THE EUROPEAN SESON OPENS

THE EUROPEAN SEASON OPENS C.U.A.C. SPEED TRIAL AT

SNETTERTON (March 6th)

As a prelude to the new 11-litre Formula for 1961. the current season of motor racing in Europe begins with three Formula 2 races, for the existing IA-litre cars. On March 19th, the Syracuse G.P. was held, reported elsewhere in this issue, and on April 2nd there will be..a Formula 2 race at Ou1ton Park, followed by another at Brussels on April 10th and the Pau G.P. on Easter Monday, April 18th.

It is good to see road racing returning to Belgium, with the Brussels Formula 2 race, which will be held on a 4.2-kilometre circuit on the roads near the Exhibition grounds to the north of the town. The race will start at 14.45 hours on Sunday. April 10th, and will he run over a distance of 70 laps, a total of 294 kilometres, and will be in the form of two 35-lap heats, the addition of the times of the two heats deciding the winner. Further information from the Royal Automobile Club de Belgique, 4 rue du Luxembourg. Brussels, but entries close as you read this.

The following weekend, in the far southwest of France, the traditional Pau G.P. will be held, again for Formula 2 cars, and this race will be on Easter Monday. over a distance of 90 laps of the 2.76 kilometre circuit, which is of the round-the-houses true road-racing type, where drivers have to place their ears accurately to within an inch, or they soon have bent wheels. This event, which is run as one full-length race of 248 kilometres. represents road racing in the true fashion, and already there are works entries from Lotus and Porsche as this race counts towards the European Constructors Championship for Formula 2. Further information from the Automobile Club Basco-Ilearnais, Boulevard d’Aragon, Pau, France (11.P.). On the same day is the traditional Goodwood meeting, where Formula 2 curs will also be racing. To complete the month of April, which is very full indeed for Formula 2 cars, a meeting is ,elieduled at Snetterton for April 23rd and on April 30th the Aintree ” 200 ” is due to he held. The first week in May should M.-4• the Covent ry-Climax firm pretty busy with

engine overhauls after all this concentrated act is it y ! S. J.

Invariably the Cambridge Automobile Club start the sprint season with an event at Sttetterton, and this year they held a halfmile sprint consisting of a dash from the paddock gate up part of the racing circuit, round a pylon and back again, the return run involving a chicane. The advantages of this course are that timing is simplified as the start and finish line are opposite each other and it is easy to see when the course is clear. The result was that the meeting ran without any delays and everyone got three practice runs and two official runs, thus making the day well worth while.

There was a close battle for ft.d. between Lotus XL Cooper F.2 and a DB3S Aston Martin, while in the Gran Turismo group there was alarm and despondency among Porsche and Giulietta as they could not cope with the Lotus Elites. Similar rivalry was evident among the little cars, between Berkeleys and Sprites, B.M.C. coming out on top.

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