C.E.R. 2 - Paul Ricard

Even before appearing on the track the CER2 had provided the public with many starting points, first of all the entry of an extremely rare and charming Rondeau 379C, same as the one in which Rondeau himself, matched with Jassaud in 1980 won the 24 hours of Le Mans, in addition to the 1969 Mirage M3, the only example derived from Mirages M2 and Ligier Js3, a car purposely designed to run the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1971 with Ligier/Depailler.

The weekend on the circuit was one of the most competitive events ever seen before, with a good number of drivers who have raced setting close times, struggling a long battle for getting pole and win. During free practice the drivers started being familiar with the circuit, this time used in the version on a full mistral unlikely what happened in April, with Knapfield obviously favoured in comparison with the others by his powerful Ferrari engine. Qualifying tests immediately saw Nicolet leader at the wheel of a fine Mirage M3, very skilful at setting the time that got him pole already from the first session, pursued by Luco, who had put aside the 936 from Silverstone to give space to the new Ligier, by Knapfield who could afford to run only four laps in the first session and even no lap in the second one. Matters were more complicated for Lafargue, arrived fifth due to the chronic horse power lack of his BMW.

On Sunday afternoon, before the race there were moments of real excitement: drivers appeared with dry out tyres but suddenly it started raining and they were obliged to mount the wet ones. As much as quickly, however, it stopped raining and many drivers chose again dry out tyres, with Luco who remained with wet tyres while Knapfield and Watson preferred to start from the bottom of the line-up so as to be in a position to choose tyres till last. When the red light switched off Luco flashed past Nicolet, but he was soon forced to pull into the pits because of the puncture of the left rear tyre: seen the track conditions the Swiss decided to change tyres mounting the dry out, but on going back to the track he was placed twenty-fourth with about one minute behind Hart, who placed first after a shocking start. While Hart was gaining a wide difference of 14 seconds’ lead in five laps over Quiniou/Nicolet, everybody’s attention was called by Knapfield’s recovery, fourth after only four laps and the fastest driver on track: at the fifth passage Nicolet got into Mistral and from the Bendor inner went in Quiniou, finding himself second, but his run-up ended after two laps on the central straight, where his gearbox failed. Meanwhile, the track was by then completely dry out and Nicolet took action by overtaking a Quiniou in difficulty on the Chicane, who during next lap had to pull out into pits. Meantime, among GTs, Roitmayer arrived absolutely tenth running at the same rate as many prototypes, while Basso, his more dangerous rival, was over one minute behind. In the zone behind the front Luco found his way blocked by Guikas beginning a fine duel that had been lasting a good three laps before the Swiss being able to pass on Signes bend.

On lap 12 the festival of pit-stops started without great expectations, at least the one of the stop-and-go given to Wilkins-Catlow for his disregarding the expected time: the race had been dozing off till lap 17, when Nicolet started running closer to Hart threateningly. On lap 18 the French driver overtook the English driver on Signes and passed easily, but it was Luco who made a spectacle of himself, with his fast laps, took the third position and pointed decidedly to Hart, by then passed through a crisis: the Swiss attacked the rival and passed him during lap 24, but at the same moment Nicolet slowly pulled out into the pits with a broken accelerator cable, leaving the first place definitively to the Ligier car. While Guicas, second one, was penalized by black flag having skipped the pit-stop, Lacroix gained the second position, but he had also to surrender before the arrival because of the failure of his gearbox lever. Butts, the author of a fine race, arrived second, followed by Scemama, while Lafargue had to be satisfied with the final fifth position that won him the P2 title. In Gt1 Roitmayer won before Basso and Ceron, with the title given to Faveny-Roitmayer.

Marco Zanello
Photos taken by Giacomo & Marco Zanello

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