Shelby Cobra Daytona Powers Muytjens and Pineau to 400 km of Paul Ricard Victory

Olivier Muytjens and Brice Pineau, driving a Shelby Cobra Daytona, etched their names into Iberian Historic Endurance history by claiming victory in the inaugural 400 km of Paul Ricard, a thrilling three-hour contest that featured no fewer than five different race leaders and kept the outcome in doubt until the closing stages.

The HY Racing pairing's triumph was made all the more impressive by a difficult start to the weekend. A mechanical issue with their fan-favorite Ford GT40 during qualifying ruled the iconic British machine out of contention, forcing the team to switch to its spare Shelby Cobra Daytona. Having completed no laps in the American car before the race and starting from the back of the grid, Muytjens and Pineau produced a remarkable recovery drive to secure a hard-fought yet thoroughly deserved victory.

Starting from pole position, Jac Meeuwissen and Ties Meeuwissen took the early lead aboard their Ford Mustang, with João Mira Gomes and Nuno Afoito's Lotus Seven, which lined up alongside them on the front row, giving chase. The Dutch duo controlled the opening laps, but on lap three the HY Racing-run Shelby Cobra Daytona completed its charge through the field and moved into the lead.

However, the race was far from settled. The first round of pit stops and contrasting race strategies reshuffled the order, while both front-row starters lost ground. Grégoire Colinet and Guillaume Colinet seized the opportunity to put their historic Alfa Romeo GTAm at the head of the field before the lead soon passed to the Porsche 911 2.5 ST shared by Piero Dal Maso, Guilherme Dal Maso and José Carvalhosa. The Portuguese trio delivered a faultless performance while engaging in a fiercely contested battle with the Alfa Romeo for H-1971 class honours.

Different refuelling strategies, driver changes and even Safety Car interventions continued to reshape the race. When the Garagem João Gomes Porsche lost time during its fuel stop on lap 28, the team's second entry, the Porsche 911 3.0 RS of Eduardo Reis and José Carvalhosa, briefly inherited the overall lead, having already established a commanding advantage in the H-1976 category. Shortly afterwards, when the green Porsche made its scheduled pit stop, the Alfa Romeo GTAm, carrying the unmistakable Paris Match magazine livery, reclaimed the lead and set the stage for one of the race's most captivating phases.

For around ten laps, the Alfa Romeo and Porsche traded the lead repeatedly, treating spectators at the historic yet thoroughly modern southern French circuit to a spectacular wheel-to-wheel contest.

Shortly after half distance, Muytjens and Pineau once again unleashed the pace of the Shelby Cobra Daytona to reclaim the lead. Even then, the race still had another twist in store, as Paul O'Reilly and Peter Young, driving their Lotus Elan S1, led for seven laps thanks to an alternative strategy. In the final hour, however, the Shelby Cobra Daytona proved untouchable, pulling clear of its rivals to seal overall victory as well as honours in the H-1965 category.

The fight for the remaining podium positions was equally compelling. Grégoire Colinet and Guillaume Colinet finished second overall, a result that secured victory in the H-1971 class after an absorbing battle with the Porsche 911 2.5 ST of Piero Dal Maso, Guilherme Dal Maso and José Carvalhosa, who completed the overall podium and finished second in class.

In H-1976, Eduardo Reis and José Carvalhosa produced an impeccably controlled drive, expertly managing both pace and traffic to claim an undisputed class victory. Ralf Schnitzler and Patrice Campillo finished second in class aboard their Group 4 Datsun 240Z, while Filipe Carvalho, António Carmona and Pedro Ramos brought their Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 home in third after overcoming a challenging race.

The GTP & SC category also delivered one of the highlights of the event. João Mira Gomes and Nuno Afoito's Lotus Seven went head-to-head with the Lotus 23B of French quartet Xavier Rascagneres, Jérôme Peyrat, Didier Mantz and Régis Prevost in an almost uninterrupted battle throughout the final twenty laps. After three hours of racing, the two cars were separated by little more than two seconds, with the Portuguese pairing emerging victorious in a fitting reflection of the closely fought contest that characterised the entire race.

Paul O'Reilly and Peter Young had even more reason to celebrate at the chequered flag. In addition to finishing second in the H-1965 category, the British duo claimed the prestigious Index of Performance, taking home the exclusive Cuervo y Sobrinos timepiece awarded to the winners. Olivier Muytjens and Brice Pineau finished second in the Index standings, while Piero Dal Maso, Guilherme Dal Maso and José Carvalhosa completed the podium and retained the lead in the season-long 1000 km Trophy standings.

Following the successful debut of the 400 km of Paul Ricard, the Historic Endurance championship now heads into its traditional summer break before returning on 18–20 September for one of the highlights of the season, the traditional race held as part of the Estoril Classics meeting at the Estoril Circuit.

RACE RESULT