The 2007 Circuit des Remparts was a marvellous event for Race Tours and the thousands of fans that made the trip to the Charente, thanks in part to the glorious sunshine not to mention the special atmosphere that grips the old town unfalteringly year on year.

Read on for Neil’s brief account of the trip and click the thumbnails to view the photos. If your car appears or you would just like a copy of one of the photos please contact us and we can send you a full res version.

Thursday 13th September

It is 18.00 and Courtney and I have already collected Dan (a friend of long standing from my University days) and the three of us are now on the road to Portsmouth. The car is filled with the usual sense of anticipation associated with a Motorsporting journey into Europe. We arrive at the Seven Stars pub in the village of Stroud at 20.30 where we rendezvous with the members of our mini convoy. Olly and Will have been waiting in the evening sunshine having arrived a couple of hours earlier in Olly’s ’04 Exige. Dave & Bill (aka Fruitloop and BajaBill) arrive in Dave’s very raw looking '66 beetle a few minutes after us. This has been a last minute restoration project by the Yorkshiremen!

Introductions are made and we head to the docks. Time allows a perusal of the Angouleme traffic before we board.

It isn’t long before we are relaxing in the bar bound for Caen.

Friday 14th September

By 07.40 we are on the road again having disembarked form the ferry without any problems. It is an unexpectedly misty morning but by the time we reach the Le Mans ring road at 10.30 the sun has burnt all the mist away and it is shaping up to be a glorious day. The beetle has dropped off the radar; we later discover that the guys had some major idling problems that delayed them by about 10 hours in Alencon! It’s a whole other story but the short of it is that, never ones to back down from a challenge, they battled on in good spirits, eventually arriving in Angouleme at 01.30 on Saturday morning.

We, on the other hand, check in at the Epi D’Or at about 14.15. There are already some other Circuit des Remparts visitors, detectable by the Bentley Superblower in the car park! The owners have driven it all the way here from the South of England and they will be competing in the Vintage race on Sunday.

We spend the afternoon getting acquainted with the old town and circuit (it’s a 20 minute walk from the hotel). There is plenty of time to soak up the sun (and beer) in the Place de St Martial before choosing a suitable restaurant from the many that lie amidst the narrow streets off Place des Halles.

After dinner we wander down to the cathedral gardens (just off Avenue du President Wilson) to see the start of the Concours d’Elegance at 21.30. It’s a delightful show, the natural amphitheatre of the gardens is utilised to the maximum as car after car rolls into the spotlight with their owners dressed in period clothing!

Sat 15th September

At 08.15 we head off in the direction of the Geant Supermarche in North Angouleme for the start of the Charente Rally. At a leisurely pace it only takes us 15 minutes to get there so we arrive in time to see some of the earlier runners departing.

At about 10.00 we jump back in the car and drive out onto the rally route. The sleepy villages around the Charente make a beautiful backdrop for the varied and interesting cars on the rally and the villagers turn out in force to wave and cheer as the cars pass through. Out in the country the route is made up of the classic deserted French roads that meander through vineyards and cornfields, carrying us serenely to our destination.

We pull over to see the rally arrive at the ‘Cognac tasting’ checkpoint.

The decision is made to leave the rally and we head to the pretty village of Jarnac near Cognac for some lunch and then return to the Epi D’Or via the circuit for a few laps!

The rally returns to Angouleme at 17.30 and we are waiting for the cars in Place Victor Hugo as it is only a few hundred yards from the Epi D’Or.

The old town is buzzing on Saturday evening and we soak up the atmosphere by dining in a French restaurant before some civilized (!) drinks in the Blues Rock Café on Place des Halles.

Sunday 16th September

Hangovers are brushed aside as we head to the circuit for about 09.00, half an hour after the start of the qualifying sessions. The morning is the best time for spectating as the crowds are considerably smaller. We explore the infield section before inspecting the paddock.

There is a gap of about an hour between qualifying and race sessions during which time a BMW M3 and a Porsche 356 hammer around the circuit, each car collecting a new passenger every time they pass the paddock.

Whilst all this is going on we trek down to the bottom hairpin via Jardin Vert and Rue Saint Ausone. This is an excellent place to watch, predominantly because few are willing to make the long walk. It is worth it though as the corner presents a great overtaking opportunity (relatively!).

Bugatti Grand Prix 1:

We watch the remaining races from various places around the circuit. Spectating is somewhat hindered by the blistering heat as shaded areas that also overlook the track are few and far between. Next year we must bring an umbrella!

Formule Junior:

Bugatti Grand Prix 2:

GT-GTS-GTP/Tourisme:

Vintage 1920-1930:

Sport-GT 1950-1960:

Jaguar XK:

The last race finishes around 19.00 and we trudge slowly back to the Epi D’Or, all of us hot and exhausted. There is time for 40 winks before we take a walk up to Place Victor Hugo where we find a Chinese restaurant that is open. Then its an early night in preparation for tomorrow’s drive.

Monday 17th September

We are on the road by 08.30, which allows us to make the drive up through France at a leisurely pace. There is time for a detour into Le Mans and a drive around the famous circuit!

It is 16.00 when we finally arrive in Caen and after boarding without any problems the ferry sets sail on schedule at 17.00. The journey passes fairly quickly and it isn’t long before we are touching down on English soil. The 2007 Circuit des Remparts is over, let us hope that 2008 comes around quickly!

Thank you to everyone involved for making the trip such an enjoyable one.