[PRESS RELEASE] Les 2 Tours d'Horloge 2023: More than 50 crews already entered!

The blue riband event of the V de V Sports season, the 2 Tours d’Horloge, the only competition in the world reserved for Historic Racing Cars run over a period of 24 hours without interruption, will end the 2023 season in a blaze of glory on the Paul Ricard circuit with more than 50 crews already entered!

Revived in 2021 by its creator Eric Van de Vyver, now associated with his daughter Laure in the organisation of this unique event in the world, the 2 Tours d’Horloge has met with ever-increasing success. This concept of endurance racing dedicated to VHCs, which was already highly acclaimed on its creation in 1992, something which continued up until 2014, has yet again attracted many teams from France and abroad.

As in the past, the race will again take place on the Paul Ricard circuit, the theatre of the last French Formula 1 Grand Prix. This unmissable event for teams driven by their passion for Endurance has already attracted around fifty crews who, according to the mix of genres specific to major endurance races, will share the wheel of GTs/Touring Cars and Sports Prototypes.

Among them, let’s start with the defending champions: the Britons Chris Snowdon/David Houghton/Mike Fry/Josh Law in the Tiga SC 83 entered by Equipe Rosbif Snowdon. Another Tiga, winner of the 2021 edition, the Team Gemanova SC 84 of Laurent Vallery-Masson/Eric Martin/Fabrice Notari /Pascal Gerbout is also expected. Accustomed to being among the front-runners, the Pascal Duhamel / Sébastien Crubile pairing in the Porsche 930 Turbo prepared by Crubile Sport for the Pascalou Racing team, which clinched pole position in 2021 and 2022, will take up the challenge of racing in the 24 hours with only two drivers and will be another victory contender. This is also true for the Swiss-Monegasque crew comprising Marc Faggionato / Christian Vaglio – Giors / Gislain Genecand at the wheel of the Tiga SC 79 run by the Palmyr team, winner this year of the “Endurance 6 Hours V de V du GPFH” race part of the KENNOL Grand Prix de France Historique meeting. The Chateaux family trio, Paul (the father) and his two sons, Matthieu and Jean-Baptiste are also among the favourites after driving their BMW 635 CSI to victory in the 6 Hours of Barcelona in May of 2023. They are currently leading the 2023 VHC V de V Endurance classification.

There will be many other victory contenders in the race starting with the Armand Mille/Guillaume Mahé/Erwin France crew, 2nd overall in 2021 with an authentic BMW 635 Group A. This car competed in the European Touring Car Championship and the 24 Hours of Spa with Thierry Boutsen at the wheel. Also in the mix is the very fast Ford GT40 run by the Hyracing team entrusted to the Franco-Belgian pairing of Olivier Muytjens / Brice Pineau who will be aiming for the topmost step

*Chris Snowdon/David Houghton/Mike Fry/Josh Law, 2022 winners in their Tiga SC 83.*

*Pascal Duhamel/Sébastien Crubile in their Porsche 930 Turbo will be among the victory contenders.*

The BMW 323 i of Wassermann Racing for Eric Wassermann/Charles Veillard/Bert Smeets/Eric Baumard

A WIDE VARIETY OF CARS

Among the teams entered under the Porsche banner is the squad managed by Alain Cudini, former French Touring Car champion who also took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 13 occasions, which will field a Porsche 944 S2 for Arnold Noret /Philippe Vigneron/Jacques Colibet as well as a 944 Turbo for Christian Noret. Other teams running Porsches include Team Bersi Immobilier with Damien Kohler / Grégoire Audi / Jean-Jacques Renaut driving a 911 3.0 RS, Circuit de Dakar/Mansfeld also with a 911 3.0 RS for Serge Libens /Marc and Christine de Siebenthal /Henrique Gemperle, Skoal Bandit running a 944 Turbo for Hugo Mezard / Emilien Chayia / Antoine and Nicolas Doquin, Flatsix Le Mans Circuit with a 911 3.0 SC for Christophe Gaultier/Stéphane Deshayes /Mickael Bossuet and a 964 for Pierre Le Flem/Bruno Vieren /Axel Mereau, JH Racing Team with another 964 for Julien and Franck Hardonnière, GBF Racing with a 964 for Christophe Laberty /Sébastien Mathieu, Simon Racing with two 964 Cups without forgetting Jean-Marc Bachelier/Edouard Ortion in a 911 3.0 SC as well as Philippe Raffin / Didier and Louis Ortion / “Claudio” at the wheel of a 944 S2.

