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hotography
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For a fan of historic competitions, the 10000 Tours of Le Castellet is a not-to-be-missed yearly appointment.
2017 did not break the rule; this weekend of October 21-22nd, there were again profusion of wonders speeding on the track : 7 classes, 10 races, 282 historic racing cars and approximately 400 pilots, who allowed the spectators to travel back in time, from the 50s to the 90s.
The historic meetings traditionaly mix gentlemen drivers and glorious pilots, in service or 'retired people', like Emanuele Pirro and Derek Bell (5 times winners of the Le Mans 24hrs), Stéphane Ortelli (1998 Le Mans winner), Olivier Pla (Ford GT official driver in Endurance), Jean-Pierre Malcher (french Supertourism triple champion)...
All these high-flying people raced under a permanently shining sun, but, on Sunday, the gusts of wind forced the organizer to preventively dismantle the stalls in the paddock...
Let's move forward to a (obviously subjective) selection of my pictures, taken during this 8th round of the 10000 Tours !
ellissima... What a beautiful shape for this Ferrari 275 GTB/C ('C' standing for 'Competizione', of course) !
This #9057 chassis, aluminium bodywork, was ordered in 1966 by Luigi Chinetti, the boss of the the NART (North American Racing Team).
Few races were programmed for this car : Lime Rock, Bridgehampton and Thompson Raceway in 1966 and 1967...
t is one of the 5 Ferrari 512S, officially engaged in 1970 at the Daytona 24hrs, but its race ended early due to an accident, with Ickx behind the wheel.
After a factory repair, its acts of glory are a third place at the Monza 1000km, and at the Targa Florio as well.
Among the 26 certified chassis, The history of this one (#1004) is surprising.
Ferrari sold it at the end of the 70s ... Inexplicably under the label 1024 ! During the 80s, the real 1024 resurfaced. To avoid a double numbering, Ferrari renamed the 'false 1024' into 1012... But, during a certification procedure, the experts discovered the proof of the Daytona repair on this chassis !
Ferrari then published: 'the 512 we had sold as 1024 was in reality 1004. Apparently we made a mistake'.
fter the 'S', in 1971 here comes the 'M', which is an enhanced version to (try to) challenge the dominating Porsche 917 : optimized aerodynamics, lighter chassis, bigger brakes.
Numerous 512S were re-configured into 512M, such as this #1002. its main results, under the spanish banner of Escuderia Montjuich, are a 2nd place at the Paris 1000km in 1970, then same at the Tour de France auto in 1971.
nother wonder, the #5907 250 LM. Delivered to the 'Maranello Concessionaires' british team in 1964, it won the Reims 12hrs, co-driven by Graham Hill and Jo Bonnier, and the Kyalami 9hrs with David Piper and Tony Maggs.
talian cars breed is not restricted to Ferrari, for sure !
1572-010 is a chassis that trusted top classifications in 1972 - 1973, within the factory Alfa Romeo team (Autodelta).
This one has finished fourth at Le Mans 1972, driven by Vaccarella / De Adamich.
wo Porsche 962 against the morning light... In the foreground, Joest Racing chassis #962-144, seen among other events at Le Mans 1990 in the hands of Henri Pescarolo, Jean-Louis Ricci and Jacques Laffite.
In background, Obermaier Racing #962-155. Like in 1993, this one still wears the logo and the drawing of the Le Mans circuit.
This livery was at the origin of a fight between the team and the ACO, which initially denied Obermaier to compete under these colors, in spite of an honorable 9th place in the trials.
Curiously (when one knows the traditional inflexibility of the ACO), the organizer finally gave up, and this 962 crossed the line in 7th position, with the - unofficial - title of first Porsche classified.
till a 962, but a Kremer version. It is the Thomson CK6-08/03 carbon chassis, That ran 3 times at Le Mans, in 1991, 1992, 1993, respectively taking the 9th, 7th and 12th places...
nother Kremer 962, #CK6-06 / 02, which has been decorated by the German artist Peter Klasen in 1990. It is the only 962 to perpetuate the 'art cars' tradition.
Used after Le Mans as a spare car, its career took a new start in La Sarthe in 1993, under other colors.
It was recently reconditioned in 'Klasen' livery, and even signed again by the artist...
ere are few pictures extracted from my 2016 portfolio, in order to illustrate the beauty of that 962 livery...
till a Porsche 962 (#962-901), in the 'long tail' version : an elegant dress, specifically designed for the endless straights of Le Mans.
whole lot of Porsche 911 RSR...
...
atched by other 911's that, from the trackside, are supporting their friends passing by... Like in the 'Cars' movie !
9.C11.00 : that is the chassis id of this Mercedes C11, which always triggers the same feeling of raw strength. Carbon chassis, 730ch in race mode, more than 900 in qualifying sessions, by adjusting the turbo pressure...
