Dix Mille Tours du Castellet 2017 – Report and Photos

The Dix Mille Tours du Castellet 2017 was held 20-22 October at Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France. Spectators shared their common passion at the 8th annual historic car racing event that featured seven grids on the 25-turn, 3.64-mile track near Marseille.

The Dix Mille Tours has been on the Peter Auto calendar of events since 2010. The entrants eagerly await this rendezvous due to the quality of the infrastructure at the Paul Ricard circuit, as well as the technical challenge posed by its layout. The wide run-off areas that border the track give the drivers, whether experienced or not, the opportunity to go pedal to the metal at the wheel of cars that are of great historic value.

The wind was blowing hard on Sunday at the Dix Mille Tours du Castellet 2017, so much so that the organisers were forced to dismantle the tents that normally shelter the race cars. But it wasn’t a problem as the latter didn’t really need a roof, with the three-day meeting in the Var bathed in glorious sunlight. In the paddock fans were able to run shoulders with a few stars like Emanuele Pirro and Derek Bell (5-time winners of the Le Mans 24 Hours), Olivier Pla (works Ford driver in Endurance), Jean-Pierre Malcher (three-time winner of the French Touring Car Championship) and Bruce Jouanny (host of the Top Gear France programme).

Seven grids provided the on-track spectacle with a total of 10 races and some amazing cars like the turbine-powered Howmet TX, the pair of Ferrari 250 LMs, a Porsche 917 K, the four Alfa Romeo 33s as well as the two Mercedes-Benz C11s. And that wasn’t all. Seven sessions for the clubs and first drives in manufacturer’s cars followed one another on the circuit providing spectators with the opportunity to feast their eyes on a selection of cars from the 1950s to the 2020s with a taste of what’s to come provided by the presence of the future Ford GT.

Similar to 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, Sports Car Digest also documented the Dix Mille Tours du Castellet 2017 with the following selection of images.

Dix Mille Tours du Castellet 2017 – Photo Gallery (photos: Stephanie Bezard, Fotorissima, Photo Classic Racing, Julien Hergault)

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