Chevron wins Supersports Cup and Sports prototype trophy

Chevron B19 Racer Jonas Qvarnstrom put memories of a torrid 1999 season behind him when he secured the International Supersports Cup on the French Grand Prix circuit at Magny-Cours on 1 October.

The veteran Swede, who raced 1-litre F3 cars against up-and-coming compatriots Ronnie Peterson and Reine Wisell in the late 1960s, triumphed in the series’ most competitive class, for 2-litre Group 6 cars.

Predictably, the monstrous V8-engined relics of the Can-Am and Interserie championships had the legs on their rivals in central France, the 9-litre McLaren-Chevrolets of Peter Hoffmann (M8F) and Nigel Barrett (M8D) setting the pace in both legs. Hoffmann won the first and then enjoyed a terrific scrap with Barrett in the second race. When each hit problems, Paul Whight (M8F) benefited, racing home ahead of John Grant’s Chevron B19. MP

Class victory at Dijon-Prenois’ finale on 24 September confirmed Michael Schryver as inaugural European Sports Prototype Trophy Champion with his ex-Brian Robinson 1970 Chevron-FVC B16. Last year he won series organiser Group 4 Racing’s own internal title, at the wheel of his similarly original 1967 Chevron-Lotus B6.

Schryver and the nimble Chevron beat the rival Lola T70s on the circuit which last hosted the French GP in 1984, while thrilling battles raged in both legs between Willie Green’s Ligier-Cosworth JS3, Jonathan Baker’s Alfa Romeo T33 and Frenchman Jean Guikas’ wailing Matra MS670.

The Ligier, racing on home soil for the first time since 1971, won the opening tussle as Baker spun. His consolation on the second day was driving around the outside of both sparring partners at the first corner. But Green won on aggregate, to the partisan crowd’s approval. MP