- Lionspeed GP enters four cars in three series during Dix Mille Tours Paul Ricard
- Patrick Kolb secures front-row start in Porsche 2L Cup
- Tim Mol and Kolb race under the stars in Sixties Endurance race aboard Jaguar E-Type
In a change of pace from its regular modern racing activities, Lionspeed GP enjoyed a lively weekend of historic motorsport at Peter Auto’s Dix Mille Tours event at Circuit Paul Ricard.
In total, the team brought four cars to Le Castellet in order to compete in three different series: Classic Endurance Racing, the Porsche 2.0L Cup and the Sixties Endurance series.
Through unforeseen circumstances, the latter series provided the highlight of the weekend for Lionspeed and drivers Patrick Kolb (GER) and Tim Mol (NED), who shared the cockpit of a 1962 Jaguar E-Type Semi-Lightweight. Taking place on Saturday evening, the two-hour contest was already scheduled to finish under the cover of darkness. However, an hour’s delay to the timetable meant the race started after the sun had set, resulting in a race that was entirely run in the dark. Kolb and Mol fought through the race to finish 27th overall, which was the strongest result for the pairing and their E-Type to date.
For Lionspeed team principal Kolb, the weekend was a busy one as he competed in no fewer than three different championships. In the 2.0L Cup, a display of skill at the wheel of the No. 73 Porsche 911 2.0L SWB resulted in a front-row start. Sadly, he was unable to convert that into a strong race result as a faulty distributor led to an early retirement. In the same race, Mol took turns at the wheel of the No. 82 Porsche with Uwe Kolb (GER). The duo went on to finish 13th in the Gentleman Class.
Finally, there was the one-hour Classic Endurance Racing contest in which Patrick and Uwe Kolb shared a 1974 Porsche 911 3.0 RSR. After initially qualifying mid-pack as part of a large and varied grid of historic machinery, they unfortunately failed to reach the finish.
“It was a pleasure to be back in Paul Ricard for one of the Lionspeed Classics season highlights,” Kolb said. With four cars in three races it was a packed weekend for the Classic Squad. Clear highlights were the Sixties Endurance race on Saturday night, which due to the delay was fully run in the nighttime, accompanied by the drivers dinner in the paddock.”
Lionspeed will now switch its focus to the rapidly approaching finale to its European GT4 season: the Hankook 24H Barcelona, which will take place on September 13-15.