Club Arnage

There is strong rumour that the support race for this year will be for Grp C cars.

Nothing confimed yet but it would be great to see the 956/62's etc again.

http://www.groupc-gtpracing.com/news.htm

That would be excellent news - almost (?) as good as the actual 24 hours race itself.

Yes pleeeezzzzeeeee.   Now that would be simply magnificent....... ;D ;D ;D ;D.   Be interesting to see how the lap times compare........

Ohhh, the Rothman's Porsche, I would love to see it.  :D

*drool* yes please group C support race!!!  Nothing on that lonk about it the race.  I assume it is still rumour

Should be confirmed thursday in AutoSport and on the web page.

But yes it is still a rumour at the moment that I picked up on 10/10ths fourm.

I suppose it would be okay if it were true, but personally I would prefer to see the Formula France 1600's again. ;)

I was looking forward to Formula France race as well :o

The race will feature 40 car grid and be 30-40 mins.

shame the races not longer, maybe 24 hour ;D

Yeah, they're great aren't they? They can get up to over 100mph on the Mulsanne you know.

Remember the Venturi support race a few years ago ,It was just like a distruction derby!!

Some more details.

http://www.groupc-gtpracing.com/news.htm

YES! YES! YES! :D

God Frank Sinatra, you make me feel so old.

There is a God after all!!!!

Woooo-hoooooo!!!!!

 ;D

That's it confirmed then?
Bladdy excellent news.
I'll be up in the grandstand with my tartiflete on Saturday morning then  ;D

And not forgetting a few croque monsieurs Steve!!!

.....and perhaps a wafer thin mint ??   ;)

Top news, the last time I saw any Group C was at Silverstone a couple of years ago, just made me wish I had gotten to LM sooner than I had.

And he's a Le Mans fan!!!!!   :D

This will create a bit of a dilema for our group - and several hundred others, who usually spend Saturday morning/lunchtime at the Champagne bar lubricating our necks.
I don't think I've witnessed a support race at Le Mans for about 5 years. I've heard them in the background, but the fairly serious business of getting pissed and sunburned simultaniously prevails usually. This is going to require a re-think.
It will be a new experience watching the 'depart de les vingt quatre heures' without a full-on champers buzz in progress.
Why the nostalgic pangs for Group C, I wonder? It got a lot of bad press at one point (Economy races of 84-85). I loved the 956/962 - but I think the Jaguar/Sauber era was just brilliant 89, 90 and 91 were the bollocks

Matt, Take your stinking champagne down to the esses or tertre rouge and drink the muck down there. I know that's where I'll be, my fave viewing spot is where they exit the esses.

The 87-91 was the best ever I reckon. Bring on the noisy Sauber and the big flame crackling Nissan. Listen to the Silk Cat purr. Spice Cossie, say no more. And will there be a Rothmans Throat Strangler sponsored 962?

But will it be so good with some of the half arsed amateur drivers who run in the Gp C Championship? Who knows? Who cares? I don't, I'm just pleased it gives me something extra to look forward to, never a bad thing, and a bit of extra exitement and variety to the weekend, in and amongst all the piss ups.

Thats my worry as well, My memory of 956's Spices etc is of seeing them at full thoat out the esses spitting flame and noise.

What we may get is a couple of good drivers giving it a go and basking in the power, the rest may be like I would in a car that I own, valued at a couple of hundred grand with out the back up a large parts bin and full time crew, not to mention the money.

all credit to the guys how a prepared to give it a go and not consign there cars to a dusty musuem somewhere.

However.......I certainly think some of the front runners in the classic LM support race were having a serious go.

Hopefully, the Group C boys will put on a bit of a show as well.

