A RACE UP BETWEEN THE VINES

Although I have been to many international motor races in my time including World Championship Grand Prix and endurance races, I am not particularly fond of crowds and thus the smaller events are the ones I most favour.   Thus when we were in Veaugues earlier this month, I had no hesitation to go and watch the Hill Climb that winds up through the vineyards from Menetreol-sous-Sancerre towards the hill top town of Sancerre itself. It was the 40th running of the Course de Cote de Sancerre and it happened on Sunday 2nd June.  What a beautiful setting with all of the vineyards surrounding the course and with the hill town of Sancerre visible from most spectator positions. The length of the course is over 1,700 metre and the faster cars complete it in under 50 seconds whilst the slower cars struggle to get under1 minute 20 seconds. The hill climb is on public roads, which is a great tradition in France,  and on a normal day you can drive up it yourself - it is the D920 if you want to have a go.  About 120 cars took part.  Each car had three timed runs of which the fastest counts towards the final result. The winner was Serge Thomas in a Norma M20F but he was too fast for my camera!    But there were a great variety of other cars that I did manage to capture as shown below:

A Ligier JS49 sports racing car sweeps through the third corner 

Another sports car exiting the second corner

The vines were much in evidence up the whole course

The third corner again

Alain Francais in his beautiful Alpine A110

Jean-Benoit Bleyra applies opposite lock in his Citroen AX Sport

Fabien Dorange in his Alfa Romeo 75

One of the fast Simca Rallyes

The Alpine 310 powers through the vines

The backdrop is beautiful

Not all cars made it up the hill under their own steam

A Porsche heads up an avenue of beautiful trees

Manuel Santos in his Alpine A110 

Benoit Sabard harries his Peugeot 106 516 through a corner

Luis Tuero lifts a wheel in his Renault Clio Williams 

Rene-Herve Ruault in his Lotus Coupe

David Alexandre was twelfth in his BAM 111

Mickael Content in his Martini Mk 78

Third placed Gael Boisson in his Dallara 399

A Caterham Seven blasts up the hill

Even the French drive on the left sometimes!

A PRM FunBoost

One of the many sports cars

Jean-Pierre Picault in his Barquette JPS FCM

Another Martini speeds through the vines

Christian Martin in his Martini Mk81 just missed out on the top ten

Bruno Beyer races up the hill in his venerable March 803

An F2000 Group car

All the cars were breaking the speed limit!