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We have now sent out January and February 2CV Racing Club email Newsletters. It looks like we have had a net total of 300+ members and friends open them, which is an encouraging number.

- If you have received them and opened them, thank you.
- We are using two lists, so if you have received two or three, then we may eventually sort it, but de-duplicating is not an easy task.
- If you have received them but have not opened them, it is quite safe to do so.
- If you have not received any of them, then go to the home page of this website and enter your email address.
- If you know of anyone who might like to receive it, then encourage them to fill in the box on the home page. There is no limit and no cost.

A key message in both is that 2018 Early Bird for the Sprint series and 24 Hour both close on March 1.

[Our racing will be on BBC Top Gear]

All

Our racing will be on BBC Top Gear

Some may know that BBC Top Gear staged a mock race for 2CV's at Croix back in July. Around 9 of our cars were involved. It will be shown as part of a programme feature celebrating 70 years of the 2CV.

Our mole at the Beeb has advised today that the transmission dates are still not set, but it should be in February / March.

If and when we get more accurate date info, we'll post it here.

[Jon Davis]

All:

Jon Davis

I have to convey the very sad news that Jon Davis died today. It is believed that he was travelling back from the Mettet Circuit in Belgium. He was in some discomfort and pulled into a service area on the M25. There he had a massive heart attack.

Jon has been a Club member for many years and was a friend to lots of us and known to many more. He was always his own man. He raced 2CV's on and off for many, many, years, most recently in this years Snet 24 Hour and at the Spa 24 Hour. An accountant by training, he had an amazing technical knowledge of all kinds of vehicles, including our Citroen 2CV's. His extended garden was a treasure trove of old vehicles of all kinds. Lately he had given big USA cars a go with several outings in racing versions of the Mustang and similar.

We have passed condolences to his neighbour and long time friend, Tiggy Reeve.

He will be much missed.

MH

[Liqui Moly 2CV 24 Hour Race, 2018]

Liqui Moly 2CV 24 Hour Race, 2018

The Classic 2CV Racing Club is pleased to announce that Liqui Moly were very pleased with the publicity that their brand achieved as title sponsors of the 24 Hour race in 2017.

As a result, hey have decided to continue their support for our unique 24 Hour race in 2018.

Take a fresh look at their amazing product range, including special lubricants for classic cars: www.liqui-moly.com

[Chateau Impney Hill Climb 2017]

Chateau Impney Hill Climb 2017

Following a surprise invitation from the organisers, we took 97 along and I did three demo runs over the weekend.

It's a huge event with over 200 competing cars, vintage, historic and classic. Each competing car did two practice and two 'race' runs over the two days. The venue is a wonderful French style country house hotel off M5, jct 5. The well surfaced hill climb track wanders up the hill through the trees (lots of very big straw bales) and it even runs round a roundabout. The crowd was huge - probably the biggest that has ever viewed a 2CV racer in action. We were on display in the concours section, with some very, very, expensive cars around us.

The organisers were extremely welcoming and the event is quite classy. They want some 2CV's there in 2018 and will be creating a suitable class allowing them to enter. Pre-1965 racing saloons or similar - a 2CV is unlikely to win the class, but no-one apart from the driver really cares about times. The whole thing is televised on big screens around the course and there are great camping facilities next to the paddock.

A super weekend, possibly a bit like the Goodwood Festival in its early days, and I'll keep you posted about next years event. Remember, next year we celebrate 70 years of the Citroen 2CV.

[2CV Team LION]

2CV Team LION have had a withdrawal from our second car, 79, driver line-up. This is a fast car, but with a bit of patina around the edges. It won the 24 Hour twice at Anglesey and has won numerous sprint races. Adequate spare engines and tyres. It is fully fettled with a very experienced pit garage and support crew. It will share garage with 97 and a third car. Drive would suit someone who has done the race before but open to proposals. Call me on 07973 303982 or email: [email protected]

This year, the Citroen 2CV will have been in existence for 70 years. And the Classic 2CV Racing Club has been racing them for 28 of those years.

BBC Top Gear are helping celebrate those 70 years with a big feature on the Citroen 2CV. It's being filmed shortly and will be in the Autumn programme schedule.

And, yes, our amazing racing will be included!  More later.

[Liqui Moly 2CV 24 Hour]

The Club is pleased to confirm that the Liqui Moly 2CV 24 Hour Race will be broadcast with video live on the web. It will be available on the Club website, the Motorsport Media site and the new BARC-TV.

At the circuit, the live commentary will also be available on FM circuit radio, frequency awaited from Ofcom.

The commentary team will be local motoring journo and racer Lewis Beales, Jake Sanson, Lester Forbes and club stalwart Christine Savage.

It's a low budget operation which worked properly for the first time last year at Anglesey, so we keep our fingers crossed for this year. Tech support is by Nic Holmes.

