went through the line in front of almost all the staff after the winner was flagged. Then sent to the podium ceremony which lasted for a while. It was too late to ask for any explanation then was disqualified. Moral of the story? I couldn't see any!
From what you say which I believe, Meaden was not allowed to take over any car after the flag…
Nice Alfa you take care of!

Gerard, hi there, hope we meet some day, your comments re-the car are well appreciated. The real problem was that the transponder of our car crossed the line milliseconds before that of the Capri, but with the speed difference, the Capri then went ahead of us & finished his race & completed his slow down lap & as there is to be no overtaking of any car after the race has finished, our driver had no choice but to follow, not knowing he was actually still on his final lap !!

As I said, our driver should have been given a waived blue at the same time the chequered was shown, but how anyone - drivers, flag officials etc. could know the timed positions of each car is obviously not possible ; it's just one of those rare situations & it would have never arisen in pre- transponder period racing.
Maybe that's the solution - go back to stopwatches, as in period !!!

Bet that would please the officials no end !!

Iain, thanks for your good wishes & great to see you ! Maybe we'll have a bit more time at Monza in a few weeks.

[henk4]

For those who were not there, here is our report, and as Mike requested, the first shot you will see is an epic piece of driving by John Emberson in the venerable SLR. (but don't worry, there are shots before and after this one...)

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/galle...LR-127120.html

Enjoy

[Mike Bell]

You are a gentleman, Sir!

See you at Monza....

[henk4]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

You are a gentleman, Sir!

See you at Monza....

I am afraid not, the Lord will be calling that weekend, it is the Festival of Speed.