Qui Me Comitat Vincebit
Pau Historic May 2005
It
always rains at Pau and this year was no exception. Setting up day was chaos with huge transporters sinking into the mud
and having to be towed out with JCBs.
Luckily the weather improved leaving a patchy slippery circuit which
turned into a skidpan with the disgraceful amount of oil dropped which caused
considerable expensive bodywork damage.
An engine blow-up can be force majeure but, one has to ask if
these cars were properly prepared. It
could be argued that every car should be examined after racing and oil leaks
reported and sorted. The standard of
driving from some competitors was also highly questionable. The marshalls seemed to have their own
agenda when it came to oil flags and pit wall accessibility and one even had
his own loose dog - that said it was an enjoyable meeting in a fabulous setting
with excellent viewing of very close and exciting racing if you walked into
town.
And many did walk into town - the girls went shopping with a vengeance and many a meal was consumed in cafés and restaurants. Ryanair flights failed to ‘take off’ after the meeting, causing a logistical problem for those who had chosen ‘a cheap flight’. Go again? Yes, preferably without the Ferrari gypsy encampment in the paddock.
P.G.P.
In the shadow of the Pyrénées
They always did things in style in Gascony, it would seem. The Grand Prix de Pau was launched 70 years ago with an elegant flurry clearly typical of this stunningly-sited resort town at the foot of the Pyrénées: an international rally finishing in the Parc Beaumont, a concours d'elégance staged outside the casino, and dancing all night to the Jazz Plantation orchestra. At this year's GP Historique, second of what we all hope will be an annual series, we had a homely old-car display in the town square in lieu of the concours, and a synthesiser in place of the Plantation orchestra, but there was nothing wrong with the food, the entertainment, the company or the racing.
Downgraded to Formula Two in 1958, the original GP series finally petered out two years later, but its spirit never died. Last year's relaunch, as the Grand Prix Historique, was marred by incessant soaking rain which kept the crowds at bay, but participants (including numerous TOPS regulars - actually 17) formed the view that the fixture was indeed a fixture - an impression confirmed in May, 2002, when the international historic circus reconvened in the leafy paddock opposite the railway station, again in less than ideal conditions but with the prospect this time of brighter weather to come.
Practice was eventful for some. The engine in the little Lola of Sir Stirling Moss lasted only a few laps before a comprehensive blow-up put paid to his eagerly anticipated entry. Nick Wigley's lovely Tojeiro Bristol lost a wheel on the way to dinner, and was another non-starter. Tania Pilkington was unlucky enough to collide full face with a blackbird in her T43 Cooper, giving herself the fright of her life and doing the bird scant good. Dennis Welch, fresh from another stunning victory in his FJ Merlin at Monaco, lost the plot in full view of Marechal Foch, high on his plinth at the trickiest point of this very taxing round-the-houses circuit. The outcome looked particularly expensive.
The remaining Formula Junior boys, sharing their race with a motley but charming collection of French two-cylinder creations from the 1950s and '60s, showed us all the way round, Michael Shryver winning narrowly from the Swiss driver Urs Eberhardt in Lotuses 22 and 27 respectively. The ensuing pre-'66 HGPCA race turned out to be a bit of a procession, Rod Jolley romping home in his T45 Cooper ahead of the American James King (ex-Gurney Brabham) and Sid Hoole in the Rob Walker Cooper. Having admired not one but two beautifully restored ATX V8s in Jason Wright's tent before the race, it was disappointing to see his latest project, the Derrington-Francis modified 1964 car, retire early on and the 1963 original perform less effectively than last year, albeit sounding marvellous.
The race for pre-'61 sports cars, incorporating some of the Gentleman
Drivers contestants and accordingly sponsored by Carol Spagg's Historic
Motor Racing News, was enlivened by a damp start which left David Heynes
on the line long enough with violent wheelspin to allow Juerg Tobler's
dark blue Mark I Lola to slip in front. They came past the pits neck and neck
on lap two, Heynes just scraping past into a lead from which he and his Lotus
XV were not to be dislodged. Adrian Hall, his maroon Bristol-powered
Lotus X bellowing lustily, was a worthy third with, further back, Bill Binnie
- another very welcome US visitor - in his 300s Maserati holding off Peter
Wuensch's similar car and the 250s of dutchman Joseph Koster.