A mechanical thunder, a mixture of hammerings and whistlings, which seems capable of tearing away the asphalt! This is the C11 initial prototype; it was never used in competition, but during numerous development trackdays by Mercedes factory.
o close the German cars chapter, here is a BMW M1 Procar (id #4301076), which livery cannot pass unnoticed...
The Procar races were occuring as preliminary events of the European F1 Grand Prix, in 1979 / 1980.
Some F1 drivers were selected to compete in it, according to their performances in their single-seaters; some others, coming from other championships (endurance, tourism), were completing the grids.
The overall winners were Niki Lauda in 1979 and Nelson Piquet in 1980.
he Rondeau M382 002 in low-angle view, with wide open elytrons... This Golden Eagle Racing copy ran through various American circuits in 1982, without much convincing results, except a third place at Sears Point.
here cannot be any ambiguity on the chassis id of this Group C... Just because it is the unique copy !
The 1991 Cheetah G606 was designed by Swiss Chuck Graemiger, and built by Racing Organisation Course (that explains its 'ROC 002' other naming).
In Pascal Fabre / Bernard Thuner hands, this carbon fiber monocoque, engined by a Cosworth DFR, was aligned only in two events in 1991, Le Mans (DNF - gearbox) and Magny Cours (DNF - engine).
Built to be compatible with various motorizations, ROC will never achieve the target of a batch production, due to the decline of the Group C.
t is necessary to stop from time to time to quench the car (and the driver).
...
nd we are back on track, with THE curiosity of the historic meetings, the Howmet TX and its gas turbine engine !
It was developed and built by the tandem Bob Mc Kee / Ray Heppenstall, and engaged in the 1968 season of the Endurance world championship. Its helicopter turbine provides 400ch at 57000 rd/mn (!).
One of the technical innovations of the Howmet TX is the system of gas command, which allows to take benefit from an immediate answer, both at acceleration and at braking stages.
And the weight of the car is only 750 kg...
Within the same breed as the Chaparral 2D (with which it has a family resemblance) and the Ford GT40, the Howmet TX has challenged the most famous European brands, such as Ferrari or Porsche.
I will always remember its characteristic whistling, and the unique aviation fuel flavor that emanate from its passing by...
did not talk yet about the (turbulent) 'Tourism' series... Here a pack of BMW 635 chasing one Escort !
e are on the pre-grid, close to a Jaguar E driver concentrating, waiting for the 'Start your engine' order. Not less 20 Jaguar E were aligned among the 82 'Sixties Endurance Racing' competitors !!!
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his Mustang, caught here in 'massive oversteering', made the show at every corner, with Jules Gounon (winner of the 2017 Spa 24 hrs) at the steering wheel !
his is a Ford GT40, which history is tinged with sadness.
It is indeed Comstock Racing GT40P/1000, in which Bob McLean died during the 1966 Sebring 12 hours...
McLean was a promising Canadian driver. His results in national races held attention of Ford; the 'giant of Dearborn' gave him a chance to fight against the best during a one-shot, the Sebring 12 hours.
Unfortunately, this edition of Sebring was going to turn into a nightmare.
The accident of McLean at the 4th hour will never be explained. One evokes the hypothesis of a broken suspension or brake, or an inconsequential attack with cold tires and brakes (he had just left the pits).
He died in his bottom-up Ford, in flames.
Moreover, this day, four spectators would die consequently of a collision between a Porsche 906 and the Ferrari P2 of Andretti...
nother GT40, #GT40P/1078 Which has, subtle refinement, its effigy on its driver's helmet !
rom the GT40 to the Lola T70... Conceived by the same designer : Eric Broadley.
After a lot of aerodynamic tests, Broadley would obtain a better stability than the GT40 at high speed, but the car nevertheless remained under its domination and that of Porsche.
he Lola T70 #SL76/141 was bought in 1969 by Swiss Ulf Norinder, who took its ownership at Daytona... Its race ended in the wall. Was it premonitory ? The car would face so much damage during its life...
Sold in 1970 to the Solar Production company of Steve McQueen, it began a new career in the 'Le Mans' movie.
For the purpose of the scenario, the MkIII was sent against the rail around the Indianapolis curve.
Then the production decided to disguise it into a Porsche 917 (!) and installed a remote control feature into the cabin.
Again, it is against a rail, with a blocked accelerator, that it ended its career of actress, during an accident scene, shot between Arnage and Porsche turns.
he sun slowly declines on the Castellet race track, it's time to pack... The racing cars, but not the camera; it is 'money time' for a photographer !
he pits have just been emptied and cleaned, now other residents settle down ... But this is another story !
ere comes the end of my pictural reporting... God bless the historic meetings, that are fullfilled by mechanical and human passion !
With the ever growing proportion of electric cars in our everyday modes of transport, I really think that these meetings could represent soon a last nostalgic bastion for those who, like myself, were born in the last century, and were rocked by the good ol' sounds of the combustion engines !
...
ee you soon for a next event !
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