Group C Is Back At Le Mans
The upper paddock at Le Mans is a petrolhead’s dream this year, with the Group C and IMSA GTP cars on display ahead of the 40 minute support race on race day.

It’s a mouthwatering line up: a pair of Lancia LC2s, EMKA and Nimrod Astons, a gaggle of Jaguar XJRs, a pair of Nissans, Porsche 962s, the impressively aggresively styled Intrepid, the unique Bardon C2, the Creation owned and BV-R pedalled Cougar, as well as representatives of the Tiga, Spice, Ecosse and Argo marques too.

Two drivers will compete in both races here this weekend: TVR’s Gareth Evans in the Swap Shop Porsche and Ralf Kelleners in the Kremer CK6 will both take part in the 24 Hours later in the day.

Evans was in the paddock yesterday morning, trying the Porsche for size after Chris Crawford’s Group C Engineering fashioned a new brake pedal assembly overnight (a six hour job). “Spot on,” was Evans’ verdict.

Chris Randall was spotted amidst the octet of Phil Stott prepared cars sporting the dsc Deputy Ed’s 1990 Nissan team jacket, fitting in splendidly with his IMSA spec #88 car of very similar vintage.

“We tested well at Silverstone recently and sorted out an oil feed problem. The car has around 780 hp now so we were pulling about 164 mph along the pit straight – the car should be great here.”

There was no sign of Simon Pullan this morning – perhaps a lie in for dsc’s favourite student? No, a call a few moments ago from the boy himself explains that the car was scrutineered yesterday, so a later start than usual can be excused! The car looks stunning in its Kenwood livery and the car’s owner, Simon’s uncle Kevin Pullan, explains that the car was bought by him, for himself “as a 50th birthday treat”.

The Kremer CK6 is capable of generating 800hp in qualifying trim. “We looked at running it like that and decided I wasn’t brave enough,” said Pullan the Younger.

Just before the cars were due to take to the track at 5:30pm on Thursday, there was something of a cloudburst, but thankfully it eased off and was stopping as the qualifying session started.

What a fantastic sight the cars made, back in their spiritual home, 35 cars taking to the track for an hour long session.

And this was to be no parade, the really quick boys were pushing on despite a wet but drying track.

Particularly impressive throughout was David Leslie in the little C2 Ecosse, up to fifth fastest overall, before the more powerful cars were able to make the most of a drier surface.

The battle for pole came down to a three way ‘race’ between Ralf Kelleners in the Leyton House Kremer CK6, the super-rare Nissan R90CK of Charlie Agg and Gary Pearson’s very lovely Jaguar XJR11.

With the track drying quickly towards the end of the session, Pearson pushed harder and harder. A 3:58 the final reward. In the dying minutes though Agg and Kelleners were pressing on too. Both however would fall short of the mark, Agg setting second fastest time with a 3:59 and Kelleners third, just a couple of tenths shy of the Nissan.

It would be a pair of Jaguars next up, Justin Law’s XJR12 ahead of Henry Pearman’s XJR11 and then Simon Pullan in sixth in the second carbon-tubbed Kremer CK6, the car hobbled by a gearbox which seemed to contain just fourth and fifth cogs and those seemed to be geared for “Lydden Hill or something”.

The problem is being sorted in time for the race by the Kremer Brothers, who were delighted to be reacquainted with a car they hadn’t seen for fifteen years. They’ve provided the car with a period Kremer windscreen vinyl too.

Pullan is super confident – “I think the Kremers were a bit disappointed that Ralf didn’t get pole. I’ll see if I can cheer them up by making it a 1-2 with him in the race.”

Chris Randall’s Nissan had run well up the order on the wet track but dropped back as the surface dried out. Randall had felt that there was something amiss with the Nissan: he was right, the oil pump had failed. “It’s lucky he stopped when he did,” said a Phil Stott Engineering technician. The crew were busily replacing the pump and the #88 car will make the race – together with a dsc celebrity co-driver!

Also in the Phil Stott camp, John Edwards, father of ISL Motorsports Alun Edwards, was examining options to deal with the slight issue of a missing door on his Argo JM19. “Almost as soon as we went out the door started rattling and then a Porsche 962 blasted past and that must have been enough to pull out the bolt from the rose joint.”

The original door is being patched up, but a replacement is arriving this evening with a team supporter.

This is going to be a support race which will attract major interest on Saturday. One make series, eat your heart out.