Dijon finale to feature mighty F2 grid

The Historic Sports Car Club’s Historic Formula 2 FIA International Series is heading for a dramatic conclusion in Dijon this weekend (Oct 13, 14), with a 27-car grid set to compete in the final two races of the season.

The sight and sound of another Historic F2 field racing at the former Grand Prix venue will be a major feature of the event and the field has quality to match the quantity. The Dijon Motors Cup also features a double-header for the HSCC Historic Formula 3 Championship and a round of the FIA Lurani Trophy for Formula Juniors.

One of the weekend’s headline grids will contest rounds nine and ten of the Historic Formula 2 Series. After free practice on Friday, the Formula 2 pack has qualifying on Saturday morning and two 25-minute races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The grid will feature drivers from six countries in seven makes of car.

The championship is open to cars built to period regulations for Formula 2, Formula Atlantic and Formula B, starting from 1967 and running right through to the end of the 1978 season. Later cars, designed to employ ground effect technology however, are not permitted.

Current top overall scorer is Frenchman Robert Simac driving a March 712M, he is favourite to secure the Jochen Rindt Trophy for the 1600cc Formula 2 cars. His closest class rival is Luciano Arnold  racing a Brabham BT36 but the recent formbook could be shaken up by the return to the series of 2007 and 2009 overall champion Martin Stretton  in a March 712.

The fastest cars of all contest the Bruno Giacomelli Trophy for the later 2-litre F2 cars and Mike Bletsoe-Brown is almost there as class champion in his Chevron B27. However, the absolute pace at Dijon should be set by Matthew Watts in a March 772, Mark Dwyer in a March 742, Marc Devis in a March 782 and series newcomer Ben Mitchell in the ex-Stephen South March 782, which will race for the first time in more than 30 years following a complete restoration by Matthew Watts and the team at Retro Track and Air. Three Ralt RT1s for Mike Wrigley, Frenchman Charles Veillard and single-seater newcomer Michael Smits take on the Marches along with the rapid Chevron B40 of Chris Lillingston-Price.