ROUND 4: NÜRBURGRING
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Classic Endurance Racing competitors were on Nürburgring racetrack this week-end, in the Eifel mountains heart, for the season fourth round. After a fantastic race, Jacques Nicolet finally won with his Lola T298, in front of Sandy Watson and Michel Quiniou.
The large audience took advantage of the classics show, just before the 1000 Km of the Nürburgring Le Mans Series, in order to remember that the "Ring" was one of the most prestigious races of the endurance world championship during the '60s and '70s.
Spectators enjoyed the nice battle between Jacques Nicolet and Scottish Sandy Watson, the Lola and the Chevron fought until the finish of the race. The two 29 and 37 year-old prototypes reached a very high level of performance close to the one of the Le Mans Series GT2s.
The best lap time during the race -2:02:076- has been signed by Michel Quiniou, who finished third with his Lola T280. Pierre de Thoisy and his Chevron B36 ranked four. Jean-Marc Luco, third time during the qualifying, didn’t manage to cross the line with his fabulous Porsche 908/4 due to a gearbox problem. As a result, Chevrons and Lolas shared the 11 first places of the classification…
The GT2 category was also highly competitive, BMW M1 found serious competitors in the presence of numerous Porsches 911 RS and RSR. Finally, BMW driver Christian Traber finished first in class, ahead the Brunns Porsche and Stanislas de Sadeleer's other M1. In the GT1 category, Robert Dubler imposed his Corvette in front of the 911 ST shared by Christophe Terriou & Philippe Peauger, followed by Anthony Schrauwen's Lotus Elan.
The Silverstone final round is already emerging as the competitors are awaited next September 12, 13, and 14 on the British racetrack which was also theatre of numerous prestigious endurance races and first of them the 6 Hours of Silverstone, which first edition took place in 1976.
The Classic Endurance Racing grid will be worthy of this famous race, with a full entry list and numerous very beautiful cars.
FOCUS ON… Porsche 906
The Porsche 906, also called Carrera 6, is the last street-legal racing car from Porsche. As successor of the 904, the Carrera 6 takes up some of its components, as the suspension. But its fibreglass body mounted on a tubular frame makes the car very lightweight: ju st a little more than 600 kg.
The body design is quite similar to a prototype, with its 'Gullwings' and a very tight cockpit. The engine is the famous 911 flat 6 engine, tuned to produce near 220 horsepower. Thanks to its streamlined body, the car is very fast, with a top speed of 280 km/h. Winning its class in several races, from the start of its career in 66'Daytona and Sebring races, the 906 can also aspire to overall victories as in the Targa Florio the same year.
In its magnificent red livery, Peter Vögele's Carrera 6 has a great history. Peter's father, Charles Vögele, has competed with this car the world championship in 1966, sharing the wheel with Jo Siffert. The team finished fifth in the 1000 km of Monza, and second in the Enna City Cup, but did not finish in the 1000 km of the Nürburgring. 42 years later, the car is now back on the Ring in Classic Endurance Racing!
Year 1966 - Engine Flat 6- Capacity (cc) 2000 cc- Max. Power 220bhp
FINAL CLASSIFICATION Scratch
1st 31 Lola T298 Jacques NICOLET
2° 53 Chevron B19 Sandy WATSON
3° 80 Lola T280 Michel QUINIOU
GT 1 (1966-72)
1st 37 Chevrolet Corvette Robert DUBLER
2° 52 Porsche 911 ST 2.5L Christophe TERRIOU/ Philippe PEAUGER
3° 20 Lotus Elan Anthony SCHRAUWEN
PROTO 1 (1966-72)
1st 27 Chevron B16 John SHELDON
2° 16 Chevron B16 Corentine QUINIOU
3° 10 Lola T70 MKIII Pierre-Alain FRANCE
GT 2 (1973-79)
1st 60 BMW M1 Christian TRABER
2° 54 Porsche 911 RS 3L Siegfried BRUNN/Philippe BRUNN
3° 81 BMW M1 Stanislas DE SADELEER
PROTO 2 (1973-79)
1st 31 Lola T298 Jacques NICOLET
2° 53 Chevron B19 Sandy WATSON
3° 80 Lola T280 Michel QUINIOU
Marine Allainguillaume – Bertrand Waldbillig –
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