Photo Philippe Saulay
Philippe Saulay was the lucky winner of the contest we organised with Classic Racing School. His prize: a day behind the wheel of a classic Formula Ford at the fabulous Charade circuit near Clermont-Ferrand in France.
“What a day that was,” Philippe Saulay wrote us. “I felt like Jackie Stewart for a bit”, he says. “The vintage atmosphere of course helped,” Philippe explains, as he arrived for his day behind the wheel of one of the Classic Racing School single-seaters.
Waiting for him was one of the Crosslé 90Fs, built specifically for Classic Racing School. The school calls the Charade circuit in the beautiful Auvergne region in France its home base. Charade is of course known as the home to the French Formula 1 Grand Prix in the mid-sixties and early seventies. Stirling Moss, who raced at Charade in 1959, called it “the most beautiful track in the world.”
Classic Racing School offers a full-vintage experience, taking the drivers back to the sixties. “Very old-school,” says organizer Julien Chaffard. “There are no driving aids, all equipment has a vintage look and feel and we take you right back to how racing was in the sixties. Our Crosslé 90Fs are a continuation of the Crosslé 16F, the model with which Emerson Fittipaldi, Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen worked their way through the ranks. And just like them, you can experience how pure driving feels.”
Something our lucky winner is quick to confirm. “These are very nice cars to drive. It feels like you can push them to the limit quite quickly, but then reality sets in. This is a track where you need to show some respect. The rolling hills hand it a unique character, and on the downhill parts, you feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins. The coaching program helps you progress throughout the day. This was a lot of fun.”
From our side, we can only thank Classic Racing School for their generosity. If this tickled your curiosity, find out about Classic Racing School’s full program here.
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