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Fisken on form in stunning Le Mans Classic weekend 

Gregor Fisken produced several spirited drives in two superb 1960s Ferraris at the Le Mans Classic last weekend. The biennial event, organised by Le Mans Series promoters Peter Autos, once again attracted massive crowds and an incredible entry of beautiful vintage pre-1979 racing machinery, split into six different grids based each car’s original year of competition.

Gregor, also Managing Director and founder of historic automobile specialist Fiskens, travelled to La Sarthe to drive a 1960 Ferrari 246 S run by Tim Samways of Sporting and Historic Cars.

Sharing the Ferrari, which famously raced at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Nurburgring 1000kms and Targa Florio, with Harry Leventis and Bobby Verdon-Roe, Fisken led home the 77-car field for a comfortable victory in Saturday’s first 46-minute race, only to be handed a two-minute penalty for a pit lane infraction which dropped him to fourth in the final result.

In the second race on Saturday evening Fisken was again in the thick of the action at the front of the field, thrilling the crowd as part of a three-car battle with the Lotus 15 of Roger Wills and Joe Twyman and the Maserati Birdcage of Frank Stippler and Willi Balz. Despite getting caught behind a Safety Car, which separated Fisken from the leaders, he fought his way back to the front as the race went green and was leading when he was forced to retire with a minor mechanical issue.

On Sunday, Fisken was invited to drive another Tim Samways-run Ferrari, this time a stunning 1964 206 Dino. This time, after starting from the back of a 65-car grid, Gregor had climbed all the way up to eighth overall when misfortune struck again as a throttle issue forced the car into retirement.

Despite his bad luck, Fisken admitted he’d thoroughly enjoyed one of the most eagerly-anticipated events on the historic motorsport calendar.

“It was a fabulous weekend,” Gregor said. “Patrick Peter and his team have done a great job and every time they put the event on it gets better and better. The Le Mans Classic is terribly well run, great fun and boasts some truly marvellous cars. With six grids and hundreds of different machines, they really did cover almost every base.

“This year the event attracted huge interest from the media, the industry and of course among spectators. Motors TV were there filming all weekend and at times it seemed as if it was as big as the 24 Hours itself. The Le Mans Classic’s growth since the first event in 2002 again highlights the continuing rise in popularity of historic motorsport across the world.”

Meanwhile, Fiskens, whose showrooms are based in Kensington, London, also displayed a very-special Ford GT40. Chassis XGT2 was one of eight 7-litre engined MkIIs entered by Ford in the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours, probably the most memorable of Le Mans where Ford crushed Ferrari, this chassis being prepared by Alan Mann Racing of Byfleet in England and driven by Graham Hill and Brian Muir. The car formed part of the prestigious Le Mans Heritage Club exhibition, an invitation-only concours that was only open to cars that had actually competed in the legendary 24-hour race.

“For a car that was part of the team which went on to win Le Mans in 1966, it was remarkably easy to drive,” commented Fiskens’ Will Stone, who drove it during a special parade of the 8.469km Circuit de la Sarthe. “It was the first time I have driven it and it was a real rush to drive one of the actual 1966 Le Mans GT40s down the Mulsanne Straight.”