The blazing sunshine and temperatures hinting to the early onset of summer were all but a distant memory on the final day of Tour Auto 2014. As the dawn broke in Valence, a think veil of fog enshrouded vast swathes of France. The great visibility and grippy road conditions of the previous few days were long forgotten, as the teams tip-toed out from Parc Ferme and embarked on the final stage of the journey. With the special stages complete, the final test for the drivers lay at the world famous Paul Ricard circuit, renowned for its 1.8 kilometre Mistral Straight and vivid blue and red stripes that adorn the sides of the track. The blue and red stripes use a combination of precious metals in order to maximise traction. In the event that a car ventures off the circuit, the stripes help to provide a much more grippy surface in order that the cars can decrease their braking distance, and return safely to the track. The circuit was built in the 1960s with funding from the eccentric Pastis magnate Paul Ricard, and has been host to all manner of top level motorsport events, from the FIA GT Championship, the WTCC and numerous Formula One races. Paul Ricard sits on a beautiful plateau in the foothills of the Var, it is hard to imagine a more picturesque setting for a top level circuit. The cars arrived in good time, with the mornings fog having dispersed slowly, after masking the mornings journey through the heartlands of the Vaucluse and Provence, passing close to the legendary Mont Ventoux.
After a brief pause for lunch upon arrival at the circuit, the drivers clambered awkwardly into their cars for the final stage of Tour Auto 2014. An expectant crowd lined the circuit, with an anticipated hush broken only by the ferocious sound of the first engines firing up and the rumble of assorted V8 and V12 units springing into life with a purposeful rumble. The first class saw a great battle between a group of AC Cobras, GT40s and Jaguar E Types, that had been jousting it out all week for honours in the class. One of the most entertaining classes to watch every year, due to the competitive spirit and proximity of the racing, Phillipe Vandromme dragged his prototype Ford GT40 to a hard earned win in the competition class, with Olivier Panis in the Ferrari 308 Group 4 Michelotto, and Erik Comas in the Lancia Stratos both failing to finish. With the first groups now departing the circuit, the Regularity classes jousted for position on track, with the Belgian run Austin Cooper S taking victory in the second class in an incredibly close session, which saw the first 19 cars covered by just two seconds in the fastest recorded laps.
With the clear azure tones of the Mediterranean in sight, the cars left the circuit and made tracks toward Marseille, taking in yet another scenic drive along the coast, and through the delightful town of Cassis. As the heat of the day started to dissipate, and the haze that hung in the heady Mediterranean air started to cool, the first cars caught sight of the city limits of Marseilles.
At the Museum of Mediterranean and European Civilisation in Marseille, a generous crowd had gathered to welcome the drivers, weary from the trials and tribulations of the previous five days, the cramped conditions of inhospitable cockpits, the searing continental temperatures twinned with the piercing heat radiating from performance engines, the constant rumble of exhaust notes, the maze of pace notes and navigation from assorted maps and lists, and not least, the concentration and focus required to drive a high performance classic sports car to the pinnacle of its potential.
As corks exited bottles, countless glasses of champagne were filled, drunk, and filled again. Cigars were lit, and as the fumes mingled with the heady mediterranean air, Tour Auto 2014 drew to a close in the dying embers of the Marseille evening.
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