Around the tracks

Six up for Hugenholtz

Bigger crowds than ever, a fabulous entry and some rather challenging weather added up to the 13th Tour Auto in which, after five days of races and timed stages across France, victory eventually went to the Lotus Elan of Hans Hugenholtz.

While the Dutchman took the spoils for the sixth time in the pre-65 results, victory among the pre-73 cars went to the Ferrari 308GTB of Patrick Bornhauser, who was co-driven by the car’s owner, Frederic Godeberge.

With 2003 winner Chris Chiles losing a lot of time on the opening day, the Bornhauser Ferrari set the pace throughout to head the overall times. However, a virtuoso performance from Jean Ragnotti (Alpine A110), notably on the very wet stages of Thursday, kept the Ferrari crew pushing on. After eight timed sections on closed roads and five races, the Ferrari was 3min clear of the Alpine.

That lost time on day one cost Chiles any chance of a fourth win, but he continued to set leading times in his Ford GT40 even though he was outside the top 100.

Third overall went to the Porsche 910 of Jean-Marc Luco, while completing the podium in the pre-65 section were Frederic Puren (E-type) and the AC Cobra of Ludovic Caron. Puren, co-driven by his mother Elizabeth, was a mere 23sec adrift of Hugenholtz.

Home win for Folch in Spain

Joaquin Folch scored a popular home victory in round two of the TGP season at Jarama. The Spaniard guided his Williams FVVO8C to the flag after early leader Duncan Dayton hit brake problems in his Williams and slipped to second; Fredy Kumschick completed a Williams 1-2-3.

Meanwhile, Sid Hoole marked his 60th birthday with a class win in his Brabham BT33.