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After a winter interval lasted more than customary, the Classic Endurance Racing returned to the track for the opening event of the tenth season on Imola circuit, using the usual sharing in two groups, the former for P1 and GT1 (CER1) and the latter to P2 and GT2 (CER2). The number of the entry was steady around 40 units, to prove that this type of competitions is able to attract many car collectors.

C.E.R. 1

As usual the less young cars have made a good impression in particular for the quality of the cars appeared on the track. It was impossible not to be lingering some minutes on the Ferrari 512S, long-tailed, ex-Filippinetti’s racing team, already ...

The 25 single-seaters, which entered the first practice of the 2013 championship, have favoured the success of this event: it’s useless to deny the charm of the tubular chassis, able to get remarkable speed, real propaedeutic formulae between the end of the 50’s and 60’s. There was a large entry of Formula 3, while among the Formulae Junior we saw some front engine vehicles, so much beloved by Conte Lurani, the creator of this class. There was also a curious Fiat-Wainer FJ, designed by Giancarlo Mantovani in 1963, inspired by the Ferrari 156 Formula 1. This class was also foreseen by two 25’ races, both dominated by the Merlyn Mk10 driven by the Swiss Maulini, former ...

The class reserved for Italian cars, which saw only six cars on the track in 2012, this year has collected a good 21 entered cars, a real parade of Italian design. Among the most admired there was the Ferrari 250 SWB “Competizione” whose body was remade in 1964 by Piero Drogo, starting from a chassis built in 1961 and used by Francorchamps racing team. As it was considered as the last Gt racing car of the Piedmont driver and body builder, the car shouldn’t be taken for the more famous Breadvan, also derived from a SWB. Other car attracting the attention was the Ferrari 250 Boano, even if with a disputable streamline, represents the first car of the “prancing horse” ...

In series C, which collected Sports cars and Sports Prototypes pre 1953, from the qualifying practice there was a clear dominium of a wonderful Jaguar C Type of 1952 driven by Alex Buncombe, ahead of the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica Mk2 with John Ure and the other Jaguar C Type driven by Carlos Monteverde. Two Ferraris had little glory: one 166MM driven to the place 17 th by Juan Quintano and as fine as 225S driven by American Nejeeb Khan, who crossed the finish at the 19 th place. Among participants there was also Holly Mason, Nick Mason’s daughter, the famous drummer of Pink Floyd, who made her Frazer Nash to gain the 16 th place.  

Against the will of our Director, who teased me on Sunday when leaving the Principality in a rainy evening, I didn’t entitle this article “Oh, how nice! Oh how nice!” Perhaps because fine is a too restrictive adjective for a weekend that on the most famous circuit in the world has collected a fantastic selection of cars which have been fighting a long time during the three day’s event. To be present at a prestigious event which occurs every two years only, meant to each of us a special feeling: certainly the drivers felt with pride and met with dedication the contest with a track which may be loved or hated, but it is yet a severe test bed in the motor racing history ...

On Sunday morning the first class was of the B series, cars from Grand Prix and of Formula 2 pre 1961. As for the spectacular performance of driving ability required by these single-seaters, featured by little grip compared with the engine power, the series B has seen the Cooper T51 with rear engine starting in pole with Roger Wills. Behind him there was the Lotus 16 with Duncan Dayton, as always among the leaders of the weekend, and the other Lotus 16 with Joachim Folch. The first seven positions were occupied by British cars; among them were also two fantastic BRM cars: the P25 and the P48, first car with rear engine of the British House. In the eighth position we had the wonderful Ferrari ...

Over the years the Grand Prix Formula 3 (Series G) has become the culminating event for this type of cars, calling old glories who had relived the test of the Principality in the days when winning here meant putting one foot in Formula 1 and in professionalism. Today Formula 3 is no longer as instructive as it was in the past, also for the indecent proliferation of different formulae and little formulae, all with propaedeutic claims and especially with the unstated goal of plucking, as much as possible, the young people who want to make their way in the world of races. Perhaps the selections are much less according to meritocracy than before. If we recall the triumph of Emanuele Pirro in ...

Towards six in the evening the Series F took the track for F1 cars from 1973-1978. It was pouring and the cars were lined up with wet-weather tyres. A young Michael Lyons in pole, with his Hesketh 308E, famous for the Penthouse woman painted on the sides of his car. Behind him McLaren M23 with Bobby Verdon-Roe, Surtees TS19 with Oliver Hancock, Hesketh 308E with Cosimo Turizio and Lola T370 Embassy-Hill with Mauro Pane. Among present cars we had two Penskes and one Parnelli, which summarized the experience of American constructors in Formula One, the unlucky but wonderful Lotus 76, set aside after few races in 1974, a same unlucky Amon, first and last experience as constructor for Chris Amon, ...

