Category: Vintage Racing

During Patrick Peter’s soon to happen and promissing Dix Mille Tours event, the Classic Endurance Races will exceptionally be held as the Grand Prix de Gstaad on October 8-9-10! The Swiss Alps ski resort does not keep its love story with dream cars secret. Asides the Gstaad Classic Audemars Piguet, prestigious historic bi-annual rally (next edition from 31 August to 4 September 2011), there is also the Gstaad Automobile Club (GAC). Many members of this club of a happy few successfully race at major European events. Hence the GAC has decided to create the Grand Prix de Gstaad for the two CER racing grids at the Dix Mille Tours on the French Paul Ricard circuit.

One month after the British round of Silverstone, the C.E.R. finale promises a breathtaking show with a double grid totalling 90 cars, or more! The drivers know the Paul Ricard HTTT very well since they started the season on this layout in April! The Proto 2 category should have a good time on this fast track, particularly Jean-Marc Luco and his ex-Le Mans Porsche 936, used to the podium’s highest step. The Swiss driver will share the circuit with fifteen compatriots, who will work hard to defend the Helvetic Confederations colours at the Gstaad Grand Prix.
Among them, obviously Stéphane Gutzwiller, driving his B16 Chevron, Christian Traber, the 1st Gstaad Classic Audemars Piguet winner, Claude Nahum on a De Tomaso Pantera, Pascal Gaudard and his lightning fast ZL1 Corvette, Peter Voegele –son of Swiss racing driver Charles Voegele- on a 910 Porsche or Dominique Guenat on a Lola T290, and last but certainly not least, motor sports legend Bobby Rahal on a Lola T212.

After that Group C dominated the prestigious Nordschleife for the last 1000 km race in 1983 and that the Le Mans Series had their last outing there on the modern Grand Prix track in 2009, the greatest thing in the 50 year old history of the ADAC 1000 km race happened last week-end when FHR promoter Kai von Schauroth reunited the Nordschleife and Grand Prix track for the 2010 race! And what a race it was! While the first three hours were in the dry, with best lap times in the low 10 minute region, pouring rain and some fog marked the final four hours of the race.

Out of 97 starters, 70 managed to finish. While overall victory and podium results went to usual suspects in 1970s RSR Porsches and 1980s Group A BMWs, most notable was the 5th overall finish of the 1964 Holman Moody Ford Fairlane of Barney Gerollheimer and Fred Feuerstein co-driven by Roland Asch!

One of the absolute crowd pleaser was the 1963 Ford Galaxie from Sweden. It hit the barriers a couple of times in the wet part of the race, but managed to finish well. The complete results are here: FHR Nordschleife 1000 km. And more pictures here at Picasa by Achim and Achim.

Meet Dale Mewhorter, one of the many almost famous short track racers from accross the land. Despite his all unsuccessful attempt to race at Daytona in his way too wedgie Superbird, good ole Dale made his racing laps on the Albuquerque dirt track with his too tight T-shirt and bell bottom jeans wearing buddies. All this of course back in the day. We ought to venerate such amateur racers for their looks alone! Dale is now 71 and lives in Apache River, AZ.