IT’S REVIVAL TIME
ON 5 – 6 – 7 NOVEMBER 2021
ON THE PAUL RICARD CIRCUIT!
The famous race created by Eric Van de Vyver was eagerly awaited last autumn, but had to be postponed until 2021 because of the health measures brought in by the French government to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be revived this coming November and delight fans of endurance events reserved for historic racing cars.
In 1992, when this innovative race was announced there were some skeptical comments. “Making cars and engines that are thirty years old race for 24 hours is never going to work!” However, despite all this generally negative opinion Eric Van de Vyver, who was tired of spending more time on the road than on the track, brought his project to fruition and organised the first HRC 24-hour endurance race. Thirty-nine teams turned up at Paul Ricard on 14th November 1992. Such was the success of the first event that as the years passed more and more competitors entered for the race: there were no fewer than 54 cars at the start of the third edition! In keeping with the mixture that is such a prominent feature of major endurance races, gentlemen drivers and professionals shared the wheel of GTs, Touring cars as well as sports prototypes. Thus, among the crews were Gérard Larrousse, Henri Leconte, Luc Alphand in particular as well as many other names from the world of sport.
Les 2 Tours d’Horloge took place on the circuit in Provence for seven years before moving to the Ricardo Tormo track near Valencia in Spain in 1999 followed by the Nevers Magny-Cours F1 layout. Finally, it returned to the Paul Ricard circuit for its last two stagings in 2012 and 2014.
Seven years after its disappearance from the sporting calendar, Les 2 Tours d’Horloge will be back on the circuit on which it was held for the last time and on which it has been revived to write a new chapter in its history on 5-6-7 November 2021.
As in the past V de V Sports will be the mastermind behind it. “It’s just the right moment to relaunch Les 2 Tours d’Horloge. I have the feeling that around me there are many competitors who can’t wait to share this marvellous adventure once again,” says a delighted Eric Van de Vyver. “The race is going to be revived with the backing of my daughter, Laure, and the V de V Sports team. The spirit remains the same as the one that has always been the guiding light of this event. Together with all the participants we will be there to live 24 hours of happiness and good humour above all else.
This rendezvous will also provide the opportunity to host a 3-hour sporting regularity event – Les 100 Tours du Castellet – open to cars aged 25 years minimum that will take place on 5-6 November.
THE MAGNY-COURS 6 HOURS AS A PROLOGUE
Of course, V de V Sports is keen to hold a race that will help competitors to prepare and train for Les 2 Tours d’Horloge so they will organise a 6-hour event beforehand. It was initially scheduled to take place during the Nascar Whelen Euro Series meeting on 16-17 April on the Valencia circuit, but finally it will now be held on the Nevers Magny-Cours layout on 14-15-16 May.
The types of cars as well as the regulations are exactly the same for the Magny-Cours 6 Hours as for Les 2 Tours d’Horloge. The organisers have already decided to accept crews comprising four drivers so that competitors can have the same lineup for the big 24-hour endurance event.
Les 2 Tours d’Horloge and the Magny-Cours 6 Hours will be open to cars from the following groups:
GT group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periods G1, G2, H1, H2, I, J1 and J2 (1966-1990)
- Group 3: Series Production GTs
- Group 4: Competition GTs
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Touring Cars
- Saloon Car
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Cars
Touring group :
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periods G1, G2, H1, H2, I, J1 and J2 (1966-1990)
- Group 1: Series Production Touring Cars
- Group 2: Competition Touring Cars
- Group 5: Groups 1-4 Special Production Touring Cars
- Saloon Car
- Group N: Series Production Touring Cars
- Group A: Competition Touring Cars
Sports Prototypes Group:
Periods E, F (1947-1965)
Periode GR (1966-1971)
- SP 1: 2L Sports Prototypes
- SP 2: +2L Sports Prototypes
Period HR (1972-1976)
- SP 3: 2L Sports Prototypes
- SP 4: +2L Sports Prototypes
Sports 2000 until 1986 admission on application, without aerodynamic appendices, complying with SRCC Sports 2000 Historic, SRCC Sports Pinto regulations and appendix 3 of these regulations “Technical criteria Sport 2000.”
Media contact:
Henri Suzeau : hsuzeau@ontheroadconsulting.net – Tél.: +33 (0)6 08 26 90 56
V de V Sports contact :
Laure Van de Vyver : +33 (0)6 28 53 12 99 – Éric Van de Vyver : +33 (0)6 09 11 28 69
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