Further proof of the diversity of models entered in GT is provided by the Shelby Mustang GT350 in the hands of Britons Nick Sleep / Joel Wykeham /Alex Montgomery, the Ford Mustang of Stéphane, Baptiste and Mathieu Guyot-Sionnest, Jean-Charles Rédélé’s Alpine A310, the Alpine A310 GR. 4 driven by Damien Alfano and the Alpine V6 GT (Berlinetta Mag ) in the hands of Cyril Mancel.

There’s also great variety in the Tourism category to round off the models already mentioned. They include the Atlantic Racing BMW 635 Super Production for Jean-Marie Belleteste / Pierre Aviron-Violet / Steve Goldin / Serge Kriknoff, the BMW 530 ius entered by Black-Flag Engineering for Patrick Bourguignon/Jorge Vargas-Clément/Pierre Laversanne / Malivaï Castelli, the BMW M3 driven by Philippe Truffier/Pedro Fernandes, the BMW 2002 TI in the hands of Jérémy and Alexandre Ferrer/Quentin Jouanny, Patrick Bouvier’s BMW 2002 TI, the Wassermann Racing BMW 323 i for Eric Wassermann/Charles Veillard /Bert Smeets /Eric Baumard and the Team TH Mini 1300 for Thierry and Enzo Thiefain.

*The Ford GT40 of Olivier Muytjens / Brice Pineau will also be aiming for the topmost step of the podium.*

*Watch out for Armand Mille/Guillaume Mahé/Erwin France and their ex- Boutsen Gr A BMW 635.*

Porsche 944 of Cudini Racing Team and Skoal Bandit

LECONTE, ANDRUET AND OTHER VIPS AT THE START

Henri Leconte, the former tennis player (winner of the Davis Cup in 1991, finalist of the French Open in 1988 and winner of the men’s doubles at Roland Garros in 1984), is passionate about motor racing. He would not have missed the 2 Tours d’Horloge for anything in the world as he’s one of its stalwart supporters. He will compete in the race at the wheel of V de V’s TVR Griffith 200 shared with Eric Van de Vyver, Guillaume Maillard and Patrick Brossard. Jean-Claude Andruet, double French rally champion in 1968 and 1970 (33 victories in this championship from 1968 to 1984), European rally champion in 1970 (17 victories from 1970 to 1984), winner in the world championship in Monte-Carlo in 1973, the Tour de Corse in 1974 and Sanremo in 1977, is also expected at the wheel of a Chevron B21 shared with Jean-Claude Torre/Gilbert Casanova and prepared by the O-One team. The Parisian auction house Artcurial will be represented by its two directors, Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff entered in a Ford Escort. Finally, it’s rumoured that the renowned presenter of the oldest television show dedicated to the motor car will also be joining in the fun!

MANY PROTOS

In addition, a rich selection of prototypes will line up on the grid. In addition to those mentioned above, there’s the Tiga SC 83 of the British Team Rosbif for the trio Charlie, Ross and Nick Hyett, the Palmyr team’s March 81 S for “Nelson”/François Belle/Augustin Sanjuann, Jean-Charles Rédélé ‘s Lola T590, the Racing & Classic Lola T598 for Valerio and Davide Leone/Marco Coppini, the Grac MT-14B run by the Ecurie Quattro Cardinale/ Chateaux for Axel de Ferran /Bernard Zimmer, a brace of Chevron B16s entered respectively by the RPL team and Atlantic Racing, one for Didier and Julien Gruau/José Beltramelli /Pierre-Alain France and the other with a twin-rotor engine for Romain Belleteste /Christophe Gadais /Daniel Roustan.

Note that seats are still available in some cars: Chevron B8, Ford GT 40, Mustang, etc. Interested drivers can contact us at contact@vdev.fr.