UNDER THE SIGN OF FIDELITY

The Historic Tour and the Albi circuit share a long history of unfailing loyalty. In this week at the end of May, the drivers of the French Historic Circuit Championship return to the Séquestre track for the sixth year in a row with the promise of hosting a new edition of the Historic Grand Prix of Albi. All this is obviously not by chance. A true "historical monument", the circuit has kept the soul of the glorious era of its F2 Grand Prix and its 3.5 km "old school" layout always encourages lively and terribly undecided races. In addition to this, the enthusiasm of the Albigensian public and the unique atmosphere of the place are ideal for the spirit of the Historic Tour competitions.

Placed at the end of the season in 2022, the meeting is this year the second of the five events of the French Championship, three weeks after the inaugural stage in Dijon-Prenois. The programme is as generous as ever, with 19 races taking place over the weekend after the traditional practice and qualifying sessions on Friday. This will give the numerous spectators the opportunity to see almost half a century of motor racing pass before their eyes! At least 200 of these cars from the 50s to the 90s are expected, single-seaters, GTs and other so-called "Touring" cars that will be divided into ten separate grids to compete in a double sprint race (25 to 30 minutes) between Saturday and Sunday. The only exception to the rule is the famous 200 km endurance race, where the drivers have the opportunity to defend their chances in teams over a period of one and a half hours.

In terms of numbers, the grid bringing together the competitors of the GT Classic and Saloon Cars trophies and the Youngtimers GTI Cup promises to be the busiest with 32 cars on the starting grid, while the two "monotype" grids of the Historic Tour, the Lotus Trophy and the Roadster Pro Cup (reserved for the oldest Mazda MX-5s) will once again be among the most frequented of the meeting.

And as is customary in the Historic Tour, the public will once again benefit from an exceptional proximity to the drivers and their machines thanks to a competitor's park that is completely open to them. A " Grid Walk " will even allow the public to come and mingle with the atmosphere of the starting grid in the 15 minutes preceding the races of the Formula Ford Kent Trophy (Saturday) and the F3/FR Classic Trophy (Sunday).

FRANCE CHAMPIONSHIP: THE FIRST LEADERS AT THE MEETING

This season, the Historic Tour meetings will award points for four different French FFSA championships. In this context, the Dijon-Prenois meeting has already allowed us to establish an initial hierarchy. In Albi, the Monegasque Frédéric Lajoux (F3 March 793), Antoine Robert (Formula Renault Martini MK48) and Mathieu Midy (Formula Ford Van Diemen RF90) will be the leaders of the "Single Seater/Proto" championship, followed by Philippe Gandini (Mini Jem) in the "Pre 90s GT/Touring" category and Julien Piau (Honda Civic) in the "Post 90s GT/Touring" category) Finally, Eric Martin and Laurent Vallery-Masson, the promoter/driver of the Historic Tour, will take the start of the 200 km with the objective of keeping the lead of the new French Historic Endurance Championship on board their Debora prototype.

WHICH RACES, WHICH CARS, WHICH DRIVERS?

THE FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP GRIDS FOR SINGLE-SEATERS AND PROTOS

Formula Ford Historic Challenge

Races: Saturday 11.50am and Sunday 9.20am (2 x 25 minutes).

The cars: Formula Ford single-seaters from before 1982.

The drivers : Belle (Lola), Genecand, McMorran, Eynard Machet (Crosslé), Sanjuan, " Nelson ", Courrègelongue, Colombat, Ogier (Van Diemen), Ghio (Merlyn), Romagnioli (Ray), Lecluse (Lotus), Prévost (McNamara), Dupont, Leblond (Dulon), etc.

SportProtosCup

Races: Saturday 4.40pm and Sunday 3.20pm (2 x 25 mins).

The cars: Sport-Protos from before 1995.

The drivers: Nguyen, PL.Boch, Amoros (Lucchini), Vulliez (Bogani), Kolly, Contre (Lola), Villot (Osella), L.Boch (Norma), Dougnac (Epsilon), De Murard (Giada), Berrezai (Merlin), Terrones (Chapman), Garsou (ACE), etc

F3 Classic Trophy

Races: Saturday 3.55 pm and Sunday 1.50 pm (2 x 30 min).

Joint races with the Formula Renault Classic Trophy.

The cars: F3 single-seaters from before 1985.

The drivers : Lajoux (March), Vallery-Masson, Tavarès (Ralt), Martin, Eynard-Machet (Martini), Michel, Biamino (Chevron), etc.

Formula Renault Classic Trophy

Races: Saturday 3.55pm and Sunday 1.50pm (2 x 30 mins).

Joint races with the F3 Classic Trophy.

The cars: Formula Renault (atmo and turbo) from before 1995.

The drivers : A.Robert, Monnet, Mottez, Bagur, Boite, Tomsen (Martini), Rimbert, Empois (Orion), etc.

Formula Ford Kent Trophy

Races: Saturday 2.35pm and Sunday 11.25am (2 x 25 mins).

The cars: Pre-1993 Formula Ford Kent single-seaters + Formula Ford Zetec cars not included in the trophy.

The drivers : Genecand, Sanjuan, Dousse, " Nelson ", Midy, Monteiro, Sanchez, Bouquet, Dupont, Davey, Herault (Van Diemen), Kozyreff, Tomsen (Reynard), etc.

THE GRIDS OF THE PRE 90'S GT/TOURING CHAMPIONSHIP

Racing Over 2L

Races: Saturday 3.15 pm and Sunday 4 pm (2 x 25 mn).

The cars : GT/Touring cars of - 2000 cm3 and - 200 hp from before 1981.

