04-2015 The French Historic Hillclimb Championship continued, last weekend, at Abreschwiller, in the heart of the Moselle region. This was the 45th edition of the race, renowned and appreciated by everyone for the welcoming ambience.
It attracts drivers not only from France, but also from Belgium, Luxemburg and Switzerland. The COCCA and its president, Guy Gamber, do their very best to present the Championship to the public, along with the CFM-Montagne, on behalf of the FFSA. There is an important benevolent aspect to the event, under the guidance of Nicolas Schatz, supporting the fight against child cancer.
The race is very different from the two previous Championship events: it is relatively short, at only 2.1 kms, a narrow, winding road through a forest with a tight hairpin just before the finish. There were 29 entrants in the Historic section, with only one Marcadier, that of Vincent Lagache in his faithful AM-K barquette, decked out in its 1977 orange colour.
Vincent and his car were returning to competition after a two-year absence. Being the car's first outing for so long, there were the inevitable teething problems. These included a faulty ignition coil, which caused a misfire on the final two runs. Despite this, Vincent finished in 3rd place overall, winning his class, behind the Van Diemen of Marc Debeaune ( which Vincent himself prepares! ) and the in-form Luc Stockli in his 1800cc Alpine.
