Dix Mille Tours - Le Castellet

7-10 October 2010

An expected success

He, who knows Patrick Peter as a promoter of motor race events, knows very well how quality has always been his main target, confirmed by the excellent results obtained by Le Mans Series and Le Mans Classic races from the last few years. Thus, when at the beginning of the year, he had to think of a new formula for the Endurance Racing reserved to historic cars, which are being developed in the years to come, that celebrated the 40th Paul Ricard’s anniversary, the most beautiful French circuit, he decided to appeal to some of the most famous categories of international historic motor races, to place the new ones next to them, purposely created for this event. Beside CER categories by now one of the tour de force of Peter Auto, the Group C, a category that tries to bring the fastest endurance and ever built cars on the track (categories which are reported on the relevant sections) and the Formulas 3 Classic, they have organized the “Trofeo Nastro Rosso” (Red Ribbon Trophy) reserved for Italian GTs built till 1966 and the Sixties’ Endurance, that has gathered Sports and Gt cars built within 1966.

If Peter had initially assumed to develop these events on transalpine circuits, an incredible success of participants coming from all over the Europe and the presence of 10,000 fans persuaded him to think of doing things in a big way. In fact, on a Saturday morning press conference he declared that events like these are going to be repeated starting from next year on some of the most prestigious European circuits. It remains to understand what categories will enter into these future competitions, given that CER and Groups C will be in a position to enter only now and then but, in consideration of these preambles, they will certainly regard events that withdraw the attention of drivers and fans from all over the world.

Formula 3 Classic

Notwithstanding the name brought prestige to the formula junior only, this category also admits the cars of Formula Renault built before 1995 allowing lining up a rich number of entered participants. Although the entry of many Martini cars, the cars that dominated Formula 3 of the early 80’s, including Mk37 and Mk39 that stood out from the others, sponsored by Marlboro and winners with brothers Ferté in Monaco, in the two-year period 1982-1983, the fight for the win was prerogative of the two Ralt RT3 driven by Andouard (26) and Chateaux (16), the former powered Volkswagen and the latter Alfa Romeo. From qualifying tests they have been dominating, where Andouard was one second’s lead over Chateaux; on race 1, raced on Saturday, Chateaux gained a an excellent win after an exciting duel taking advantage of the problems which forced the rival to a slow speed in the last laps, obliging him to go back to the fourth final position. On Sunday, on race two, after a smart start made by Santin (18), the only one able to worry the week-end two stars, Andouard immediately took the lead at the end of first lap, managing to leave a gap behind him and dominating just ahead of Chateaux, who, thanks to the result made him sure of the 2010 title.

"Trofeo Nastro Rosso" (Red Ribbon Trophy)

Among the 25 entered cars belonging to this category, as mentioned before reserved to the Gt’s built by Italian constructors within 1966, it was particularly interesting the possibility to admire, one beside the other, the ISO A3/C and Bizzarrini 5300 Gt, the twin cars that can tell most of Giotto Bizzarrini’s story. Just on the track there was the ISO dominium, driven by Francioni-Barth (67) team match, both on the qualifying tests and race 1, ahead of the fantastic Ferrari 250 GTB with Gaye (8), the expert driver who took advantage of the leader’s pit to take the lead temporary before suffering his return, while another struggler for victory Knap field (44), in Ferrari 275 GTB, had to abandon on the fourth passage for clutch failing. The second race, run on Sunday under variable weather, was on the contrary grown busy by a furious run-up of Knapfield himself, who starting from the twelfth place found himself first at mid-race when, at the beginning Erlich pressure on Bizzarrini (65) and Gaye, then the rain arrival, got the English to make a mistake by finishing about-face on the chicane of Verriere. Six laps down the end the ISO, backwards after a new pit, recovered the leading team-match overtaking the drivers without many difficulties and gaining the second week-end win, before the Bizzarrini and the Ferrari car with Gaye.

Sixties' Endurance

Similar in the rules of Trofeo Nastro Rosso, at least for the participation of Sports cars and the two-hour duration of the unique race, it counted, among participants, many of the cars which had entered the GT & Sports Car Cup race at Monza during the Inter-Europe Cup. As usual the English and American cars were the leaders, it was, once again, their ally the long straights that let them exploit major horse power. Caron at the wheel of AC Cobra (12), after dominating qualifying tests and the first half of the race, was forced to retire and give its twin car Mahe-Ferrer (59) to go-ahead and let it take two-minute’s lead over the Corvette driven by Francioni-Barth (52), while the first non Anglo-Saxon car was the Porsche 911 with Kohler, that arrived sixth with three laps down.

Marco Zanello
Photos taken by Giacomo e Marco Zanello

Gallery

Formula 3 Classic

Sixties' Endurance

Trofeo Nastro Rosso