Rally of the Roads of North

The rally of the Roads of North is a automobile Compétition which took place in the North of France in the years 1950 and 1960. Disappeared in 1971, it was started again in another form with Armentières (Northern) in 2004.

History

Rally of the Textile

The Rally of the Roads of North took place with 18 recoveries between 1951 and 1971. The first edition, which bore the name of rally of the Textile, was organized in May 1951, within the framework of the international textile Exposure which took place with the Trade fair of Lille. It is in the enclosure of the Fair of Lille that the departure and the arrival of the test took place during 20 years.

Test of regularity

The rally of the Roads of North was organized by the Automobile Club North of France, powerful club which counted at the time to 100.000 members. The rally was then a test of endurance and regularity where clashed easy amateurs, rather than of true racing drivers. With the program of the first edition: no the timed special test, but a course of 640 km to be traversed to 60 km/h of average, and to decide between possible the ex-aequos, a test of starting-braking on 100 m on the carpark of the Trade fair of Lille.

Victoire of one 4 CV

The following years, the competitors were to traverse 1000 km in less than 12 midnight, almost without interruption. The course, which was held mainly night, carried out them of Lille to Fourmies, Charleville-Mézières, Bapaume, Boulogne/Mer, Calais and Cassel. The hill climb of the Notch of Stopovers (900 m length), with the course White-nosed monkey, was the only test speed of the rally. A system of points and handicaps, according to the cubic capacity, made it possible to favor the small cars compared to the more powerful models. Thus in 1953, one 4 CV Renault could precede Porsche and gain the rally.

On the circuit of Rheims

As from 1956, the Roads of North made a broad turning by Rheims to dispute a race in group on the circuit of Gueux. This test speed on track of approximately 100 km made it possible the more powerful cars to make the difference. The circuit of Rheims-Gueux was always with the program of the last edition in 1971.

The special ones which lasts

In the Sixties, the rally took little by little the face of the current competitions, the special ones timed on closed roads were done more. Some of them, created for the rally of the Roads of North, always exist and of the sections are traversed at the time of other tests of the North of France: Sercus (rally of the Lily), Steenwerck (rally of Flandres), Rainsars (Charlemagne rally).

Sabine, Ligier, Todt…

As from 1961, the easy amateurs left the place to the tenors of the championship of France and the great names followed one another the prize list. The Parisian Bernard Consten (victorious of its category in 1958,1961,1962 and 1966) and Poitevin Robert Buchet (1st in 1956,1962 and 1966) were accustomed Roads of North, but by dividing into sheets the lists of the competitors of the time, one finds many known names: Gilbert and Thierry Sabine, OJ Schlesser, Guy Ligier, Rene Trautmann, Paul Coltelloni, Guy Glass, Jean Todt, Gilbert Stapelaere, Henri Greder, Gerard Larrousse, Jean-Claude Andruet (victorious in 1970), Jean Vinatier (victorious in 1969), Guy Chasseuil, Claude Bundle-Léna, Bernard Darniche, Jean-Luc Thérier, Marie-Claude Beaumont, Jean Ragnotti, Jean-Claude Vaucard… without forgetting the Barbara family.

Snowstorm

Registered to the championship of France as from 1958, the rally of the Roads of North entered the legend of the French automobile sport after a memorable edition in 1969. Blocked by a snowstorm in middle of the night on the side of Arras, the majority of the competitors had to give up. Only 12 cars out of 65 succeeded in joining the arrival in Lille. Jean Vinatier (Alpine A110) asserted himself in spite of 39 minutes of penalties. In 1958 (snow in Flandres) and in 1963 (glaze and fog in Bolted), the weather had already played of the turns to the organizers.

Jose Barbara

By gaining the editions organized in 2004 and 2005 with Armentières (Northern), the northerner pilot Jose Barbara established the link with the Roads of North old formula: in 1971, it had been illustrated there by gaining group 1 with a Ford Capri. At the Barbara, the rally is a business of family. His/her father took part in the Roads of North on several occasions in the years 1960.

Prize list

1951. Claude Soulary- Francis Campion (Citroen Traction 15-6)

1952. Guy Lapchin - Lucie Lapchin (Renault 4 CV 1063)

1953. Michel Monnier-M. Desoubry (Renault 4CV 1063)

1954. Gonzague Olivier-Gilberte Thirion (Porsche 356 1500 S)

1955. Michel and Jean Parsy (Jaguar XK 140)

1956. Robert Buchet-Claude Storez (Porsche 356)

1957. Not organized, because of the crisis of Suez.

1958. Bernard Consten-Jean Hebert (Dyna Panhard ZI)

1959. Raymond Quilico-Raphael Michot (DKW 980 Cm3)

1960. Not organized, because of the change of regulation of the rallys.

1961. Tourism: Bernard Consten-Jack Renel (Jaguar MK 2) & WP: OJ Schlesser - Jean-François Trunk (Lotus Elite)

1962. Tourism: Bernard Consten-Jack Renel (Jaguar MK 2) & WP: Robert Buchet-Stanislas Mound (Porsche 356 Will square)

1963. Tourism: Rene Trautmann-Claudine Bouchet (Citroen DS 19) & WP: Lucien Bianchi-Pascal Ickx (Citroen DS 19)

1964. Tourism: Henri Greder-Martial Delalande (Ford Falcon) & WP: Claude Frank Leguezec-Jacques (Aston Martin dB 4)

1965. Tourism: Henri Greder-Martial Delalande (Ford Mustang) & WP: Eddy Meert-Pedro (Porsche 904 GTS)

1966. Gr. 3-4: Robert Buchet-Jacques Ferrand (Porsche 904 GTS), gr. 2-5: Bernard Consten-Bernard Pichon (Alfa Romeo AWG) & gr. 1: Henri Greder-Gilbert Stapelaere (Ford Falcon)

1967. Jean-Pierre Gaban-Pedro (Porsche 904 GTS)

1968. Not organized, because of the conflict enters the car-clubs and the FFSA.

1969. Jean Vinatier-Marcel Callewaert (Alpine Renault A110)

1970. Inter: Jean-Claude Andruet-Sylvain Bernard (Alpine Renault A110) & National: Jean-Claude Bonvarlet-Therese Gorillot (Alpine A110)

1971. Inter: Bernard Fiorentino-Maurice Gelin (Simca CG MC) & National: Jean-Claude Wicke-Jean-Pierre Fishmonger (Alpine A110)

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