As in previous events Ian Bruce and Paul Symonds organised for the Kent Sevens (& guests) to make the pilgrimage
to Classic Le Mans. The final roll call was 20 cars and 26 people and it had been arranged for us all to stay in the same
place as two years ago, Chateau de Montaupin in Oize from
Wednesday 6th to Monday 11th July.
This year, most of us had decided to try the Newhaven-Dieppe route for a change, although the crossing is four hours, by
the time you have got on board, had some food, had a chat and wandered around it soon seems time to disembark. After a nice
blat through the D roads avoiding autoroutes and N roads, we arrived at the chateau a little later than expected but sat down
to a really nice dinner prepared by Madame.
On Thursday everybody did their own thing. A few people went down to Hotel de France in La Chartre sur Le Loir, others fettled
in the car park and some even took to the pool and we had another nice dinner prepared by Madame.
Friday was another hot day and we all blatted down to the Circuit for a general wander around all the stands and displays.
We then left early afternoon to visit the Pistonheads meeting at Château de Rivesarthe near Noyen-sur-Sarthe, where we were
welcomed with a Pistonheads goody bag and had a burger & chips and a nice welcome cold drink. In the evening, we decided to
return to a restaurant/bar at Malicorne sur Sarthe where we had stopped for a coffee earlier on the way back from the Chateau
from the Pistonheads Meeting.
On Saturday we left for the Circuit at 8am to beat the rush and lined the cars up for the Club Competition. Once the judges had
been round we did some more wandering around the stands and paddocks and then made our way to the Dunlop stand opposite the Dunlop
Chicane to watch some racing. After a few hours at the Circuit, we returned to our Chateau and a few of us had dinner at a restaurant
by the lake at Mansigne, a place we had been to before but now under new and improved management.
LITTLE BIG MANS
On Sunday, most of us returned to the Circuit at some time during the day to watch more racing (see photos below) and returned
to the Chateau for the final night of wine-filled festivities, including a trick played on Nathan...
...whereby the vodka bottle was switched with water and Prangerman & Chris pretended to down neat vodka
...only for Nathan to eventually find out this was not the case!
Here is a selection of videos and photos from the racing:
GROUP C - 1982 - 1993
Nissan R90 CK 1990
Porsche 962C 1987
Rondeau M382 1982
ALD C289 1989
Spice SE89C 1990
Sthemo SM 1984
GRID 1 - 1923 - 1939
Running start
They're off...
...and running
Bentley 4.5L Tourer 1929
Alfa Romeo 6C 2500SS 1938
Bentley 4.5L Le Mans 1926
Talbot Lago Ex Monoplace decalee 1939
Dunlop Bridge
GRID 3 - 1957 - 1961
Lotus XI 1100 1958
Lotus Elite S2 1960
Lotus XV 1959
Lister Jaguar Knobbly 1958
GRID 4 - 1962 - 1965
Shelby Cobra 289 1963
Shelby Mustang 350 GT 1965
Porsche 904/6 GTS 1965
Ford GT40 1965
Bizzarrini 5300 GT 1965
Lotus Elan 1965
Alpine M65 1965
Alfa Romeo TZ 1964
Alpine M63 1963
Jaguar Type E 3.8L 1962
GRID 5 - 1966 - 1971
Lola T70 MKIIIB 1969
Porsche 917 1969
Chevron B16 Mazda 1970
Ford GT40 1969
Chevron B16 FVC 1970
Porsche 914/6 GT 1970
Chevrolet Corvette C3 Greenwood 1971
Porsche 917 1969 (1st Porsche to win Le Mans outright)
Alpine A220 1968
Porsche 906 1966
Porsche 911 2.5 ST 1972
Dunlop Bridge
On Monday we all went our separate ways as some were going back home and others added a few days to the trip. We made our way to
Tim & Laura's beautiful gite La Rousseliere in St Christophe Le Jajolet, Normandy
for a few days, returning home on Saturday.