In addition to the fixed cameras viewing the track from the commentary box, we should also have a walk-about camera in the pit lane, to peer into engines and for live interviews.

Although by BBC standards it's low budget operation, it still costs. It is only made possible by the generous support of our title sponsors, Liqui Moly, the Norwich and King's Lynn Citroen dealer, Duff Morgan, and the other sponsors listed on the home page.

['Motorsport News' Wednesday; February 15th edition]

Some good things are happening in the build-up to the first rounds of the 2017 2CVParts.com 2CV Championship at Oulton Park, March 18.

'Motorsport News'  Wednesday; February 15th edition
This great motor sport weekly newspaper is running a full-page preview feature by racing journo Jack Cozens on our 2017 Citroen 2CV racing season. Don't miss it.

Race Retro, Stoneleigh Park, near Warwick, February 24-26
The Classic 2CV Racing Club has a stand in Hall 2, 1.422. It features Ash Carter's race car in its amazing new season Liqui Moly livery. Book tickets in advance on their website.

We are pleased to announce that the 2017 24 hour race is sponsored by Liqui Moly, with the full title of Liqui Moly Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race. It will on the Snetterton 200 circuit over the weekend of August 18-20. It should be webcast live at: www.2cvracing.org.uk. For those at the race, the race commentary will be live on FM radio - frequency to be confirmed.

Bromyard Speed Festival, Bromyard, Herefordshire, April 2
This unique event has classic race cars buzzing round the town centre of the county town. The 2CV Team LION race car will be on display in the town centre area.  The event is free to attend.

More soon.

[HEINEKEN]

HEINEKEN Ad

You just have to see the new Heineken ad with Sir Jackie Stewart. Amazing piece of oblique advertising.

You can find it at crash.net. Very, very, creative and strangely moving.

[Live webcast of Elim Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race]

Live webcast of Elim Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race

After several years of trying, we succeeded in producing live video to support the excellent commentary. We had two cameras, viewing the Corkscrew, the pit-lane and occasionally the stormy sea. A third to view the commentators. It was not exactly Olympic standard coverage, but it worked and was cheapish. It gives a base to build on in future races. It was watched by an astonishing 3655 viewers in total.

The real credit goes to Sebastian Krzeminski who planned the system, Ian Sanderson who did the ad graphics (for our much valued sponsors), Tom Brooks who organised the ad voice-overs and Nic Holmes who connected it all up in the tower and even did a bit of commentating - in between being a fueller on 2CV Team Lion.

I have just read the BARC final instructions, and in case anyone has not spotted it, the 24 Hour start time has been changed to 09.30.

[24 Hour - Friday drive-around confirmed]

24 Hour - Friday drive-around confirmed

It has been confirmed that the proposed drive-around will take place late on Friday afternoon of the 24 Hour weekend. It will be after the conclusion of testing and before BARC qualifying.

Sign-on will be in the café from 16.30. Start should be around 17.30, for about 30 minutes. Cost is £10, cash, per car.

Most road cars can participate plus cars entered in the 24 hour if they wish. It will be paced, so not too fast and helmets not required.

[Autosport, October 8]

Last week's Autosport, October 8, had a full page feature describing the experiences of young guns George Russell and Ben Barnicoat racing 2CVs at Oulton Park at the beginning of the season. The day was more remembered for other happenings, but it's not a bad little story and not too sarky.

We can't post it here, but if anyone would like a read, drop me an email: [email protected], and I'll send a scan to you.

It's written by Marcus Simmons, their deputy editor, so we'll try to get him into a car next year.

[Citroen UK and Elim Citroen working with Classic 2CV Racing Club]

Citroen UK and Elim Citroen working with Classic 2CV Racing Club

At Anglesey, Citroen had six C4 Cactus cars in the paddock and lots of people got to drive them around the circuit or do test runs on the local roads. A seventh was stickered up and was the Safety Car, which given the terrible conditions, saw quite a lot of use.

Citroen also sent a professional camera crew who interviewed lots of people and shot lots of material which should pop up on their social media sites from the end of this week. So start following Citroen UK on Facebook and others soon.

Ethan Sparrow's beautiful racing 2CV is currently in the reception area of Citroen UK in Coventry. This weekend it will feature on the Citroen stand at Chris Evan's Car Fest South. If you are visiting, take a look, and better, some pics.

[Dogs]

Just a few things:

Dogs - none allowed inside the circuit. The Fisherman's Car Park is just near the gate and technically outside the circuit. You can park a caravan or camper there and dogs can be left - in the right conditions, obviously.

Citroen UK - are sending a team from their Academy to film the event, to provide material for their social media. So, polish your race cars until they shine!

Circuit Bar / cafe - is under new management. Their top item is a superb Welsh Black Beef 8oz burger, served with salad, dressing and chips. Price is great value at £6.50. During the after-race party on Sunday night, they will be at the special price of £5 each.