Michael Steele was the fastest Gentleman in the HWM (fourth overall), with Peter Austin next in the pale green Lola just ahead of Hubert Fabri's gorgeous DB3S. Barry Wood was having a bad day in the Lister Bristol, not yet sorted following re-conversion to drum brakes, but Chris Wilson seemed cheerfully content to drive up the rear in his immaculate Targa Florio 'Nash.
A rogue scallop had attacked poor Richard Pilkington during the night, putting paid to any ambitions he might have entertained to emulate Chiron's, Etancelin's or local boy Giraud-Cabantous's exploits on this circuit in the Talbot Lago T26s in days of yore. That left Julian Bronson in Donald Day's ERA, R14B, as the only potential challenger for front-engined GP honours to Flavien Marçais (Cooper Bristol), whose mastery of Pau was already evident. Bronson made a marvellous start but by the end of lap one Flavien was through, pressing on to an easy win, with Allan Miles in the 250F a consistent third and Jean François Bentz storming through from a poor start to beat Charlie Dean's indecently rapid Bugatti into fourth place. Bill Binnie, fifth at the outset, dropped back to finish eighth in his gorgeous 6CM Maserati. Rod Jolley in the Riley Brooke had the misfortune to break a halfshaft on the line.
In the last race of the day, a one-hour-endurance event comprising the rest of the Gentlemen Drivers and a number of invitees racing under FIA GTS rules, Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo showed how it should be done, hurling the huge bellowing Cobra he shared with rally maestro Jean-Claude Androuet to a spectacular victory over Jérôme Serviès (Lotus Super Seven) and Ward/Conoley (TVR Grantura) with Nick Wigley and Flavien Marçais in the former's Iso A3/C as the first of the Gentlemen, followed by Bentz/Trichet (E-type Jaguar) and Van der Kroft/Bellinger (Morgan). Your humble scribe Douglas Blain and his intrepid co-driver Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, were well content with their ninth place overall (fourth Gentlemen), behind Clarkson/Williams and Lambert/Luff in the quickest Austin Healey and MGB respectively.
This weekend is in many ways one of the most enjoyable in the historic racing calendar. If you've demurred in the past on grounds of distance, expense or for any other reason, hesitate no longer. Like Monaco and Goodwood, Pau is bound to become a hot ticket.
D.B.
Grand Prix de Pau, Historique
9th
& 10th June 2001
"It
never rains but it pours"
Pau is a city bathed in history. In 1464 it became the capital of the ancient viscountcy of Béarn and in 1512 the French part of the kingdom of Navarre. It was later renowned for its sovereign marrying the sister of the king of France and in 1814 the arrival of Wellington and his troops began a very English connection. Fox-hunting, horse racing, polo, croquet, cricket, golf, tea-rooms and parks became popular. In 1860 the first eighteen-hole golf course was opened and it was the first in the world to admit women. In 1899 the Pau-Bayonne-Pau race was held and in 1901 the first Grand Prix of Pau took place. The French Grand Prix was held in 1930 and the grid was dominated by 17 Bugattis. Surprise of the race was Birkin’s 4½ litre Bentley which, despite its heavy 4-seater body and lack of nimbleness, came 2nd to Etancelin’s Bugatti in a thrilling duel. It was young Etancelin’s first win. The 1933 start was in doubt as snow was falling – a blizzard – but they raced anyway and more than half the starters finished. This was the first use of the street circuit, almost unchanged today.
In June 2001 the first Historique Grand Prix of Pau attracted 249 cars for ten 14 lap races on the 2.76 km street circuit. Entrants were pleasantly surprised to find that one of the popular parks had became their paddock. Some people drove the 700+ miles from Calais towing their cars and those who arrived on time found they were already too late to find good parking. As owner/drivers, but mainly mechanics, vied for the best bits of grass and shade, those 'in the know' watched the manoevouring with a wry smile - they knew the weather forecast! The majority of cars ended up under huge awnings which kept them dry (well, nearly) but meant there was little display. Those who did not fit in under the magnificent trees and on the grass were easily housed in a tarmac paddock near the railway station.