The drivers : Rousselot (Shelby Cobra Daytona), Kohler (Ford GT40), Chambon (Shelby Cobra), Besson/Besson (De Tomaso Pantera), Brigand (Porsche 930), Dauxerre (Porsche 911), Dupuy, Dusailly (Ford Escort RS), Ancelin (Austin Healey 3000), etc

Lotus Trophy

Races: Saturday 10.20am and Sunday 10.00am (2 x 30 minutes).

The cars : Lotus Seven and old Caterham.

The drivers : X.Jacquet, Delhaye, Vulliez, N.Beloou, Cazalot, Gaso, P.Metayer, Berrezai, Bouchetal, Odin, Szyndelman, Garcia Imaz, Huret, Koenig, Thiry, Jan, Vest, Grenot, Peinetti, Mingot, Randier (Lotus Seven), Jan, Touchet (Caterham), etc

Maxi 2L Classic

Races: Saturday 5.20 pm and Sunday 10.45 am (2 x 25 mn).

Joint races with the Maxi 1300 Series.

The cars : GT/Touring cars of + 2000 cm3 (and - 2000 cm3 of + 200 hp) from before 1981.

Prominent drivers: Richelmi, Kohler, Benne, Touchet (Lotus Elan), Raffin (Cortina Lotus), Fazi (Triumph TR4), Breugnot (Alpine A110), Baert (Alfa Romeo Giulia), etc

Maxi 1300 Series

Races: Saturday 5.20 pm and Sunday 10.45 am (2 x 25 mn).

Joint races with the Maxi 2L Classic.

The cars: GT/Touring cars of - 1300 cm3 from before 1977.

The drivers : Gandini (Jem), Hammoniau, Pouillon, Loupiac, Petit/Vidal (Cooper), Benjamin (Alpine A106), Grandpierre (Honda S800), Petitjean/Lanthony (Fiat 127) etc.

THE POST 90'S GT/TOURING CHAMPIONSHIP GRIDS

Roadster Pro Cup

Races: Sunday 8.40am and 4.40pm (2 x 25 minutes).

The cars: The first generation Mazda MX-5.

The drivers : Fresnais, Hélary, Hergault, Dutoya, Benjamin, Savin, Bourget, Turbot, Bouchet, Olivier, Allard, Faure, Sauvadet, Laborie, Carreno, Darmet, Gaudelus, Martin, Bessiere, Ambry, Visentin, Schikowski (all on Mazda MX-5), etc.

Saloon Cars Trophy

Races: Saturday 11.05am and Sunday 2.35pm (2 x 30 minutes).

Joint races with the GT Classic Trophy and the Youngtimers GTI Cup.

The cars : GT/Tourism cars from before 1999.

The drivers : Grenet (Dodge Viper), Lefebvre (Audi Quattro), Yvetot, Gautier (Porsche 964), Danne (BMW M3 GTR), Empois (BMW E21), Delarche, Faurie (Caterham), Lortal, Trichet (Lotus Elise), Verney (R5 GT), Fachinetti (Camaro), etc.

GT Classic Trophy

Races: Saturday 11.05am and Sunday 2.35pm (2 x 30 mins).

Races shared with the Saloon Cars Trophy and the Youngtimers GTI Cup.

The cars: GT cars from before 1998.

The drivers : Roche/Roche, Gaillard (Porsche 996), Besson (VenturI 400), etc.

Youngtimers GTI Cup

Races: Saturday 11.05am and Sunday 2.35pm (2 x 30 mins).

Races shared with the Saloon Cars Trophy and the GT Classic Trophy.

The cars: GTI cars under 2L from before 1991.

The drivers : Piau, Gimonet, Morel, Mouty, Grandpierre, Chaulan, Moreau (Honda Civic), D'Esparbes (Peugeot 505), Maehr (R5 GT), Latz, Martin (Golf GTI), etc

FRENCH HISTORIC ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

200 km Historic Tour

The race: Saturday 6.05 pm (90 minutes).

The cars: Protos/GT/berliners eligible for the Historic Tour grid.

The drivers: Martin/Vallery-Masson (Debora), Gache/Richelmi (Porsche 934), Destombes (Peugeot 905), Roche/Roche (Porsche 996), Lortal/Delarche (Lotus Elise), Kohler, Baert/Moreau (Porsche 911), Besson (Clio V6), Pargamin (Lotus Seven), etc.

ON THE PADDOCK

On the paddock side, the Historic Tour partners' village includes the stands of Oreca (sale of competition parts), Sodipneu/Sodifuel (supply of tyres and fuel) and Stand 21 (made-to-measure and safety equipment for drivers). The traditional "Kennol Awards" honour a deserving driver from each grid. All these valuable partners of the Historic Tour are joined by France Toner, LP Tent, Ellegi Motori, Yokohama, AM Paris and Assurances Lestienne.

THE RECAP

Friday 26 May: Private practice from 8.30 am to 3.15 pm. Qualifying from 3.25pm to 7.05pm. Saturday 27 May: Qualifying from 8.30am to 10.05am, from 12.30pm to 12.50pm. Races (9) from 10:20 to 12:15 and from 14:35 to 19:35. Sunday 28 May: Races (10) from 8.40am to 11.50am and from 1.50pm to 5.05pm.

Online presale ticketing (www.hvmracing.fr): 3 day pass 20 Euros, Friday 5 Euros, Saturday 12 Euros, Sunday 15 Euros. Grid Walk option: 10 Euros/day. Free entry for children under 16 years old.

Media contact: presse@hvmracing.fr