Classic Le Mans

[Andy Green]

Any news from our "pilotes"?

[TonyLees]

Apparently it was rather wet.
not much here: http://www.facebook.com/LeMansClassic
Have texted les pilotes intrepid and await with breath bated.

[TonyLees]

The series 1 team beat Derek Bell!

[timpearce]

Full results for the three races and qualifying on Classic Le mans web site Regards Tim

[JERRY KNIGHT]

It was very wet Tony !

[John Emberson]

Did anyone mention it was wet..................?

[TonyLees]

pah! we wuz under water in blighty while you lot were playing with frogs
(I'm just v jealous).

[Leigh Sebba]

May give more later but trying to catch up on ‘work’ while in UK for a couple of days. Don’t know how Keith does this every w/e !

Once again it was a mega event . 2010 was terribly hot so this was better in that mid 20s but, of course, some very heavy showers but generally our paddock tent ok and drivers have the ‘club’ to shelter in. But a shame for the 100s of Morgans and others spectating.

Six grids by year groups and they move the one to start at 4.00 pm each time now – so that for 2012 Grid 4 started first. Meant that my car in Grid 1 (pre wars) was at about 8pm, 4am, and noon. The 8pm was just after heavy rain on a drying track, the 4am was just after torrential rain on a very wet track, and the noon was dry (in fact all Sunday was pretty much dry)

For the day slots I started and did a couple of laps and then handed over for hot shot Richard Plant to do the bulk of it. I must say what with hardly racing this year and not having raced the Series 1 for 2 years I found the no belts or roll bar a bit traumatic. Not helped by Jack Bellinger describing his bad crash in Adrian’s Series 1 some years ago when he was thrown out when a wheel came off on Mulsanne !

For the night slot I watched from the hotel (which is by Mulsanne 2nd chicane) and Richard P started and got absolutely drenched by spray following a Bentley (not sure if it was Mr Bell).He then handed over to guest driver John Emberson who coped excellently in the wet having hardly driven the car – perhaps all Morgans are the same.

The results are somewhere on web and were affected by some penalties – particularly regarding doing too short a pitstop and stopping outside the ‘window’ which was confusing for the very wet races which had first lap under safety car.

Anyway – Morgan interest

Grid 1
My 4-4 plodded on without drama and beat arch rival Simca

Adrian vd K & Jack Bellinger – went well after sorting intial wheel wobble – 2nd on Index of Performance

Grid 2
Richard Thorne & Roger Whiteside +4
Went OK but some engine problems and seemed to get the wet races and races that were cut by ‘incidents’

Mark Hoble (Mog racer but in his TR2) – won on Index of Performance !

Grid 3
Keith & Billy in TOK – generally went well I think

Kremers in XRX – unfortunately Kremer junior had bad crash in night practice on the Porsche curves and the car was too badly damaged to start the race. Driver fine and stayed for weekend.

Grid 4
Adrian vd K & Jack Bellinger – needed engine change after first practice which Techniques managed admirably and car then did OK

John Emberson & Bill Wykeham – went well

And – most important – The Little Big Mans event where Vic Champness with Rick Bourne had FIVE mini Morgans on the grid which all performed well.

Lots of razzamatazz – Charles Morgan appeared for the day, parade of Ferrari GTOs (23 I think and I now see that one crashed on the drive down from UK), lots of French emotion, lots of money, lots of mud, lots of people…

And a large convoy who set off for Assen

Roll on 2014