The narrow winding track at Pau has a similarity to Monaco with its uphill section lined with high walls ending in a hairpin or two, and followed by sweeping curves, more hairpins and some straights - a driver's circuit which sorted out the men from the boys. It was an exhilerating track to drive and this scribe heard not one word of criticism - most unusual. There were no beautiful people, no luxury yachts, no gold bracelets, no poodles (theirs were big dogs), no obvious opulence but there was a kind of magic - a feeling of pleasure at being there, enjoyment at eating baguette, cheese and paté, and thin crisp French chips out of a paper bag, whilst holding an umbrella, - if you were lucky enough to have one - because the weather - well that was quite something - and damned unfair.
Whenever the rain is described as torrential everyone knows what it means, they've been there, had that. Well, this was differently torrential - 36 hours of it, straight down, bouncing 4-6 inches off the ground, lakes under the trees, mud baths, ooh and wet people, wet shoes, wet clothes and - yes, a smile - actually lots!
Several people decided not to race and although one couldn't blame them, it was sad that they didn't support the efforts of the Mayor who had allowed his City's streets to be closed for the weekend; the enthusiastic head of the premier car distributor of France who had encouraged (under-written?) the event and Rayon d'Action who was in charge, together with Jeffrey Pattinson who was promoting his London club.
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Pictures
by Richard Hampson
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>
Pictures
by Sandy Wilson
It was a lovely weekend, probably because not everything went according to plan - there was considerable improvisation, a lack of obvious sponsors and hospitality, and a general bonhomie although, in fairness, this did not extend to the loo situation which was abysmal and the most seriously bad item of the weekend. Races were well supported and there were a number of dramas and some excellent racing.
If you want to know the names of the first three in each race you will need
to read the comics - it was not where most of the action took place - and
action there was. Philip Walker crashed his Lotus 16 fairly spectacularly and
there was a nasty accident in the Forumla 2 race between Lew Wright in a Lyncar
and a March, which scattered large amounts of bodywork causing the race
schedule to be delayed a while. Later Japanese driver Rio Fukuda was seen
inspecting the damaged cars. Burkhard von Schenk survived the single-seater
race but spun his Porsche several times in the sports car race and collided
with Barry Wood's Knobbly when he attempted to rejoin the track. Robin Lodge,
Michael Steele, Alan Minshaw and Irvine Laidlaw all went home. Simon Hope and
Spencer Flack stayed but didn't race. David Pennell (and several others) never
arrived. The circuit viewing was excellent and the public didn't pay to watch
except for 60FF if they wanted to go into the paddock. It was a pretty tiring
weekend, first practice was 8am. which meant a very early start for some and a
lot of competitors couldn't get away before 7.45pm. The organisers were a bit
dis-organised over some items, but they will improve - let's hope they don't
become too commercial because that could destroy the magic. Should you go if
you get a chance? - yes, but 'be prepared'.
Additional notes:
· Monaco's first G.P. was in 1928, 27 years after Pau's first one.
· Tania Pilkington qualified her Cooper T43 8th in practice but had to be pushed off the race grid when she noticed that there was no fuel pressure. Sebastian Welch won the class. Barry Cannell, Ted Rollason and Ric Weiland all seemed to enjoy themselves.
· Charles Dean had a fantastic wet race in his Bugatti T51 going from 9th to 4th place, and so did Richard P in the Cisitalia which came 7th having started from 17th. It was notable that despite several weeks warning of a car change from Talbot Lago to Cisitalia, the commentators, reporters, and even the HGPCA and their own reporter, failed to notice that an 1100cc Cisitalia was not a 4500cc Talbot Lago – what can one say?!
· In the endurance Gentleman Drivers race, Chris Wilson shared his Frazer Nash with Richard P. and they were delighted not to finish last! Hubert Fabri and Richard Wills both went well in their sports cars. Stephen Curtis and James Wood put on a sporting show before continuing 'on the wheels running' to Le Mans for the historic race.
· Wonderful views, on a fine day, from the Boulevard des Pyrénées (walking distance from the paddock) across to the Pyrenean foothills and on to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre.
· Next year it is expected that the Formula 3 race, which took place the weekend before the historic weekend, will be replaced by Formula 3000 and that various 'old car happenings' will be promoted during the week before the historic weekend.
· Julian Sutton (HGPCA) thanked the Mayor of Pau for allowing the racing to take place and managed to propose marriage to him - a slight misinterpretation of the French language!
PGP
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