THE 6 HOURS OF MAGNY-COURS (APRIL 19-20)
Image: (c) H. Laroche
Still three more weeks to wait before the start of the new VHC Endurance season organised by V de V Sports.
After two opening rounds held in Spain (Barcelona in 2023 and Navarra in 2024), V de V Sports is back in France this year and the first race will take place on the famous Nevers Magny-Cours circuit, the theatre of 18 French Formula 1 Grands Prix from 1991 to 2008.
The 6 Hours of Magny-Cours will take place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April with two free practice sessions (Saturday: from 10:40 to 11:25, then from 14:20 to 15:05), and one hour’s qualifying (Saturday from 18:00 to 19:00) followed by the race (Sunday from 12:15 to 18:15).
Around twenty crews are expected on the starting grid at the wheel of Touring, GT and Sports Prototype cars that marked the halcyon days of Endurance starting with the winning duo of the 2024 VHC Endurance Challenge, Damien Kohler and José Da Rocha, who will defend their title at the wheel of a Porsche 911 3.0 prepared by Team Bersi. Eric Wassermann, second in the 2024 VHC Endurance Challenge, will team up with Charles Veillard in a BMW 323 i entered by the Wassermann Racing team. Armand Mille, third in the 2024 VHC Endurance Challenge, will also be at the start in a Chevron B21 run by the Equipe Europe team that will also line up a Chevron B16 for Didier and Julien Gruau associated with Pierre-Alain France.
Among the V de V Sports racing faithfuls, Jacques Nicolet, president of Ligier Automotive , who relaunched the famous brand created by Guy Ligier, will compete in the first round of the season at the wheel of a Ligier JS 2.
There was no way Eric Van de Vyver (the founder and organiser of the 2 Tours d'Horloge and the concept of endurance races reserved for Historic Competition Cars) could miss the first meeting. He will team up with Jean-Paul Petit and Jacques Roucolle aboard a Jaguar Type E prepared by the team managed by Alain Cudini, former French Touring Car Champion with thirteen participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Note that in addition, the Cudini Racing Team will enter a Porsche 944 S2 for Arnold Noret, Jacques Colibet and Philippe Vigneron.
Another fan of the events organised by the Van de Vyver family, the Chateaux Sport Auto team, will be present with its Chevron B16 for a lineup comprising Matthieu and Jean-Baptiste Chateaux.
GT, PROTOS AND TOURING CARS IN ACTION!
The Trajectus stable Classic will be on the grid with a Porsche 944 Turbo shared by Christophe Billot, Nicolas Beloou and Jean-Bernard Bouvet (winner of the V de V GT/Tourism Challenge in 2015, 2016 and 2018). The AM25 team has also entered a Porsche 944 Turbo for Philippe, Arnaud and Edouard Martin. Finally, two other Porsche 911 3.0 SC and RS will be run respectively by GT Classic for Philippe Baert, Stéphane Moreau, Sébastien Morales and Le Duigou Racing for Philippe Burel and Bob Arezina. In addition, the Porsche 944 prepared by AB Sport Auto will be present for Franck Thybaud and Patrick Brossard.
The Belgian team of Brice Pineau and Olivier Muytjens will be fielding two cars: a Porsche 964 and a Ford Mustang. An Elva MK8 will be driven by Marc Alloend - Bessand / Yann Le Calvez and a Caterham Super Seven will be entrusted to the quartet Vincent Delarche / Laurent Trichet / Michel Cairat / Nicolas Grue. It should be noted that eight other teams may confirm their presence in the coming days thus completing an already well-filled starting grid for the first round of the V Sports season.
Three grids will complete the meeting:
– ASAVE Racing 65 reserved for GTs, Touring cars and pre-66 front-engined sports two-seaters (one 30-minute free-practice session, one 30-minute qualifying session and two 45-minute races). More information on https://asave.fr/
– ASAVE Racing 76 reserved for GTs and Touring cars from 1966 to 1976 (one 30-minute free practice session, one 30-minute qualifying session and two 45-minute races). More information on https://asave.fr/
– The Saloon Car Trophy, bringing together GTs and Touring cars from the 1960s to the 1990s (one 25-minute free practice session, one 25-minute qualifying session and two 30-minute races). More information on https://www.salooncar.eu/.
Historic and sports cars will also be in the limelight thanks to a dedicated paddock area and the on-track parade for clubs and collectors.
Rock fans! Don't miss the concert on Saturday evening put on by Pierre-Alain France and his group "Garage People" after the 2024 season trophies presentation.
The competition will be open to cars from the following groups
GT Group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periods G1, G2, H1, H2, I, J1 and J2 (1966-1990)
- Group 3: Series Production GTs
- Group 4: Competition GTs
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Cars
- Saloon Cars
- Group B competition GTs
Touring group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periods G1, G2, H1, H2, I, J1 and J2 (1966-1990)
- Group 1: Series Production Touring Cars
- Group 2: Competition Touring Cars
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Touring Cars
- Saloon Cars
- Group N: Series Production Touring Cars
- Group A: Competition Touring Cars
Sports Prototypes Group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Period GR (de 1966-1971)
- SP 1: -2L Sports Prototypes
- SP 2: +2L Sports Prototypes
Period HR (1972-1976)
- SP 3: 2L Sports Prototypes
- SP 4: +2L Sports Prototypes
Sports 2000 until 1986 admission on application, without aerodynamic appendices, complying with SRCC Sports 2000 Historic, SRCC Sports Pinto regulations and appendix 3 of these regulations “Technical criteria Sport 2000.”
