JAGUAR XJR14 RACE SAUBER C 11

Ashover vintage car hill climb

BLANCPAIN GT SERIES; 24H Spa : 58 concurrents sur la dernière liste des engagés

 

La dernière liste de la 67ème édition des Total 24 Heures de Spa fait état de 58 engagés répartis de la sorte : 25 Pro-Cup, 22 Pro-Am Cup et 11 Am-Cup. On compte quelques absences de dernière minute : Lago Racing, AF Corse (#49), Glorax Racing, Attempto Racing (x3), Motion Performance, Car Collection Motorsport. Bentley Team HTP aura bien en charge une deuxième Bentley Continental GT3 mais la #83 sera en Pro-Am pour Hamprecht/van Splunteren/Machiels/TBA. Même constat pour le Rinaldi Racing qui passe en Pro-Am avec le renfort du Belge Stef Vancampenhoudt.

Du côté des équipages Pro-Cup, Andreas Simonsen fait son arrivée sur la 3ème Mercedes SLS AMG GT3/Black Falcon en compagnie de Nico Verdonck et Adam Christodoulou.

La Ferrari 458 Italia GT3/Kessel Racing #11 (Pro-Am Cup) voit le renfort d’Andrea Piccini. L’ancien vainqueur de l’épreuve épaulera les réguliers Broniszewski, Michael Lyons et Andrea Bonacini. Habitué à l’ELMS, Mads Rasmussen pilotera la Ferrari du Insight Racing en tant que 3ème pilote. Davide Rigon rejoindra AF Corse et Cameron/Griffin/Guedes. Assurément un équipage à surveiller pour la victoire en Pro-Am, tout comme celui de la Ferrari/AF Corse #52 qui réunira Toni Vilander, Raffaele Giammarian Adrian De Leener et Cédric Sbirrazzuoli. Michele Rugolo sera quant à lui sur la #53. Christophe Bouchut apportera toute son expérience spadoise chez GT Russian Team sur la Mercedes #70 qui n’affiche pas encore complet au contraire de la voiture soeur où l’on retrouvera Alon Day et Lewis Plato avec la paire Vasiliev/Asmer. Le Portugais Rui Aguas est annoncé sur la Ferrari 458 Italia GT3/AF Corse #50 qui évoluera en Am-Cup.

Les Total 24 Heures de Spa 2015 s’annoncent plus ouvertes que jamais avec une bonne douzaine de candidats en lice pour la victoire. Une grande partie de la course sera à suivre en live streaming avec les commentaires en langue française.

PRO-CUP (25)
1	Audi Sport Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS	Winkelhock-Rast-Vanthoor
2	Audi Sport Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS	Stippler-Ortelli-Müller
3	Belgian Audi Club Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Frijns-Vernay-Richelmi
5	Audi Sport Team Phoenix	Audi R8 LMS	Mamerow-Mies-Thiim
6	Audi Sport Team Phoenix	Audi R8 LMS	Fässler-Lotterer-Rockenfeller
7	Bentley M-Sport	Bentley Continental GT3	Smith-Kane-Meyrick
8	Bentley M-Sport	Bentley Continental GT3	Soucek-Soulet-Buhk
9	ROAL Motorsport	BMW Z4 GT3	Zanardi-Glock-Spengler
19	Grasser Racing Team	Lamborghini Huracan GT3	Babini-Palmer-Mul
21	Black Falcon	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Al Faisal-Haupt-Buurman
23	Nissan GT Academy Team RJN	Nissan GT-R GT3 NISMO	Buncombe-Reip-Chiyo
29	Black Falcon	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Verdonck-Christodoulou-Simonsen
35	Saintéloc Racing	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Guilvert-Sandström-Basseng
44	Oman Racing Team	Aston Martin Vantage	AlHarthy-Adam-Llyod
45	BMW Sports Trophy Marc VDS	BMW Z4 GT3	Martin-Farfus-Werner
46	BMW Sports Trophy Marc VDS	BMW Z4 GT3	Palttala-Catsburg-Luhr
58	Von Ryan Racing	McLaren 650S GT3	van Gisbergen-Estre-Bell
59	Von Ryan Racing	McLaren 650S GT3	Parente-Quaife Hobbs-Senna
63	Grasser Racing Team	Lamborghini Huracan GT3	Zaugg-Bortolotti-Venturini
73	MRS GT Racing	Nissan GT-R GT3 NISMO	Walkinshaw-Dolby-Plowan
75	I.S.R.	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Salaquarda-Bonanomi-Vervisch
77	BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil	BMW Z4 GT3	Jimenez-Fraga-Bueno
84	Bentley Team HTP	Bentley Continental GT3	Abril-Parisy-Primat
98	ROWE Racing	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Sylvest-Jäger-Dontje
99	ROWE Racing	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Bastian-Juncadella-Dusseldorp