We started with the bang for the series A bringing together the F1 single-seaters from 1966 to 1972. In the First row were the March 701 and 721G of pole man Smith and Sytner; in the second row a beautiful March 711 with Fitzgerald and McLaren with Joaquim Folch. A matter of seconds, and Smith and Fitzgerald moved in advance on the right. Folch also started and dodged Sytner who was quietly waiting for the green, but the maneuver is awkward and he got on the rear right side of Sytner with his left rear side. Result: both cars had smashed the suspensions, while Smith and Fitzgerald flew away. It could be the big day for Manfredo Rossi di Montelera, now It could be the big day for Manfredo ...

Series D, which collected the cars from the 1961-1966 Grand Prix (Formula 1.5 litres), had lived on the clear dominium of Andy Middlehurst with Lotus 25, in one of his rare appearance. The British driver has dominated since the first practice in the style of Clark (even if there the Scotsman hasn’t always be so lucky), crossing the finishing line with 9 seconds’ lead over the Cooper driven by Sidney Hoole and the Lotus 24 with Paul Dryson, also authors of a lonely race. there was much more excitement in the fight for the fourth place, with an interesting little train made by the Brabham BT11 with Walzer, the Cooper T71 with Baillie, the Lotus 21 with Collins and the 24 one with Wanty. The ...

After taking part in the Spa Classic of last May, Challenge ASAVE has newly embraced Peter’s formula for the organization of the last round of the championship, in order to settle final classifications of the 1965 Challenge categories and among Gordini engines, while Terriou, the great leader of the season has climbed Le Castellet plateau with the category titles gained before at the wheel of a performing Porsche 911 3.0.RSR. Once again, seen the big number of categories on the track, ASAVE was asked a great sacrifice by the elimination of the free qualifying sessions and one only hour of the race that took place on late Saturday afternoon. For this race the wild card was of Sirgues, as ...

Scottish magic

After the fine races of Silverstone and Estoril, the Classic Endurance Racing returned for the third time in a month for the final championship round, organized on Paul Ricard circuit during the Dix Mille Tours of Castellet. For the second time in the year, the four categories have been divided into two groups, the former reserved for the cars P1 and GT1 (CER1) and the latter for the cars P2 and GT2 (CER2), even with the 79 cars appeared on the track with many innovations, in some cases expected for almost a year. This was the case of the Ferrari 512M winner of 9 hours of Kyalami in 1970, taken to track by Knapfied after a revision of four ...

The category for the Italian cars, even if scaled down in comparison with last year edition and the Spa Classic have seen a fair number of entries, in particular for the Ferrari cars’ owners. There was special expectation for the presence of two of the eleven cars Ferrari 275GTB/C, built and featured by a body made lighter with respect to their ancestress, one of which appeared on the track driven by Gaye, the expert driver who left his 250 SWB for once to take a break. During the session it was just Gaye who managed to set best time, at few tenths before the Bizzarrini 5300GT driven by Elrich while the tandem made by Francioni-Barth had to be satisfied with the last grid place after running ...

Also on Paul Ricard’s the powerful and brawny English cars didn’t fail to take part in the Sixties’ Endurance, a category that gathered the leaders of Endurance produced till the mid-Sixtieths. Beside cars like AC Cobra, Jaguar E Type and Chevrolet Corvette, it didn’t miss the presence of Porsches 911, MG's, Morgan's and Austin Healey's, but certainly we cannot say that the former ones have not played as the leaders: however the monotony of the race was broken by the Swiss crew made by Francioni and Barth at the wheel of an ISO A3C, the makers of a bright pole position on Saturday afternoon in the timed session, before the AC Cobra of a favoured Caron. At ...

Group C Racing has for the second consecutive year closed his championship in Provence, on one of the very few circuits of the old world, where it’s worth while whipping the powerful engines that push the prototypes making part of them at wild speed. The eve of the race was animated by the official news that announced the Peugeot 905, owned by Mahe, taking part in the race, but at the end the French private owner restricted himself to exhibit the car in one of the stands of the circuit, where, by the way, it must be said the fans of the circuit were not easily admitted. Thus only sixteen of the 22 expected cars entered the circuit, with a big number of different versions of Spice; among ...

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