Last year’s winner, Team Sealion makes a swift exit after a pitstop (Photo: Neil Lambert)
When: 19th – 20th August 2016, from 9am
Where: Anglesey Circuit, Ty Croes, Anglesey, Wales LL63 5TF
£: Costs £12 for a day ticket or £15 for a weekend ticket. Under 16s go free
What is it?
This month, visitors to Anglesey Circuit will be able to watch strange looking French relics take to the track in the 2CV 24 Hour Race. This unique race is one of only two 24 hour motor races in the UK, and by far the longest running.
The 2CV 24 Hour Race returns to Anglesey Circuit for the third year running and it is the 27th staging of the race. For a car designed by Andre Citroën more than 60 years ago, the ‘tin snails’ as they are sometimes called, are great fun to drive and they put on a great show.
A busy pit lane under safety car conditions (Photo: Neil Lambert)
Each car has three or four drivers, who change when the cars come in to refuel, around every two hours.
Each team has mechanics who fettle the cars, and some are said to be able to change an engine in just seven minutes. Teams set up camp behind their garages to cater for the drivers and the pit crew.
Alongside the classic 2CVs, there are invitation classes for cars from the Belgian 2CV series, which have a standard 2CV windscreen, but otherwise look like full-blooded racers. There is also a class for classic style Minis, tuned to match the 2CVs speed.
This year, the cars will be testing all day on Friday, and in the evening they will be qualifying and setting grid positions. They will emerge from their pit garages at around 8.30am on Saturday, ready for a massed rolling start at 9am. Then it’s flat out, twice around the clock, through the darkness until the finish at 9am on Sunday.
Crowds gather up the pit lane for the victory parade (Photo: Neil Lambert)
There’s always a special atmosphere at this unique 24 hour race, Wales’ own take on Le Mans. It’s all very friendly and spectators are invited to walk into the back of the pit garages and watch the crews at work. If you are lucky, you might just see a speedy engine change.
Visitors can enter into the full spirit of the event and stay the night. There is plenty of space to pitch a tent, caravan or motorhome, with all the expected facilities on site.
More info: www.2cvracing.org.uk and www.angleseycircuit.com