A 2-stroke Flattracking Story

2-stoke dirt racing usually takes a certain state of mind. 

When that state of mind is made up by four riders with a collective sense of fun, rivalry and lack of seriousness, the racing can only get better.

This is the story of the Jerkyls and their classic '79 Yamaha YZ250s and '73 Bultaco Pursangs. 

WRC, Corse : D’une île à l’autre.../ Corsica (WRC): from one island to another…

Après l’Australie, le Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA accoste en Corse pour la 11e manche de la saison. Seulement neuf spéciales sont au programme des trois jours de course, mais avec une longueur de moyenne de 37 kilomètres, ce sont autant de défis qui attendent les meilleurs pilotes du monde.

La Corse n’avait plus accueilli de rallye mondial depuis 2008 et pour le retour du WRC sur l’Ile de Beauté, c’est un parcours inédit qui est proposé aux quelque 140 engagés, un record en WRC depuis près de 15 ans.

Le parcours 2015 renoue avec les traditions et emmènera les concurrents d’Ajaccio à Corte, de Bastia à Porto Vecchio, du Golfe de Sagone au Golfe de Propriano, à travers neuf longues spéciales et les paysages époustouflants de Kallisté.

Sébastien Ogier et Julien Ingrassia seront de retour en Corse où ils avaient décroché leur première récompense mondiale, chez les Juniors, en 2008. Sept ans plus tard, les voilà désormais coiffés d’une 3^e couronne mondiale. Même s’ils n’ont pu tester la Polo R WRC sur les routes insulaires, ils viseront une 32^e victoire mondiale et, pourquoi pas, tenteront d’égaler le grand chelem de Darniche et Loeb en Corse.

Comme Andreas Mikkelsen, ils ont été privés des tests corses après la sortie de route de Jari-Matti Latvala lundi dernier en essais. Surpris par le comportement de sa voiture équipée d’un nouveau différentiel, le Finlandais a sous-viré et terminé sa course dans les châtaigniers. Volkswagen Motorsport a dû annuler la suite de la session.

Les autres teams ont effectué leurs roulages sans encombre. Les pilotes Hyundai Motorsport, puis M-Sport et Citroën Racing ont tout à tour évolué sur des bases d’essais tracées près de Corte pour mettre au point les véhicules sur les asphaltes corses si variés.

Avec Dani Sordo et Thierry Neuville, Hyundai compte dans ses rangs deux anciens vainqueurs et compte bien sur ce duo pour défendre sa 2^e position au Championnat Constructeurs. Kris Meeke (Citroën), re-papa depuis jeudi dernier, a déjà disputé trois fois le Tour de Corse (deux en course, un en voiture 0). Son équipier Mads Ostberg prendra bien le départ après son accident en recos en Australien.

Stéphane Lefebvre (DS3 WRC) est de retour sur l’île où il a décroché le titre européen Juniors l’an passé. Sur ce Tour de Corse 2014, Kevin Abbring (Hyundai) avait quant à lui terminé à la 3^eplace du général. Le Néerlandais avait aussi participé à l’édition 2008.

Les pilotes M-Sport Ott Tanak et Elfyn Evans n’ont jamais mis les pieds en Corse, tout comme Hayden Paddon (Hyundai), mais ils pourront peut-être compter sur l’expérience de Bryan Bouffier (vainqueur en 2013) qui disposera d’une Fiesta version 2014. Vainqueur l’an passé, Stéphane Sarrazin sera lui aussi au volant d’une Ford Fiesta RS WRC, de même que Bertelli, Prokop et Robert Kubica qui a testé en Corse il y a deux semaines.

En WRC-2, Skoda Motorsport est de retour avec Lappi et Tidemand sur les Fabia R5/Michelin officielles. On attend beaucoup d’Eric Camilli (Fiesta R5), Craig Breen (Peugeot 208 T16) ou de Julien Maurin (Fiesta R5) face au Corse Jean-Matthieu Léandri (Peugeot 208 T16), vainqueur du récent Rallye de Corte.

On devrait également assister à de belles bagarres dans les rangs du Championnat de France, ainsi qu’en Championnat du monde Juniors et en European Clio R3T Trophy.

Shakedown jeudi matin vers Corte, puis cérémonie de départ à Ajaccio en soirée. Départ du 58^eTour de Corse vendredi 2 octobre à 8h00 précises pour le Champion du monde.

After the WRC’s recent visit to Australia, the 2015 FIA World Rally Championship moves on to Corsica this week for the season’s 11th round. Only nine stages figure on the menu, but their average length of 37km will make the three-day event a particularly tough challenge for the sport’s elite.

To mark world class rallying’s return to Corsica for the first time since 2008, the organisers have concocted a new-look format that has attracted some 140 entries, the highest figure for a WRC round for almost 15 years.

The route visits much of the Mediterranean island’s spectacular landscapes, with the service park in Corte and stopovers in Ajaccio, Bastia and Porto Vecchio.