Pit wall technology - the circuit has been busy upgrading the wi-fi and hard wire access to the web. It should be much more efficient than last year. Every garage already has its own wi-fi repeater.

Elim Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race Radio - is on 87.9fm this year. Listen to it on your lap top, smart phone or tablet at www.2cvracing.org.uk or at www.downforce-radio.co.uk.

It's important that we help all our spectators at Anglesey enjoy their experience. As a series we have to engage with everyone we can. Citroen are sending 6 Cactus cars and our title sponsor, Elim Citroen, is organsing his sales people so that they will give anyone who wants one a free ride round the circuit on Saturday morning.
  Back in the paddock, with the pedestrian door and the wind, almost all garages had the rear roller shutter down last year. This meant that the long tradition of spectators being able to watch the pit crews in action was lost to most of them. Almost all felt diffident about opening the pedestrian door, and I think we can understand why.
  This year, the plan is to borrow or hire plastic pedestrian barriers and place them inside each garage, so that anyone walking into the garage can stand by the barrier and watch what is going on. Teams can then engage with those visitors if they wish. The barriers are app 2m long. They will cause teams minor invonvenience - but one couple I spoke to after the event had driven their 2CV from Chelmsford (they were regular attendees at Snet) but felt that with the shutter down and the door closed, they were not too welcome to walk into the garage. That's not good as the more spectators we can attract the stronger is our negotiating position with the circuit.
  Every pedestrian garage door will have a sign inviting visitors to simply walk in and up to the barrier. This will also be mentioned in the drivers/cars sheet and in the commentary.
  The barriers are the normal plastic moulded things you see everywhere. We need 12. We can hire them locally, but if anyone can scrounge 12 and get them to Anglesey, it will save the club some cash. 

['Professional Motorsport World']

In recent years, 'Professional Motorsport World' have been very generous and supportive sponsors of the 24 Hour race. This year, they have decided to stand down, but I am assured by Tony Robinson that he still holds strong affection for our unique racing.
  Last year, local dealers Elim Citroen sponsored the Safety Car. The team at Elim greatly enjoyed their first experience of being actively involved in the race and this year jumped at the opportunity to be title sponsors. So, the new and correct title of the race is 'Elim Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race, 2015'.
  Elim Citroen will be presenting a display of Citroen and DS cars in the paddock and Citroen UK are sending a display unit to support them. Somewhere for people to shelter out of the wind!
  Anglesey Circuit are enouraging spectators, car clubs and affinity groups to come along to the race weekend, and camping around the unused Loop is free. A new shower block should be ready.
   On the Saturday the Classic 2CV Racing Club is organising two on-track events prior to the start of the 24 Hour. One is a Drive Around. This for anyone who wants to do a couple of slow laps to view the circuit. Sign on, donate £5 to the Air Ambulance fund, and off they can drive, with as many people as there are seats. If some want to go a bit faster, there will be Track Sessions. Here, sign on, show that they have a helmet and long sleeves, pay app £15 for 20 minutes, listen to the briefing and away they go. A second passenger, with helmet, can ride along.
  And everyone should take an FM radio, to listen in to 'Elim Citroen 2CV 24 Hour Race Radio' on 87.7fm. More news soon.
     

The event is called 'La Vie En Bleu' and celebrates all French cars.

The track itself is very good and very challenging with a tricky hairpin and a fast right hander, blind with negative camber! The paddock is full of all kinds and all ages of race cars. If it's a sunny day and you get a pitch on the grass under a cherry tree with a stone block with your race number on, it's delightful. The crowd is huge and it's like a big garden party.

Jon and I plan to race 97 and Pete might be there with his BMW powered car. Racing 2CV's are made very welcome, and the entry fee is around £120 per driver, with two practice runs in the morning and two race runs in the afternoon. A car can have two drivers. A whole days motorsport pleasure only interrupted by four 70 secs bursts.

Entries close soon, so if you fancy a different days racing, take a look at the website. We enter as, I think, the class for pre-1972 racing saloons. We're never going to beat the Renault Gordini ex WTCC cars, but, hey, who cares? If you are getting near the closing date, call Allan Cameron and tell him your entry is in the post. He'll probably keep a slot open for another 2CV.

DOWNFORCE RADIO

Downforce Radio is a web radio station for motorsport run by Jake Sanson. Some may know Jake as he is the commentator at Croft and also was the lead commentator on Radio SeaLion at Anglesey last year. He wanders around with what appears to be all the kit he needs in a satchel and a mike in hand ready to chat live with anyone he meets.

Here is the link which will take you to his (then) live coverage of the racing at Brands Hatch last weekend. The 2CV races are labelled accordingly:

http://downforce-radio.co.uk/racedaylive-brands-hatch-truck-racing/