Matters of moment, June 2004

Stellar grid for Le Mans Group C

The biggest grid in the history of the Group C/GTP movement will line up at Le Mans on the morning of Saturday 12 June for the high-profile support race to the 24 Hours.

Almost 40 cars are slated for the race, which takes GpC cars back to the French track for the first time since the demise of the class in the 1990s. Topping the entry are six Jaguars and five Porsche 956/962s, while cars from Nissan, Lancia, Aston Martin, Spice, Argo, Ecosse, Tiga, March and Cougar all feature. Leading drivers include Charlie Agg, Ralf Kelleners, Gary Pearson Justin Law, Allen Lloyd and Bobby Verdon-Roe. Agg will race his rare Nissan R9OCK, which raced at Le Mans in 1990.

Reigning American HSR Group C/GTP champion Brian DeVries is bringing his IMSA Intrepid GTP to Europe for the 2004 season, including Le Mans, while fellow Americans Richard and Benton Bryan will field their 1983 Lancia LR2s.

The Bryans also have two Mustang GTP cars, a turbo and a V8, which will make their European debuts in other Group C/GTP races this year.

Goodwood ticket rush

Both Goodwood events of 2004 are heading towards being sell-outs following the move to advance ticket sales only. The Festival of Speed (June 25-27) and the Revival Meeting (September 3-5) are expected to be sold out well ahead, and fans are urged to secure tickets as soon as possible.

Sales of tickets are running well ahead of previous years, with Revival sales up by a massive 88 per cent on the same period in 2003.

“We have made admission by ticket only this year,” said Lord March. “Once we are at capacity, we will not sell any further tickets. Our purpose is to improve the events for everybody, with less crowding, less traffic and better viewing.”

Tickets can be booked on line at www.goodwood.co.uk or by calling the booking office on 01243 755055.

Historic F1 race at Canadian GP

For the second time this season, an event for historic grand prix cars will support a contemporary F1 race when a grid of over 30 three-litre cars will line up at Montreal’s Canadian Grand Prix on 12-13 June.

California’s Historic Grand Prix organisation, which has supported the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis three times, travels to an F1 support race outside the USA for the first time. Its cars from the 1966-83 era will thrill Canadian fans by including a pair of ex-Gilles Villeneuve Ferraris: Richard Griot (1979 312T4) and Bud Moeller (1980 312T5) will race cars driven by the man after whom the Montreal circuit is named.

Further notable entries include Duncan Dayton (ex-Mario Andretti Lotus 79), Charles Nearburg (ex-Alan Jones Williams FWO7B) and John Dimmer in Tyrrell 004.

Other cars which have particular Canadian GP history include the Brabham BT26A of Bob Baker, with which Jacky Icicx won the 1969 race at Mosport, and the ex-Peter Revson McLaren M23 of John Anderson which won the 1973 race.