RtG The Daily Dispatch - Carrera Riviera - WEB - Flipbook - Page 23
4 to 15 June 2023
Day 11 Courchevel to Tourrettes (455.8km)
Photo: gerardbrown.co.uk
Classic category winners: Simon and Jack Brien, Jaguar C-Type
The stillness of a midsummer morning is something
to cherish in the hills of the Provence-Alpes-Côte
d’Azur. With this in mind, the Organisers allowed
the crews something of a later start today, to soak
up the tranquility and to drink in the ambiance.
Then they were sent into one final sinuous section, a Test
and lunch on a shady terrace in the Var. The crews and
cars would then be given the red carpet / chequered flag
treatment on the famous Cannes Croisette before they
settled into the prize giving dinner to enjoy their very own
film festival, courtesy of Chris Sharp, Ryan Hallett and
Marcus Jones.
From a delicious breakfast at the Terre Blanche Hôtel
it was a straightforward run over the Plains des Maures
where the crews enjoyed a postcard perfect drive
through the hills with tantalising views towards the chic
Mediterranean towns of Saint-Tropez and Sainte-Maxime.
Next, with a background of the Parc naturel régional des
Préalpes d’Azur, the final Test at Prestige Karting proved
15 June 2023
to be a stunner. As well as giving the crews battling for the
honours a chance to claw back some lost time, it proved
beyond doubt French kart tracks are vraiment formidable.
It wasn’t only the main protagonists who tore up the
track though, some of the occupants of the minor placings
were seen, and indeed heard, to commit themselves 100%
around the corners and through the chicanes. Sadly Peter
and Louise Morton retired here. Two slow punctures made
life in their Alvis a bit uncomfortable, so they opted to skip
straight to the final lunch in the Château Saint-Roux.
As the crews tucked into the buffet; under a shady canopy,
Andrew Kellitt and Audrey Rudd busied themselves with
the tricky job of sifting through the timecards. The results
were very close and it wasn’t until just before the finish
line in Cannes that we’d know which crew was going to
be given the job of soaking the rest of the rally with the
Champagne.
As we reached the beach, close analysis of the results
showed how tight things were. Simon and Jack Brien’s
Jaguar had just pipped Tomasz Dzitko and Beata Siwek’s
1973 MGB GT to first place by virtue of it being the older
car. Incredibly, after more than 3,300km of driving and 11
off-road Tests, on every other metric there was nothing
else to separate them. And, in a very sporting gesture,
the Irish crew invited the Poles onto the podium to share
the applause.
Pre-war category winners: Martin and Olivia Hunt, Frazer Nash-BMW 328
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