VINTAGE REVIVAL MONTLHERY - 2015

The best combined car/motorcycle event in the world is coming May 9th and 10th at the Montlhéry speed bowl, for Vintage-Revival Monthléry.  I've attended both the prior events for pre-war cars and motorcycles, and having ridden both cars and bikes on the track is an experience not to be missed. The quality of the machinery is always world-class, with invaluable historic racers hammered around the historic banking, one of only two full-size concrete speed bowls left intact (the other being Sitges in Spain) from the heyday of concrete and wooden banked racing.  My reports from the 2011 event, and the 2013 event, can be read via the links, and if they don't have you dreaming of France in May, you're on the wrong website!  I'll be there reporting again this year, so expect another batch of Bugattis, MacEvoys, Zeniths, Amilcars, etc, and an interesting cast of characters too.

El Solitario's David Borras checks out the awesome Koehler-Escoffier 'Monneret'

I've ridden the track on motorcycles, in cars, and once in a course marshall's supercharged rally car to 'sweep' the track at over 120mph, which is also quite an experience - I'm sure the door handle retains indents from my fingernails.  Like any concrete racing track nearing its 100th birthday (I know of only two complete, original examples - Monthléry and Sitges, Spain), the expansion joints between the concrete paving create small changes in the track surface, which means in practice a bumpier ride the faster one goes.  But the faster you ride, the higher up the banking you go - and Montlhéry makes Daytona look like kindergarten, with its curved banking nearly vertical at the top.  Amazing good fun!

Yours truly set the record for the most hands-off laps of Montlhéry with the incredibly stable Ner-A-Car.  Note prop-driven cyclecar behind!

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