Real rubber for Group 4 in '98

The European Sports Prototype Championship, which kicks off at Paul Ricard over the Easter weekend, will be run on the same type of Dunlop treaded tyres around which the cars of the 1962-1971 era were designed, in a switch from modern Avon slicks and wets.

“This-demonstrates our commitment to true Historic racing,” said Jonathan Baker of series promoter Group 4 Racing. “Not only will this make the big cars like the front-running Lola T70s more taxing to drive and much more dramatic to watch, but it will also greatly reduce wear and tear on suspension and transmissions.”

Back-to-back tyre tests using Baker’s T70 at Silverstone before Christmas suggested that fields will be closed up, and he hopes this will encourage a wider range of cars, particularly from the early years, to come out. More than 60 drivers have registered their interest to date. Details from 0171 253 3322.