Just weeks after collecting their third world crown, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia will return to the place where they clinched their first title – the JWRC – in 2008. Despite being unable to test their Polo R WRC on the island’s twisty roads, they will be targeting a 32^nd world class win and, perhaps, a stage-victory grand slam to equal the feats of Darniche and Loeb before them in Corsica.

Like Andreas Mikkelsen, they were deprived of a chance to test when Jari-Matti Latvala crashed last Monday. The Finn was caught out by a new differential and understeer forced him into the nearby chestnut trees to conclude Volkswagen Motorsport’s session.

The other teams’ testing passed off without a problem, with Hyundai Motorsport, M-Sport and Citroën Racing visiting sample stages near Corte to set up their respective cars for the island’s broad variety of asphalt types.

In the persons of Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville, Hyundai has two previous Tour de Corse winners in its line-up and will be counting on their experience to defend its second place in the Manufacturers’ standings. Kris Meeke (Citroën), whose wife had a second child on Thursday, has previously contested the event three times (including once in the zero car) and will be joined by team-mate Mads Ostberg who has recovered from his recce accident in Australia.

Stéphane Lefebvre (DS3 WRC) returns to the place where he sewed up last year’s Junior ERC. The 2014 Tour de Corse also saw Kevin Abbring (Hyundai) claim third overall. The Dutch driver took part in the 2008 event.

Like Hyundai rival Hayden Paddon, M-Sport’s Ott Tanak and Elfyn Evans have never previously set foot on the island but they will perhaps benefit from the experience of 2013 Tour de Corse winner Bryan Bouffier who returns in a 2014-spec Fiesta. Last year’s victor Stéphane Sarrazin will also have a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, as will Bertelli, Prokop and Robert Kubica who tested in Corsica two weeks ago.

In WRC2, Skoda Motorsport will be represented by Lappi and Tidemand in factory Michelin-equipped Fabia R5s, while much will be expected of Eric Camilli (Fiesta R5), Craig Breen (Peugeot 208 T16), Julien Maurin (Fiesta R5) and Corsican Jean-Matthieu Léandri (Peugeot 208 T16), winner of the recent Rallye de Corte.

There should also be some interesting fights among the French Championship, JWRC and European Clio R3T Trophy contenders.

Thursday morning’s shakedown near Corte will be followed by a start ceremony in Ajaccio in the evening. The 58^th Tour de Corse will start on Friday, October 2, at 8am.

Snapshot, 1977: Who’s it going to be, Princess Caroline?

Relaxing in the pit lane during practice for the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix, James Hunt shares a joke with a young Princess Caroline of Monaco, who is sporting a Jackie Stewart T-shirt that we’re sure would have drawn a typically droll comment from the British World Champion…

Sadly for James, that’s where the laughs would end that weekend, as engine failure put an end to his race – one of eight retirements in a season that would prove lacklustre in comparison with his whirlwind (and now legendary) championship victory the previous year. The 1977 season would also prove expensive for Hunt, who received hefty fines for a number of ‘offences’, including assaulting a marshal following an on-track contretemps, walking the track in an ‘unsafe manner’, and simply not bothering to attend the podium ceremony for his comfortable win at the season finale in Japan. Well, he was never one to bow to the establishment, was he? 

Photo: Sipa Press/Rex Shuttershock

5 classic car specialists to follow on Instagram

While social media are a great way for companies to interact with the public or advertise their wares, they are also great at providing users with a behind-the-scenes look at the business. And when the companies in question are historic car specialists, what could be more fascinating?

JD Classics

Operating from seven (yes, seven) showrooms, JD Classics’ stocklist is as varied as it is extensive. While the company is unrivalled when it comes to the restoration, maintenance and preparation of Jaguars, in recent years it has broadened its interests to include Ferraris, Aston Martins and many more. 

Duncan Hamilton & Co

Founded by 1940/50s racing hero Duncan Hamilton, his eponymous, Hampshire-based company has been trading some of the world’s finest road and racing classics for over 65 years. It was also the company responsible for curating the famous ROFGO collection, the largest collection of Gulf-sponsored racing cars in the world. 

DK Engineering

Arguably the premier historic Ferrari specialist in the UK, if not Europe, DK Engineering has been selling, maintaining, racing and restoring the most significant examples of the Prancing Horse since the late 1970s. Very much a family affair, the company’s impressive premises are littered with exotic classic and supercars…

Pendine Historics

Named after Pendine Sands, where many land speed records tumbled during the 1920s, Pendine Historics recently entered the ring, headed by founder James Mitchell. Based in the particularly cool Bicester Heritage site in Oxfordshire, it aims to help both aspiring and established collectors. 

Paul Stephens

Specialising in air-cooled classic Porsche 911s (as well as more modern GT and RS models), Paul Stephens is a leading independent UK Porsche specialist. The company offers a variety of services, including restoration and bespoke projects such as the striking 911 Spyder. 

... and a wildcard: Auto Fabrica

As a treat, we thought we’d include a classic motorcycle specialist, too. Auto Fabrica’s edgy yet sophisticated designs are carefully thought out, with different models focusing on different stylistic themes or elements. Simplicity is key. 

You can find us on Instagram, too, posting the very best of our original photography. Follow@classicdriver.