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Group 6 race Colmar Berg 1977 ?


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#1 r.atlos

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Posted 19 December 2010 - 18:11

I have a problem in identifying an International Group 6 race at Colmar Berg, Luxembourg, in 1977.

This photo shows the Chevron B31 of Bob Marsland, followed by LBS 5 in the hands of Friedhelm Coenen:

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From a number of details on LBS 5 (I own the sad remains of it) I can say that this race has happened in 1977 and that it has happened before the Nurburgring Trophy on 28/08/1977. This is definitely not the (wet) Interserie race of early 1978.

As Bob was there I suppose a number of other British Interserie contenders must have made the trip, as well. Does anybody have the exact date or would anybody even have an entry list and results ?

Edited by r.atlos, 19 December 2010 - 18:12.


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#2 r.atlos

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Posted 21 December 2010 - 15:22

I should have mentioned that I have, of course, contacted already the Luxembourg Motorsport Association, the Goodyear PR Department in Colmar Berg and a number of current motorsport clubs in Luxembourg - all to no avail.

Most races on the Circuit Goodyear in Colmar Berg in those days seem to have been organised by "Ecurie Goodyear Ecurie du Nord" - postal address c/o Goodyear and here the trail goes cold again ...

I even have the name of one V. Mathieu to whose attention all correspondance should have been addressed - and still his name does not seem to ring a bell with any of those contacted.

#3 Frank de Jong

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Posted 21 December 2010 - 17:47

Lutz, the only thing I can help you with are two races I know have been held at Colmar in 1977; take a look here , scroll down to the group 2/5 section. In contemporary reports, there was no mention of a Group 6 race (they may not have been of interest for the Dutch public) but perhaps these two dates can help you further.

Edited by Frank de Jong, 21 December 2010 - 17:48.


#4 eukie

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Posted 21 December 2010 - 20:44

Lutz, the only thing I can help you with are two races I know have been held at Colmar in 1977; take a look here , scroll down to the group 2/5 section. In contemporary reports, there was no mention of a Group 6 race (they may not have been of interest for the Dutch public) but perhaps these two dates can help you further.

According to the "weekend sport"-preview in Autosport July 28th, the 31/7 meeting at Colmar was for "G 1-6" and "F Libre".




#5 r.atlos

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Posted 21 December 2010 - 22:54

Thank you, Frank, Marco and guyORS (who sent me a PM) for your hints. I have identified three possible "suspects" in terms of events, i.e. on 22/05/1977, 03/07/1977 and 31/07/1977.

I checked in AutoVisie to start with: Nothing in N° 12 (issue dated 04/06/1977) for the race on 22/05/1977, a good report in N° 15 (dated 16/07/1977) on the race of 03/07/1977 but not the slightest hint to the fact that there might have been Gr.6 cars (nice sunny wheather, tough - just like in my pics* ...). Not sure of the 31/07/1977 date as I did not manage yet to put my hand on an appropriate copy of AutoVisie.

One of the races (can't remember which one off the top of my head) counted for the French "Coupe de l'Avenir". I have the report in Echappement N° 106 (August 1977) but again no hint to a "real Gr.6 race" (apologies to all Coupe de l'Avenir fans for my wording). Same for auto hebdo (N° 70, 71, 74 and 76 in my files) ...

My "preferred suspect" remains the event on 03/07/1977, though. This snippet is from Autosprint where they say Gr.6 cars, as well:

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At the same time, this ad from ONS Nachrichten does not mention Gr.6 at all:

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* = all other pics just show the LBS team with both cars (LBS 3 and LBS 5) in the paddock; no other competitor left, right or center to allow additional identification

Edited by r.atlos, 21 December 2010 - 23:11.


#6 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 07:09

I should have mentioned that I have, of course, contacted already the Luxembourg Motorsport Association, the Goodyear PR Department in Colmar Berg and a number of current motorsport clubs in Luxembourg - all to no avail.

Most races on the Circuit Goodyear in Colmar Berg in those days seem to have been organised by "Ecurie Goodyear Ecurie du Nord" - postal address c/o Goodyear and here the trail goes cold again ...

I even have the name of one V. Mathieu to whose attention all correspondance should have been addressed - and still his name does not seem to ring a bell with any of those contacted.


Is Friedhelm Coenen still around? Here is an email address that might help?

info@fiat-coenen.de

Vince H.


#7 r.atlos

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 12:25

Thanks, Vince - he is still around but no longer under this address. His Fiat / Maserati dealership has ceased to exist. Friedhelm did, unfortunately, not keep any records as did virtually none of the other LBS pilots (Walter Prüser might be the only exception).



#8 r.atlos

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 12:27

... and Hans Heyer is the other exception but he raced for LBS only once !

#9 r.atlos

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 12:33

guyORS (who dropped me a PM) and a motorsport journalist from Luxembourg (offline contact) both confirm that the "V" in Mathieu's name stands for Vic.

It seems he was then president of the now defunt Ecurie du Nord.

Edited by r.atlos, 22 December 2010 - 12:34.


#10 r.atlos

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Posted 22 December 2010 - 12:56

Have found three threads here with "Marathon de la Route" in the title: This one, this here and still another one. Enjoy !

#11 r.atlos

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 00:10

A big "thank you" to a couple of motoring journalists from Luxembourg who have helped me in identifying the correct date. Jean-Marie Resch was kind enough to forward my request to a couple of colleagues and it was Patrick Weber who came up with details:

He had attended a race aged 12 and recalled that, in fact, the French "Coupe de l'Avenir" staged a round in Colmar Berg. And as Gr.6 participants were a bit thin on the ground, the 10 best finishers of the "Coupe de l'Avenir" were invited to run another race with the "bigger boys".

Now, all this now confirms that the date was July 03, 1977.

Edited by r.atlos, 07 January 2011 - 00:11.


#12 r.atlos

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Posted 07 January 2011 - 00:17

And here's chapter and verse from AUTOhebdo N°70 dated 07/07/1977:

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A warm welcome to Patrick who has, in the meantime, joined us here at TNF !



#13 r.atlos

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Posted 08 January 2011 - 01:10

See my PM - I have some scans from period reports (1968, 1969) in case you are interested.