Dix Mille Tours - Navarra

2-3 April 2011

The discordant note

Back from the weekend in Navarra we have repeated to ourselves up to get tired: the lack of the success of this event shouldn’t be enquired into the formula which distinguishes itself, moreover, formerly tested with best results last autumn at Paul Ricard’s, but into the decision on its taking place on a circuit too new to draw some gentlemen drivers who are greedy for those emotions which can be only guaranteed by the temples of motor racing. Constructed among the gentle hills to the South of Pamplona, surrounded by cornfields growing as far as the eye can see, notwithstanding the good intentions of Navarra government, the circuit doesn’t provide any particularly interesting starting points; with its 3.933 m it looks like more a go-kart track than a circuit suitable for international events. Thus, in spite of the four envisaged categories, among which the new born CanAm Challenge Cup organized by Peter Scheifer (the Bavarian representative of Audi and Volkswagen keen on American big block), we have only seen about sixty cars on the track which has left some line-ups sadly empty. Patrik Peter himself must have noticed it, if it’s true that during the usual formal dinner on Saturday evening he skilfully avoided making comment, particularly towards those who had withdrawn their participation at the last minute: with the inclusion of some leaders of the well tested Classic Endurance Racing, where despite the first 50 entered drivers only 40 arrived in Navarra. If CER has not much appealed, the difficult situation of the other categories has forced the organizers to evaluate the last minute changes: taking into account only the 12 participants at the Sixties Endurance and the 6 ones at Trofeo Nastro Rosso, at the beginning they have opted limitedly to this event, for the union of the two categories, but in the end they chose to keep the integrity of the event, also because with a category less the down time would be longer between one session and the other.

After all successful events of the last few years, the Navarra Dix Mille Tours was a discordant note to Peter, one of those that take you by surprise in the middle of a nearly perfect work. However, we don’t have to forget that it was only the aperitif of the season of 2011 historic events and probably at the end of May, on the legendary circuit of Spa, we’ll breathe a quite different air…. or better, another symphony of engines.

Canadian American Challenge Cup

If on one hand CanAm has been a category that has put on the track a smaller number of cars, on the other hand we cannot deny that it has represented one of the major attraction of this Dix Mille Tours. It was born at the beginning of the year, this revisit is intending to re-enter the racing cars, which have taken part between 1966 and 1974 into category of the same name or into Interserie, being convinced that these double-seaters has anything but interest waned. In the stands reserved for them there are one beside the other: the AVS Shadows Mk1, recently revised by Harm Langaji according to the original configuration designed in 1968 by young Trevor Harris, the Lola T310, the last CanAm built by the English make and above all two models of McLaren M8 in C and F variants, only the first one has appeared on the track.

At the last moment they have entered a fine Lola T70 Mk3, whose design was given by Eric Broadley to a very young Tony Southgate. Once on track the four cars have restricted themselves to a parade, at least till when the M8C and the Shadow have not been forced to retire, leaving the two other survived the opportunity of sharing the win in race 1 and 2. Next appointment in Can Am calendar will be the International European Cup scheduled for the first weekend in June.

Can AM Race 1 Results

Can AM Race 2 Results

Sixties' Endurance

Even if without relying on a large number of participants, Sixties’ Endurance has stood out for the quality of cars and the competitive spirit shown by some crews. Without detracting merits from Jaguars Type E driven by Traber/Davies and AC Cobra with Cazalieres/Ferrer, the most admired GT was the TVR Griffith 200 entered by McInerney family: it was only produced in 192 units between 1964-1965, was built by Jack Griffith and Mark Donohue with chassis TVR Grantura, very light bodywork in fiber glass and powered with same V8 Ford mounted on AC Cobra cars. It is said that the American driver had decided on its production owing to a dinner with Carrol Shelby, during which he had declared he was in a position to produce a car able to win Shelby’s cars. During practice Jaguar has long been occupying the first position, but in final minutes was ousted by Cobra and Griffith in the order; behind them there were Corvette with Francioni/Strebel and Porsche 911 with Moreau, while the other 911 of Damien Koheler, whose livery was inspired by French cartoon “Ville Basse” has set the seventh time. On Sunday only six cars were lined-up while the other entered cars have taken shelter on the pit-lane so as to gain some minutes to choose the right tyres: some threatening clouds, which covered the sky of Navarra, made us be afraid of a shower at any moment! Among them there were Cobra and Griffith with Jaguar in the lead. Cazalieres/Ferrer needed six laps only to take the ill-gotten gains again, while the McInerneys were hardly able to get the better of the less fast cars: when on lap 12 they smelt the Jaguar, the fine blue Gt didn’t want to hear any more about going on, forcing the team to retire. It looked like a blessing to the Jaguar crew but after eight other laps the goddess Fortune turned her back on them, causing a new victim. Duo Cobra slowed down, holding the first of the rivals by one lap up to the checkered flag, while there was a wild fight behind them for the second place. Finally thanks to the retirements of Noblet with Ferrari 375GTB and Moreau, on podium, beside the winners, Kohler got on podium second and Vogele third with the fantastic Porsche 904 GTS.

Sixties' Endurance Results

Trofeo Nastro Rosso

If the six cars, which entered to the category reserved for Italian jewel, have turned out certainly few, the presence among them of a Maserati model Type 61 Birdcage, exhibited on the track by Carlo Vogele, has permitted to have a close look at one of the six models designed by Giulio Alfieri and properly considered as the best result achieved for the competitive cars with front engine. It’s sufficient to go close to the fine Italian “barchetta” to understand how highly refined this project was, aimed at obtaining a product which could dominate at Le Mans. Unfortunately, the fragility often shown prevented the achievement of this impressive result, but it’s necessary to remember that the Birdcage has dominated a good twice at 1000 km of Nürburgring.

Even in Navarra the Trident car has not had trouble to dominate in both races after its Pole Position. Since the first race a fine Maserati 250S with Davis has been out of the competition, the second place was prerogative of Bizzarrini 5300 with Erlich, while as for the podium low step, at least in race 1, we have been spectators at an exciting duel between two Ferraris 275 GTB with Noblet and Gijzen, ended at few laps to the finish by the first driver. In race 2, the absence of the two cars of the prancing horse, has allowed small Alfa Romeo TZ of Guitteny to win the third place.

Nastro Rosso Race 1 Results

Nastro Rosso Race 2 Results

Marco Zanello
Photos taken by Giacomo Zanello

Classic Endurance Racing: for the report about this category, click here.

Gallery

Canadian American Challenge Cup

Sixties' Endurance

Trofeo Nastro Rosso