PRO-AM CUP (22)
4	Belgian Audi Club Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Bottemanne-Koebolt-Schothorst-Nash
11	Kessel Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Broniszewski-Bonacini-Lyons-Piccini
12	TDS Racing	BMW Z4 GT3	Beche-Perera-Dermont-Hassid
14	Emil Frey Racing	Emil Frey Jaguar	Barth-Frey-Gardel-Hirschi
17	Insight Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Andersen-Jensen-Rasmussen-TBA
18	Black Falcon	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Engel-Morley-Johnston-Schneider
22	Nissan GT Academy RJN	Nissan GT-R GT3 NISMO	Sanchez-Paletou-Strauss-Pla
32	Leonard Motorsport AMR	Aston Martin Vantage GT3	Leonard-Meadows-Mücke-Onslow Cole
41	Sport Garage	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Guibbert-Vannelet-Santamato-TBA
47	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Bruni-Lathouras-Lémeret-Pier Guidi
51	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Cameron-Griffin-Guedes-Rigon
52	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	De Leener-Sbirrazzuoli-Vilander-Giammaria
53	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Perazzini-Cioci-Potolicchio-Rugolo
70	GT Russian Team	Mercedes SLS AMG	Karachev-Bouchut-TBA-TBA
71	GT Russian Team	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Asmer-Vasiliev-Day-Plato
78	Team Russia by Barwell	BMW Z4 GT3	Cocker-Keen-Minshaw-Machitski
79	Ecurie Ecosse	BMW Z4 GT3	Modell-MacCaig-Bryant-Sims
70	GT Russian Team	Mercedes SLS AMG	Karachev-Bouchut-TBA-TBA
83	Bentley Team HTP	Bentley Continental GT3	Hamprecht-Machiels-van Splunteren-TBA
240	BMW Racing Against Cancer	BMW Z4 GT3	Martin-Witmeur-van de Poele-Duez
333	Rinaldi Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Salikhov-Siedler-Seefried-Vancampenhoudt
888	Triple Eight Racing	BMW Z4 GT3	Mowle-Osborne-Ratcliffe-Müller

AM CUP (11)
10	Team AKKA-ASP	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Bourret-Gibon-Belloc-Polette
15	Boutsen Ginion Racing	BMW Z4 GT3	Ojjeh-Grotz-Grogor-Oeverhaus
16	Sport Garage	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Guillot-Amon-TBA-TBA
24	Team Parker Racing	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Loggie-Westwood-Simonsen-MacLeod
28	Delahaye Racing	Porsche 911 GT3-R	Bordet-Viron-Orgeval-TBA
30	Classic & Modern Racing	BMW Z4 GT3	Hirschi-Kelders-Blanchemain-Bouvy
36	Saintéloc Racing	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Blanchemain-Lallement-TBA-TBA
50	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Moiseev-Kondakov-Ragazzi-Aguas
56	Attempto Racing	Porsche 911 GT3-R	Häring-Kostandinou-Schmickler-TBA
90	Duqueine Engineering	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Duqueine-Brandela-Clément-Delhez
111	Kessel Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Talbot-Rostan-Earle-Zanuttini

Hydro 3

Hydro 3 from Kriega on Vimeo.

A designer’s day off, starring Matthew Humphries

At just 21 years old, Matthew Humphries was appointed Morgan’s head of design, having penned the Aeromax. He created the 3 Wheeler soon afterwards. Since leaving the company three years ago, he’s been a busy chap – so we spent a (rare) day off with the talented 32-year-old…

We meet Matthew at Shelsley Walsh, the oldest hillclimb venue in the world – and also the designer’s childhood playground. He grew up just a stone’s throw away and, as a child, he’d attend events such as Bentley Drivers Club meetings here, clutching onto his father’s coattails. But today, with the legendary venue free of competition traffic for the morning, he’s come along for a little fun with his girlfriend and business partner Penelope, and their ‘his and hers’ Alfa Romeo Spiders.

Adding strings to the bow

After a few leisurely runs up the hill in the morning sunshine, Matthew tells us what he’s been up to since his seven-year stint at Morgan – and he’s certainly been busy. Alongside numerous car design projects (most of which he can’t discuss, as they’ve not yet been revealed to the public), he’s also dipped a toe into the world of watch design, setting up his own bespoke watch company while also creating new designs for revived Swiss brand, Lonville. And all the while, he's been lecturing students at the Royal College of Art, the prestigious springboard for many of the world’s top designers.