Easy, Tiger. I take it you're not too keen on track cham-pain, then. In truth, nor are we, but it's become traditional.
Usually watch the start from outside of Dunlop curve, with the field rushing straight at us, at the drop of the tri-colour.
Ever higher concrete battlements and razorwire, combined with increasing numbers of morons in the crowd with golfing umberellas to shade the sun/deluge have made it a less attractice location of late.
Enjoyed the old run into the esses from the fairground side and the short chute into Tetre Rouge from the infield. Seeing and listening to the AMR1 on overrun into Tetre Rouge and then thumping down the straight, whilst enjoyong a beautiful, warm sunny Saturday evening and with a night on the lash in prospect was the absolute coolest thing.
Even if they do tippy-toe around for 40 minutes, it'll just be great to see them on the circuit again.  

Have to agree with you Steve, I think the majority of owners of this type of machinery like to see it being used in anger, usually paying experienced wheelmen if they are not up to it. Plus the extra kudos associated with the car if it wins adds to the value in circles where this kind of stuff is traded.

So bring on the Group C, it will certainly rekindle memories for me.

Saw the Group C race at Donington last year - great cars, particulary the XJRs.   Some will be driven hard, some will be driven and some will be pedalled - but the main thing is seeing them out on the track - sights, sounds and memories - I for one will be trackside with ales in hand  ;D ;D ;D ;D

But what about the most incredible (and painful !) noise of all - the rotary engined Mazda ? To be inside the Dunlop Bridge when that went through was unforgettable ! :) :)

Those blasted Mazdas, the noise was painful & you could hear the things almost all the way round.
I wonder if any of them are in private hands? If not it may almost pay mazda to dust one off, put in a pro driver and reap the rewards.
There are some very good drivers in the series, Justin Law, Nick Adams etc, plus there is the promise of some named guest drivers, Andy Wallace who drove a Jag a while back.

How tempting it would be to wind up the boost, stick on some soft rubber and post a time quicker than a current LMP!, the times set at Donnington show that the GRp C cars are not that far away.

 ;D



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Good job there's no sound to go with the picture, Mr Rick - the modem would think it had been struck by lightning! :o

Am I right in recalling that there's a Mazda in the Le Mans museum - it would be nice to see some of those cars pulled out for a run - if they're able to now?

The Renown (not sure on spelling) Mazda bright green and orange, is in there, this and the peugeots are some of my first memories of LM.

Almost enough noise to make your ears bleed!

Remember standing at the end of the pit straight in 1990, hanging over the wall. A pair of Kudzu Mazdas came past wheel to wheel. It was like having a knitting needle pushed into one ear and out the other side.

It's the '91 winning car

Bertrand Gachot, Volker Weidler, and Johnny H! 8) Really wanted the Jags to win, but was happy to see Mazda do it, rather than some of the other works teams.

Didn't Bertrand later get into a scrape with the law? Fraud or kicking somesomes teeth in I seem to remember. Anyway, it was all very unpleasant. Or was it Volker?

Gachot got imprisoned in the UK for spraying CS gas in the face of a cabbie during a "contretemps" over some traffic incident, possibly involving some very runny cheese. 'Twas 1991.

There were all manner of protests in the form of track graffiti at the Belgian GP when he was procluded from running in his home GP at Spa, but isn't that when ol' Spoonface stepped up to the plate? (Edit:)Yep, just checked the old GP archives and that is indeed when our Germanic friend swapped his lederhosen and sausages for a seat in Gachot's Jordan. The rest, as they say, is history!

Still remember sitting on the banking in 1991 just before the Ford Chickens and you could hear the roar from the grandstand area as the Mazzy took the lead from the stranded Merc in the pitlane! Great stuff!

And as for the Lemons museum car, I believe that is made to look like the winner, I'm fairly sure the real winning chassis is still in Japan at Mazda-land.

Am I right in thinking the Mazda that won in '91 did not have a wankel engine ? From memory it was not as painful to the ears as previous incarnations, or perhaps it was limited by a choke ?

Or am I utterly wrong - yet again  ??? ???

