10.6.06

Biennially, one week before the Formula 1 circus arrives in Monaco, the streets of the Principality welcome historic motor-sport enthusiasts from far and wide. With paddock assembly on Friday, practice on Saturday and racing on Sunday interspersed with a 22 car Ferrari F1 on-track demonstration (organised by the Corse Clienti) and led by Clerk of the Course Jacky Ickx, it was a busy weekend with the public roads closed between 07.00 am and 7.00pm each day.

The highlights of each category in their running order are as follows:

Rear Engined Formula Junior
With an appeal against the fitment of non period parts on American Joe Colasacco’s Stanguellini upheld and consequently a non starter, it was left to Edwin Jowsey (Lotus 22) to chase home multiple Monaco victor in this category Denis Welch (Merlyn Mk 5). Result: 1st Welch, 2nd Jowsey, 3rd Mussa.

Pre 1947 Grand Prix Cars
European Shell Historic Challenge regular Stefan Schollwoeck conducted his Maserati 6CM with considerable skill to a lights to flag victory. American Paddins Dowling in the ex Nick Mason ERA R10B, ex-pat Ian Landy (ERA R6B), Rainer Ott (ERA R9B) and another Shell Historic Challenge regular Robert Fink (Alfa P3) disputed 2nd place for the duration of the race with runner up spot going to Landy and Ott third. Elsewhere, worthy of mention is Austrian Helmut Handlbauer who has recently acquired the ex Carlos Monteverde/Neil Hadfield Alfa 12C37 and drove this 450bhp + monster with considerable skill. Alfa P3s are rare on track but in Monaco this year we had 3 – Tony Smith and American Ned Spieker joining Robert Fink in these glorious pre war machines.

Grand Prix Cars 1947-1960 (Front Engined)
Connecticut resident and American Le Mans series regular Duncan Dayton is also a historic racer of considerable skill who has had more success on Monaco’s unforgiving streets than any other driver since the Historique’s inception a decade ago. Equipped with a 1959 Lotus 16 and a left hand full of padding and tape (remember the number of gear changes per lap!) he was joined on the front row by Joaquin Folch Russinol in an identically liveried Lotus 16 with only 2/10 ths of a second separating them. Ste Devote is the first right hander after the start-line and as the grid arrived on the opening lap Jose Alberquerque (Maserati 250F) became airborne and collected Michael Steele (Connaught C type) causing considerable damage to both cars but thankfully the drivers were OK.

Sadly the crowd was denied the expected dice between Dayton and Folch-R as the latter stopped at Mirabeau on lap1 and Dayton was able to pull away with ease from Barrie Baxter who drove a controlled race in the unique Tech Mech. Initially Baxter had been pursued by Shell Historic Challenge regular Jos Koster (Maserati 250F Piccolo) but a spin on lap 3 allowed Tony Smith (Ferrari Dino 246) to catch Koster and they disputed third for the balance of the race. Sadly missing from the grid was Sir Stirling Moss in the Ferguson P99 which had broken a gearbox input shaft in practice. Result: 1st Dayton, 2nd Baxter, 3rd Koster.

Pre 1953 Sports Cars
Another successful driver in recent editions of the Historique has been John Ure, previously at the wheel of Peter Mann’s ERA R9B and for this year in Mann’s Frazer Nash Le Mans replica. Ure made a superb start to lead David Wenman and Alan Minshaw in their Jaguar C types through Ste Devote and was never headed, winning by 5 seconds. Result: 1st Ure, 2nd Wenman, 3rd Minshaw.

Grand Prix Cars 1954 -1965 (Rear Engined)
After multiple success in this category in recent years throughout Europe, it was a surprise to see Michael Schryver (Lotus18) well to the rear of the field. Practice maladies meant that he had much to do to catch Gentleman Driver’s regular and pole-man Nick Wigley (Cooper T53), who was able to pull away from Barry Cannell(Cooper T53) and American James King (Brabham BT7).On lap 4 the safety car was deployed after Rick Hall (BRM P48) had glanced the armco entering Casino Square whereupon Robs Lamplough (Lotus 33) spun in sympathy at the same point. Stateside King is known as a pedal to the metal driver and having half spun chasing Cannell set about making good the gap but unfortunately he ran out of laps. Schryver had been making excellent progress until he was collected by a backmarker and his front suspension rearranged. Result: 1st Wigley, 2nd Cannell, 3rd King.

Formula 1 Cars 1966 – 1974
Practice had seen Californian and TGP regular Ryan Delane severely shunt his ex Francois Cevert Tyrrell and with Duncan Dayton now Brabham BT33 mounted and Joaquin Folch – Russinol in his McLaren M23, the crowd were all set for “wheel to wheel” action and they didn’t disappoint. Dayton set a scorching pace with Folch never more than a second behind and Chris Perkins (Surtees TS 16) in a lonely third, until the safety car was again deployed after Giuseppe Bianchini (Tecno) had crashed rising up the hill to Casino Square. Once racing resumed Dayton and Folch encountered backmarker Robert Baker in his Brabham BT33 – Dayton was blocked as Folch took the lead. Exiting the tunnel on the final lap Dayton outbraked Folch at the chicane, but Folch regained the lead by straightlining the chicane and crossing the line first, much to my fellow spectators disgust! Thankfully the official results confirmed the podium presentation and the “Star Spangled Banner” played for the second time. Result: 1st Dayton, 2nd Folch, 3rd Perkins.

Formula 1 Cars 1975 - 1978
With an entry including two Tyrrell P34 six-wheelers, five 312T Ferraris and two Penskes the ’75-’78 F1 race was looking interesting. In practice Martin Stretton (Tyrrell P34) made a rare mistake and clipped the armco but all was repaired come race-day. Race prep guru Simon Hadfield (Penske PC3) had been drafted in to deputise for the recovering Frank Sytner, who has been out of action having had some personal “engine valve gear” attention – get well soon Frank! As the lights went green, Stretton assumed the lead with Hadfield right behind and American Paul Edwards in Doug Mockett’s Penske third. After 3 laps the safety car made a further appearance as two backmarkers tangled at Mirabeau and when ultimately the lights went green Stretton was really struggling to contain Hadfield and Edwards. At Rascasse on the last lap Edwards made a do-or-die manoeuvre on Stretton which ended Edward’s race in the Armco and Stretton winning from Hadfield and a distant Mauro Pane (Tyrrell P34) third.

Once again the Historique Grand Prix du Monaco had captivated an increased attendance with excellent racing and thrills and spills aplenty. Superbly organised by the ACM, when else could you sit in the Rascasse grandstand all day for 15 euros (!!) and watch the live Canal + television coverage on a diamond screen in front of you …? Just ask fellow spectator and four times World Rally Champion Juha Kankunnen!

American Danny Baker's ex UOP Shadow F1	Frank Sytner's Penske PC3 was ably driven by Simon Hadfield	Walter Burani's ex Niki Lauda Ferrari 312T	Giuseppe Bianchini's Tecno F1
Keiichi Murakami in Classic Team Lotus's 72 F1 car	Paul Knapfield's 1973 Brabham BT42	Steve Earle's McLaren M23	Classic Team Lotus in action