Four-cylinder party

As the Alfas tick themselves cool, the morning silence is broken by the thrum of another twin-cam inline-four. Matthew’s father Mark, a successful architect and also an avid car enthusiast, has brought along his 3 Litre Bentley, one of the 71 TT Replica models originally built. “I thought I’d bring this along to show just how advanced Bentley’s technology was for the time,” he says, cheekily mocking his son’s hillclimb steed before storming up Shelsley in the Vanden Plas-bodied behemoth.

A varied collection

We make our way back to the Humphries home, where we’re introduced to the family fleet – and it’s an eclectic one. The Bentley and matching Alfas are joined by collector staples such as more Porsche 911s and a Porsche 356 A, but there’s plenty of diversity beyond that. Tucked away in the garage, we also find a stunning, pin-striped Bentley S2 Continental, a Citroën Traction Avant, the MGB that was Matthew’s first daily driver, and even a Saab 96 V4 rally car. Once we’ve been given the guided tour, we sit down with Matthew to ask a few questions.

Talking shop

You have quite an eclectic collection – which car are you most attached to?

That would be the grey Porsche 911T 2.2. Dad and I went on lots of tours and historic rallies in that car across Europe when I was younger. Then, shortly after I’d passed my driving test, he took me to Donington for a track day and threw me the keys. I’d never driven a rear-wheel-drive car before, let alone a rear-engined one. Of course, I lost it on the first lap at the Old Hairpin – I made the classic mistake in an old 911, of lifting off as it started to oversteer. Luckily, the cars following managed to avoid us, and from there I was determined to learn how to drive it properly.

You clearly like your classic cars. Do you ever use them as inspiration for your own designs?

Definitely. I designed the Aeromax when I was still a university student on a work placement at Morgan. I loved the teardrop-shaped Talbot-Lagos and Bugatti Atlantics, so there are elements of them in the design. It was intended to be a private project for a customer, but it was so successful when we launched the car in Geneva, Morgan decided to build a limited run of 100 vehicles. It was at this time that Charles Morgan offered me the design director job.

When did you first become interested in watches?

I’ve always had a personal interest in cars and watches. When I was designing the 3 Wheeler, I was wondering how we could replicate the design of a nice watch in the dashboard design. I found the perfect ignition switch, which was the bomb release button from the Eurofighter jet. From that, I decided to design the instrument binnacle around it, with big square dials, an aluminium backing plate and big, exposed fixings in the corners. I layered it up so it would give you the feeling of the B52 bomber, and from that my interest grew. I started playing around with watches and taking them apart, and then I found there was a huge craze for customising Seiko watches.

So that led to the creation of your watch company?

Yes. I like automatic watches, and I like the mechanical fascination behind them. I bought up a load of Seikos, took them apart, and began customising them with new bezels, dials, chaptering and hands. It started out as a hobby, but I soon realised there was a business case. My partner, Penelope, had been working in textiles, and she particularly liked experimenting with different fabrics and materials. I’d got some custom cases, bezels and other parts made up, and Penelope began creating the straps. Then, almost a year ago, we founded MHD Watches.

Sort of what Bamford does with Rolexes, then, but at a more affordable price?

Yes, I guess so. We’re completely honest about what we do: they’re Seiko watches, which are then customised with a range of different parts. It’s similar to Morgan – they used a tried-and-tested BMW engine and then created the car around that. We take the reliable Seiko movement and allow customers to choose their own case, dial, bezel, strap, chaptering and hand designs, all put together by hand. We do bespoke colours, too: one chap came to us with a request for three watches, all with the same design but different-coloured second hands. He had a 911, his father had a 964 RS, and his brother had a Lotus Elan, so we colour-matched the hands of each watch to their cars. I like the idea of creating an item that’s personal to each customer, but isn’t necessarily going to cost the world.

You’ve already accomplished a great deal in a relatively short career. What does the future hold?

More cars, definitely. I’m working on various projects at the moment, and that’ll always be my main passion. I’d also like to develop the watches, and eventually create my own watches from scratch, with my own movements. Ultimately, I just like products that have been tailored to the individual needs of each customer.

Photos: © 2015 Amy Shore for Classic Driver

For further information, visitmatthewhumphriesdesign.com and www.matthewhumphriesdesignwatches.com.