I'm afraid so Dryhen. The difference was that the 91 car had a tri-rotor engine as opposed to the earlier twin rotor wankel which made it a little softer - it was still quite rowdy, but slightly less ear splitting than the Nikon cars.

Actually and on reflection, I'm in danger of being hoisted by my own petard here - the Mazdaspeed 787B was a quad-rotor - not a tri.
The car in the museum is not the 91 winning chassis - but carries the garish CHARGE livery AND # 55. It is in fact the #56 sister car that finished 8th in 1991.
Whta an absolutely brilliant event the 91 race was - everything was perfect - the variety of the grid - the perfect weather and the fairytale ending. One of the very, very best Le Mans I've attended.

OH MY GOD, has anybody a spare w*nk sock I think I am going to need one, best race ever was at silverstone in (Blah minds gone blank) at a 1000k where Jonny Palmer driving a 956 his pit crew didnt put a wheel on correct and he spent about 1/2 hour in the pit he came out with the red mist and broke lap record after lap record, and even unlapped himself from the leaders. The crowd were going berserk. I spoke to him about it at Le Mans one year (1989-1990) and he cannot remember a lot about the drive apart from being very angry and the red mist.

Cant wait for them to come back, cant we arrange to swap the races over and see the Group C boys race for the 24 hrs.  

Matt -
The knowledge (and/or archives) of some of you guys simply amazes me ....... but I think we ought to know - is your petard twin, tri or quad rotor?  ;D ;D

Must get to bed now - we're marshalling near Coventry tomorrow where Russell Brookes and Pentti Arikkala are performing, so will probably have to do some pushing  (if only to get Brookes into the car  ::) :P

Only 40 mins, could they open up the chicanes for old times sake???

Hi Rhino, Thanks for that brilliant idea  :P
Makes too much sense to happen but brilliant none the less ::)
Canada Phil

While there at it, could you please arrange for the Dunlop Bridge chicane to taken out as well.

For me, this is as big a crime as the chicanes on the straight. It has, I think had just as big an impact on the  race as those 2.

PS can we have the old silverstone back as well complete with the woodcote corner.

Anyone remember this?????
http://www.4-lesco.com/pages4/car4sale6.html

My first Le Mans!  Had a great time and hence my addiction!

I've never looked at a Mazda in the same light since.
91 was certainly one of those years, and so was this one. Big knickers, lizard women, Wandering Testicles, icemen, geisha girls....
H


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Still looks better like this

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DM,

This has to be one of my all time favourites from the time I've been going to LM (since 1990).

Thanks for posting it.

Abs

Yeee haaaa.  First saw em in 84 and have been wishing for em to come back ever since the Mazda thingy won,

For those who have not seen them, believe me you will not want it to end.

Love it


Jem

Hi Jem, good to see you break cover. have not seen you post for a long time. I too am looking forward to the Group C. Roll on June
Canada Phil

Hi Phil,

You're right I've been a bit scarce of late.  

Watched the Le Mans film last night (Steve Mcqueen) which just brought it all flooding back.

Roll on June.

Jem

to me, these cars are what Le Mans is all about from when I was just getting interested in motorsport. But never had the pleasure of seeing them live- this is truly exciting stuff.

Hope the grid is full and varied - perhaps if they prove to be a huge success, and judging by the responses to this thread they should be, perhaps another category for Group C could be included in the "historic" meeting in years to come.

Of course, you could go out and buy your own for USD980,000.........

www.dauer-automobile.com

With the current exchange rate that's a snip!!   ;D

and road legal by all accounts.....

....imagine one of those on Mad Friday at Indianapolis or outside MB!!!!!

But would it be fast enouh to dodge the Super Soakers??  ;D ;D

Just another pic of a Mazda for you - the sister car to the one posted by Big H.  Not taken at LM but at a 1989 World Sportscar round at Brands Hatch. Not only a wonderful noise - but flame spitting as well, as you can see....

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