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2010 Tour Auto Optic 2000 – Results and Photo Gallery

Porsche 356The 2010 Tour Auto sponsored by Optic 2000 was held April 19-24 in France, leaving once again from Paris. After an incursion to the North and the shores of the Channel, the 2010 edition returned to the South, with a finish in Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

After the Ferrari 250 “Tour de France” in 2007, the OSCA in 2008, the Jaguar MkII and Ford GT40 in 2009, the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo celebrated in 2010 the 50th anniversary of the first victory of the Ferrari 250 SWB in the Tour de France Automobile. The grid for this year’s event included seventeen Ferrari 250GT SWB, all paying tribute to the anniversary.

As in 2009, the Tour began from the Jardins des Tuileries in Paris. An ideal location situated in the heart of the capital, for the many visitors could come and admire the public exhibition of the cars on Monday April 19, day of checks and scrutineering.

1st stage: Tuesday 20 April / Paris – Vichy
Escorted by the Garde Republicaine, the competitors taking part to the 19th edition of the Tour Auto Optic 2ooo left the Jardin des Tuileries at the day break to join Fontainebleau, place of the official start of the rally. As in 2008, the whole grid took benefit from a privileged welcome in the main courtyard, to the spectators’ great delight. These ones were really numerous to encourage the competitors and admire the cars.

The History then immediately gave up its place to the competition, with a first special stage on a very sinuous and narrow closed road. A very technical stage which didn’t scared Hugo Payen on his powerful Jaguar Type E. The French young man scored the best time of the VHC category. The 2009 winner, Shaun Lynn on his Ford GT40, lied in ambush.

At Magny Cours, first circuit of the 2010 Tour, the Competition grids, which were the first to take the start, ensured the show with some very strong battles on the track. Hugo Payen, one of the favourite competitors of the rally unfortunately had to abandon, made way for Shaun Lynn to lead the classification at the end of the day.

Porsche 904 GTS at Paul Ricard
Porsche 904 GTS at Paul Ricard driven by France/France
Alfa GTV chasing Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Alfa GTV chasing Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Rosello/Richard Austin Cooper S creates traffic Jam at Paul Ricard
Mercedes 300SL Roadster
Forerunner Mercedes 300SL Roadster - Consten/Consten

2nd stage: Wednesday 21 April / Vichy – Lyon
A very sporting day awaited the competitors. To begin with, the winding and hilly layout of Charade, before the day’s first special stage and lunch at the Vollore castle from where they admired a sumptuous panorama. Then another road stage before arriving at the second stop-over town. A novelty for this 2010 edition as the Tour’s caravan stopped in the heart of Lyon, in the Tete d’Or Park.

Alfa Romeo TZ
Alfa Romeo TZ - Ellerbrock/Saft
Panhard Junior
Panhard Junior - Godefroy/Duprat
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette - Salam/Salam
Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari 275 GTB of Read/Robertson
Alfa Romeo GTA, Lotus Elan
Alfa Romeo GTA of Wildenburg/Hahne leads Lotus Elan of Verquin/Lambert
Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Ferrari 250 GT SWB - Devis/Clevely
Porsche 914-6 GT
Porsche 914-6 GT - Logan/Hampton finished second overall in Groupe G
Ferrari 308 GTB
Ferrari 308 GTB Group IV Michelotto - Entremont/Entremont
Jaguar E-Type
Porsche 911 T/H - Humphreys/Beverley avoids the Jaguar E-Type of Vial/Thomas

Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing - Von Finckenstein/Nistor
Jaguar XK120
Jaguar XK120 - Jouvin/Jouvin
Porsche 550 A of Ricci/Stoesser
Wearing #1, the Porsche 550 A of Ricci/Stoesser

3rd stage: Thursday 22 April / Lyon – Megeve
The competitors returned to the Bresse circuit that they discovered and unanimously appreciated for the first time in 2009. Two road special stages were also on the programme. The Tour then gained altitude, first of all in the Jura then in the Alps while heading towards another new stop-over at Megeve.

Alpine Renault A310 Group IV
Alpine Renault A310 Group IV - Prevost/Cros
Saab 96
Saab 96 - Pellat/Kessous
Porsche 906
Headphones are needed in the Porsche 906 of Pichon/Cizeron
Ligiers JS2
Rarely seen Ligiers JS2 of Knapfield/Fawe

4th stage: Friday 23 April / Megeve – Aix-en-Provence
No circuit on the menu for this day, but three special road stages, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. As an interlude for this long day which will cross five departments (Savoie, Isere, Drome et Vaucluse and Bouches du Rhone) the competitors lunched in the fabulous settings of the Couvent des Carmes (14th Century), overlooking the Isere Valley. The finish was in Aix-en-Provence.

Aston Martin DB4 GT
Aston Martin DB4 GT - Mahmoud/Bustros
Ferrari 275 GTB-4, Ferrari 250 GT SWB and Dino 206 GT
Taking a breather - Ferrari 275 GTB-4 of Gasken/ Mac Naughton, Ferrari 250 GT SWB of Devis/Clevely and Dino 206 GT of Brunhes/Brunhes
Lotus Europa
Lotus Europa - Comar/Gouble
Austin-Healey 100/4
Austin-Healey 100/4 - Friscia/Boedt
Porsche 356
Porsche 356 - Junne/Maxted-Page won overall Indice de Performance honors
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Group IV
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Group IV - Mason Styrron/Mason Styrron

5th stage: Saturday 24 April / Aix-en-Provence – Beaulieu-sur-Mer
After a last special road stage, the final classifications were made, as in 2008, on the ultramodern Paul Ricard HTTT circuit. This time the public was able to watch the very last sparring. Azure from beginning to end, the last liaison route took Dolce Vita airs, via the Esterel massif and the vertiginous panoramas of the mythical Corniche, between Nice and Monaco, where the competitors were awaited at Beaulieu-sur-Mer for the prize-giving dinner.

Tour Auto Groupe H grid at Paul Ricard
Groupe H grid at Paul Ricard

2010 Tour Auto Optic 2000 – Results

Entrants in the Tour Auto compete in two general classifications – “Competition” and “Regularity.” The main difference between the two groupings is that “Competition” races against the stopwatch, while “Regularity” races with the stopwatch.

VHC – Competition
1. Lajournade/Baron – Lotus Elan
2. Adriaans/Adriaans – AC Cobra
3. Bentz/Trichet – Jaguar Type E

Groupe G – Competition
1. Vercamer/Vercamer – Porsche 906
2. Logan/Hampton – Porsche 914/6 GT
3. Clerc/Dijoux – Alpine Renault A 110

Groupe H – Competition
1. Mr. John of B./Sibel – Porsche 906
2. Ragnotti/Mercier – Alpine Renault A 110
3. Serpaggi/Prevost – Alpine Renault A 110 Gr. IV

Indice de Performance – Competition
1. Junne/Maxted-Page – Porsche 356
2. Cathiard/Cathiard – Alfa Romeo 1900 SS
3. Le Gloahec/Patissier – Jaguar MK1

Régularité
1. Demiguel/Suarez – Ferrari 275 GTB
2. Ruston/Haylock – Porsche 356 “SPEEDS”
3. Gatehouse/Nijthall – Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

For complete results, visit www.tourauto.com.

[Source: Tour Auto]