A Ferrari 275GTB/C Win at Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or
The 53rd Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or, which took place on June 9 to 11 at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, fulfilled all its promise, starting with ideal weather conditions that helped attract a large crowd. This year 15,000 people flocked to the meeting, continuing the progressive increase in spectators, a reward for the organizer Peter Auto for the numerous improvements made to the event since the company took it over again in 2014.
The Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or, the oldest race of its kind in Europe in the domain of historic competitions, offered an action-packed program with ten grids and 16 races retracing the history of motor sport from post-war single-seaters to the Group C cars of the 1980s, as well as the GTs with a grid of almost 60 entrants in Sixties’ endurance, touring cars, Formula 2 and Formula Junior. A total of almost 300 cars were present, including the most recent GTs in the Global Endurance Legends Series that carried out several on-track demonstrations.
The Trofeo Nastro Rosso races saw the most Ferrari entrants, with veteran vintage driver Vincent Gaye winning both races in his 1966 275GTB/C. In second in Race 1 was the dynamic team of Carlos Monteverde and Gary Pearson in Carlos’ 1964 250 LM, but they did not start Race 2. Jan Guzen was fourth in a 1966 275 GTB/4 and Arnold Meier was sixth in a 1961 250 GT. In the race for Classic Endurance cars, the team of Carlos Monteverde and Gary Pearson had a 1970 512 M, and in the pre-1961 race, Tony Best had his Dino 246.
This year the Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or wasn’t just about historic cars. Also on the program were some of the jewels from the world of aviation, which added excitement to the skies over the circuit on Saturday afternoon. The star of this air show was a 1945 Spitfire powered by a Rolls-Royce engine putting out more than 2000 horsepower. There was also a Sea Fury from 1949 in the colors of the Royal Australian Navy, which flew during the Korean War in particular. And last but not least, a Laird LC-RW300 Speedwing, a two-seater biplane from 1929, the only survivor of the five built by American Company, Laird Aircraft.
The makes’ clubs, other major players in the Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or, arrived at the event in even greater numbers than before and were able to take advantage of the on-track runs reserved for them. And finally the public could profit from a varied range of pleasures including the many exhibitors and activities laid on for their enjoyment.
Images from Fotorissima.
