An exceptional grid of racing machines, a circuit that has retained all of its authenticity, perfect weather and more than 20,000 spectators in attendance – all the ingredients were in place to make the 61st Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or a truly outstanding event! Add races of rare intensity, and you get a spectacle that has captivated an audience more passionate than ever…
Over the course of three days, drivers, collectors and spectators celebrated the history of motor racing at one of France’s most iconic circuits. From GT cars and endurance prototypes of the 1950s and 1960s to the legendary touring and endurance cars of the 1970s through to the 1990s, the action never stopped on the Burgundy asphalt.
This 61st edition was also marked by the return of historic Formula 1 cars in demonstration runs, offering spectators a glimpse into an era when V12-powered single-seaters thrilled circuits around the world. Visitors also enjoyed the presence of numerous clubs and collectors, with more than 600 cars on display, Grid Walks organised throughout the weekend, and a wide range of activities in the event village.
Drivers simply love Dijon-Prenois! It is true that the Burgundy circuit is perfectly suited to historic racing. The tone was set from Saturday with three thrilling opening races. First up was the Sixties Endurance which, unusually, kicked off the weekend’s racing action. While the Shelby Cobras and Cobra Daytona Coupés appeared to have the upper hand, it was ultimately a Jaguar E-Type that emerged victorious after 120 minutes of racing. James Thorpe and Phil Quaife used the agility of their feline machine in the more technical sections to stay ahead of Saif Assam and Andrew Jordan (Cobra). Maxime Guenat and Guillaume Mahé (Cobra Daytona Coupé) were handed a 30-second penalty that dropped them off the overall podium.
As always, the 90-minute 2.0L Cup race remained undecided right until the chequered flag. It resulted in another British victory, with Matt Holme and Andrew Jordan getting the better of James Turner, who was very well assisted by none other than Emanuele Pirro! Together with Jan Hunger and Christian Albrecht, three crews from the Gentlemen category occupied the top three positions. Simply magical…
The first Gentlemen Challenge race saw Luc-Pierre Verquin (Lister Chevrolet Knobbly) take the win before incurring a penalty, handing victory to Serge Kriknoff’s formidable Lotus 15. He finished ahead of the Lister Jaguar Costin of John Spiers and Nigel Greensall. On Sunday afternoon, Kriknoff made a point of securing victory on merit, defeating Verquin on one side and Spiers and Greensall on the other.
Touring cars opened Sunday’s action under bright sunshine. Heritage Racing Cup 1 was dominated by Armand Mille (Ford Capri RS3100), who claimed victory ahead of the BMW 3.0 CSLs of Dominique and Maxime Guenat, and Olivier and Emile Breittmayer. Motorsport truly runs in the family in the Le Mans Classic Series!
The action then returned to the 1960s with the Classic Touring Challenge, following an impressive parade dedicated to the Ford Mustang. And it was a… Mustang that had the final say. Reinier van Abbe, assisted by the excellent Kevin Abbring, took victory ahead of the Ford Cortina Lotus of Ivan Petev Ivanov and Ed Morris, and the leading Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA of brothers Max and Andrew Banks.
Following another Grid Walk that proved more popular than ever, the impressive Classic Endurance Racing 1 grid launched the afternoon’s action. Armand Mille claimed his second victory of the day, this time behind the wheel of a Lola T70, defeating Jan Magnussen and Chris Ward in a similar machine. The Banks brothers once again shone brightly, completing the top three in their stunning McLaren M6B Can-Am. Worth noting is Claudio Roddaro’s lengthy spell among the frontrunners in a certain Porsche 917 K… much to the delight of the crowd.
The second major highlight of the day came in the 60-minute Classic Endurance Racing 2 race, which featured a fierce battle between various Lola prototypes. Under pressure from all sides in the opening stages from Jan Magnussen, who was pushing his 2-litre machine to its limits, Stéphane Nguyen eventually gained the upper hand to take victory ahead of Maxime Guenat, whose Lola T286 finished the weekend in superb form, and the Magnussen-Ward pairing. What a remarkable level of competition!
The Heritage Touring Cup 2 race was long dominated by Max Goff’s Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500… until he was forced to retire after suffering from overheating issues. Victory ultimately went to another Sierra RS500, driven by David Tomlin, ahead of the BMW M3 E30s of Tim Abbott and Darren Burke, and Jean-Luc Blanchemain. Bas Jansen and Andrew Newall claimed top honours in Group A1 with their BMW 635 CSi.
The Le Mans Classic Series now continues its season with its next highly anticipated event: Le Mans Classic Legend, which will take place from 2 to 5 July on the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans Circuit. An event not to be missed!
Report by Peter Auto
Photos by DPPI / Gregory Lenormand
