Jarama Classic Revival.

Results of the 1st race

:

350cc Class

  1. Guy Bertin (FR)
  2. Chris Bishop (GB)
  3. Ian Simpson(GB)
  4. Ant Hart (GB)
  5. Lap record : Guy Bertin (GB) 130.971 km/h

Categorie 250cc

  1. Eric Saul (FR)
  2. Yves Hecq (BE)
  3. Andre Gouin (GB)
  4. Bernard Tabarly (FR)
  5. Lap record : Yves Hecq (BE) 123.734 km/h

Results of the 2nd race

:

350cc Class

  1. Guy Bertin(FR)
  2. Chris Bishop (GB)
  3. Chris Rose (GB)
  4. Richard Peers-Jones (GB)
  5. Lap record : Guy Bertin (FR) 131.350 km/h

Categorie 250cc

  1. Yves Hecq (BE)
  2. Eric Saul (FR)
  3. Andre Gouin (FR)
  4. Bernard Tabarly (FR)
  5. Lap record : Yves Hecq (BE) 124.196

ICGP – ROUND 8 – JARAMA, SPAIN – OCTOBER 2011

By Mandy Jordan

The final round of the 2011 Championship was held at Jarama in Spain. The ICGP Circus turned up to the paddock amid rain showers and set up camp. The next day dawned sunny and bright with temperatures up in the mid twenties – it promised to be a hot weekend.

Talk in the paddock was on the 350 championship, most people agreed that Ian Simpson would have to have a pretty bad weekend to not retain the title that he had been leading all year. Only 43 points separated the top 3 men, and Simpson had a 30 point lead over Bertin who was lying 2nd after Brands Hatch. Bishop was 3rd, after a win and a second at Brands Hatch he had caught up the two frontrunners’ points.

The 250 title was already sewn up by Yves Roger Hecq, who had had an excellent year’s racing. Saul and Gouin were still fighting over 2nd position with only 13 points between them.

The riders had one practice on the Saturday morning on a slightly damp track, and then their one and only qualifier on the undulating twisty track in hot sunny conditions in the afternoon. Yves Hecq found the wet corner on the practice session and slid off the track damaging his fingers as he went, but it did not stop him qualifying 6th on the grid a couple of hours later.

Pole position went to Guy Bertin, Simpson, Bishop and Ant Hart completing the first row, with Rose, Hecq, Gouin and Guillermin on row 2.

Race 1 was held on Saturday early evening, with the sun shining down on the riders as they lined up in their grid positions. The lights went out for the starting signal, and the roar of the bikes filled the air as the riders chased each other into the first corner, with Bertin leading the way, and Simpson, Bishop, Hecq, Hart and Rose all hot on his heels. 2nd lap and Simpson had taken the lead, with Bertin, Bishop and then Hecq still close behind into the bends.

Newcomer Guillermin late braked himself and caught his brake lever under the back of Peers-Jones’ seat and took them both off at the 1st corner, much to Peers-Jones annoyance, having spent much of the afternoon attempting to resolve the performance issues of his 350 after qualifying a surprisingly low 12th. He negotiated his way out of the kitty litter and re-joined the race at the back, but only managed to reel in 2 of the back markers in the ensuing laps.

Rose had waterworks problems by lap 2 and had to retire, leaving the position open for Saul riding a borrowed TZ after his own bike’s engine expired during qualifier leaving him 13th on the starting grid.

250 riders Saul, Hecq and Gouin battled for podium positions but it was Saul having an excellent ride on the borrowed bike who finally won out over Hecq on the last laps, who was struggling with his hand injury from qualifier, Gouin took a much deserved 3rd podium position.

Meanwhile out at the front Bertin who had temporarily dropped down into 2nd position for 3 laps, re-took the lead and staved off all attempts from Simpson to overtake him. Bishop who had held 1st place for those few laps, was overtaken by Bertin but kept 2nd position to the end, leaving Simpson in 3rd position.

Middle of the pack riders Tabarly, Howarth, and Gougy had a consistent ride finishing 10th, 9th and 8th respectively.

Sunday morning sunshine brought in a good crowd to watch both the historic F1 cars and the old GP bikes. The ICGP troupe formed the same grid as Saturday, with the exception of Rose, who had to hastily repair a broken gear lever from the warm-up lap, and started latterly from the pit lane.

Simpson set off at a determined pace, with Bishop and Bertin in his wake, Hecq, Hart and Gouin leading the way from Saul, Peers-Jones and Tabarly next. Peers-Jones having spent most of the night resolving the performance issues, had finally sorted it with the very generous loan of two carburettors from Bishop’s sponsor Stuart Melen. Lap 2 and Simpson was still leading the way, but as he went down towards the Bugatti bend, a stone got sucked into the engine and it seized causing Ian to crash on the fast left hand downhill section of the course, resulting in a lot of damage to the bike, but Ian got away with just a cracked wrist. That moment dashed the hopes of Ian for the championship title, but left the way for Bertin to seize the opportunity.

3rd Lap and Bishop led into the corner from Bertin, could this be Simpson’s saviour – if Bishop won over Bertin, the points would still fll in Ian’s favour, but on lap 5, Bertin overtook on the inside of Le Mans bend. Hart, who had finished 4th in Race 1 had a chain break on him on Lap 3. Bishop took the lead from Bertin again on the next lap, 3rd racer but seconds behind the front men was Yves Hecq, followed by Saul and Gouin. 3rd 350 and on for a podium was Peers-Jones back on form and determined to make up for some lost points from Race 1, however, Rose finally made up lost ground and three quarter distance of this 12 lap race overtook Peers-Jones to take 3rd podium position.

Bishop and Bertin were still battling out front for top position, with Bertin finally taking the lead and retaining it to the checquered flag with a persistent Bishop still snapping at his heels.

Final podium positions were Bertin, Bishop, Rose for the 350’s, with Hecq, Saul and Gouin for 250’s


FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS FOR 2011:-

350’s

1. Guy Bertin (55) (F) 293 pts

2. Ian Simpson (30) (GB) 289 pts

3. Chris Bishop (99) (GB) 270 pts

4. Walter Hoffman (333) 159 pts

5. Richard Peers-Jones (33) (GB) 96 pts


250’s

1. Yves Roger Hecq (44) (B) 354 pts

2. Eric Saul (3) (F) 207 pts<

3. Andre Gouin (5) (F) 181 pts

4. Marc Auboiron (16) (F) 146 pts

5. Bob Keller (21) (BR) 135 pts


Masters (>55 yrs)

1. Guy Bertin (55) (F) 350 pts

2. Walter Hoffman (333) (D) 286 pts

3. Eric Saul (3) (F) 156 pts

4. Richard Peers-Jones (33) (GB) 154 pts

5. Andre Gouin (5) (F) 131 pts