COVER STORY
Close racing with the quirky French 2CV cars
Some people, of course, are not so lucky, and the attrition of endurance racing means that a good collection of spare parts is essential, just in case. There is plenty of availability – particularly for the C1s, thanks to a perfect-fit sponsorship deal with Silverlake Automotive Recycling.
“ The C1 racing is all about low-cost racing and Silverlake supplies low-cost recycled parts,” explains Welsh.“ They bring so much stock to every race – engines, bumpers, sump rings, hubs, wings, body panels, lights, all that kind of stuff – and a lot of people racing in C1s buy the parts from them.”
Langley says his race budget this year reached a five-figure sum – much higher than the three-hour Championship races – although when split between six drivers, that becomes more reasonable.“ It is not bad if you manage it well,” he says.“ The entry fee is the largest item, but you also need sufficient spare parts and a large number of tyres!”
Building a team
These may be low-profile 24-Hour races, but they are just as competitive as the international events, all the way through the field. That means teamwork is extremely important whether you are racing at the front or the back, and a lot of the teams are made up of groups of long-time friends.
Drinkwater had already been competing regularly in endurance events when he was enticed by the opportunity to add more long-distance racing into his calendar, and a chance to race with friends in a C1. So, he pulled together a group, bought a car and built it up to take part in the 24-Hours race at Spa in 2018.
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“ When we heard about the first C1 24-hour race at Spa over the summer, we decided we should give it a go,” he says.“ They knew I did lots of endurance stuff and some of them had helped at those events, so we bought the C1, Clive Brookson fixed it up, and we were still building it on the Friday when we got to Spa!
“ We did the race and had a great time – I think it rained nonstop for the 24-hours! – and it has all gone on from there. We now have two cars, one that can be for newcomers with limited racing experience that can do a routine strategy for maximum driving time, and another for drivers going for a result, with seat time adjusted as needed through the race.”
In contrast to Drinkwater, Langley’ s racing debut came much later in life. He was introduced to the sport at the age of 60 by his friend Maurice Crockett and wanted to put together a team to race a C1 and, ultimately, the Spa 24-Hour race.
“ There are older people out there, but to start at 60 is fairly unusual,” he smiles.“ I did a track day at Castle Combe then got my ARDS licence. The three of us built a car over the winter and started racing in 2018. I gradually learned and picked up speed but then things stopped for COVID and after that, racing at Spa was no longer an option.
“ We continued to do three to four endurance races each year – the longest being the double six at Pembrey – and gradually worked towards our 24-Hour race goal. We do not see each other that often and when we get together, we have great fun, so this year, I said if we do not do it now, there might not be another chance, and I drove the whole plan.”
Revolution- June 2025