Join our team at Le Mans Classic 2012

As in previous years, we have 14 exclusive VIP packages for you to enjoy Le Mans Classic 2012 to the fullest. Be with the team at a 16th century Chateau, just a few miles south of the track (15 minutes drive to the trafic jam free south entrance) and enjoy trackside catering, paddock acces and premier grandstand seating.

Download Le Mans Classic 2012 - Oly Express Fan Package

Little Charger ready for Le Mans Classic 2012 as well

Thanks to Bill Rhine's outstanding craftmanship, the small verison of the Olympia Charger has become a reality.

Oly Express to run at 2012 Le Mans Classic

It's with great pleasure that I can announce our 2012 Le Mans Classic entry confirmation. After 2006, 2008 and 2010, this will be our 4th running at the wolrd's greatest and fastest vintage race! As in previous years, you can have the opportunity to join us and be part of the team in Le Mans.

Olympia Charger 2012 season planning

With vintage race organizers coming up with their dates, here is our 2012 racing calendar! The first half will be dedicated to prepare our fourth running of the world's greatest (over 100,000 spectators) and fastest (over 180 mph top speed) vintage race, namely Le Mans Classic, were we will have both the Charger and the Viper.

looking forward to Le Mans Classic: "La 24 Heures du Mans" song by Gionata

In order to keep you waiting while the first list of selectees for the 2012 Le Mans Classic is due to be published on December 16, here is a fun and cute little video about the 24 Hours. I really like it because it reflects allot of the spirit and mindset of us Le Mans Classic competitors! Sit back and enjoy.

Looking forward to Le Mans Classic 2012

For a solid six years now, we are going to participate and attend the world's greatest vintage race, namely Le Mans Classic.

McGriff 1972 Plymouth Roadrunner wins @ Portland NASCAR West in 1972

There is a very interesting discussion ongoing about the origin of Hershel McGriff's 1970 Roadrunner within the vintage NASCAR community, that you can follow here on Randy Ayers NASCAR forum. Now, is'nt that a great shot of Hershel among the racequeens after yet another Winston West win!

Waiting for the 2012 LM Classic at the Le Mans 24 Hours Museum

What would be a good place to stay while waiting for Le Mans Classic 2012? Le Mans, of course! And where exactly? At the famous 24 Hours museum, of course! So we will have it nice and warm until we see you guys at the hottest July days that 2012 will have to offer, namely the next edition of Le Mans Classic!

426 Le Mans HemiWedge: investigating the oil lines mystery

After that our good friend Tom of Olympia's Rocket Restorations found it in the Phoenix Craigslist, we managed to buy what looks like one of the two original motors that the McGriff team had with the Charger at the 1976 Le Mans 24 Hours. Some engraving from John Todd, who overhauled the motors for Le Mans, look like a solid hint.

Celebrating our Nürburgring race finish - NASCAR style

Like Jimmy Johnson, here is one for the fans!

NASCAR Europe in Spanish about Oly Express at Paul Ricard

Here is more in Spanish about the Dodge Charger racing with Michel and Christophe at the Paul Ricard Le Castellet track. NASCAR Europe also gives you some insight about Michel Disdier's racing plans for 2011. Click here to read the full race summary. For those who prefer to read it in English, click here!

Zeptem about our race at Le Castellet

We are becoming increasingly popular in Spain! Maybe we should consider racing there in 2012! Mikel Azpitarte from Zeptem Motorsport has written a great article about Michel Disdier and the Oly Express Team at Le Castellet. Read the story by clicking here.

Taking a break until Le Mans Classic 2012

After our successful Gstaad Grand Prix race (24th overall out of 40 starters and 10th in GT), we recently checked the Dodge Charger at the MOPARSHOP. All 8 cylinders have good compression (above 180 psi) and good leakdown (less than 7%). So we can put the Charger away for a while and not worry about major repairs anytime soon. The big HEMI Dodge will be back for action at Le Mans Classic 2012.

More media coverage from Paul Ricard 10.000 Tours 2010

Here is more about your favourite Dodge Charger racecar. The French Classic-Auto website, who already supported us at the Spa RMU Classic in May, has a very good summary story, that lists all the racing greats of the past who attended the 10.000 Tours, and two great pictures of our Charger in action. Nascar-Europe, a dedicated website from Spain, has also the press release of our entry with Michel Disdier at the Gstaad Grand Prix. Click on the links below!

10.000 Tours article by Classic Auto

Michel Disdier at Gstaad Grand Prix by NASCAR Europe

Team Oly Express making the news at Le Castellet Dix Mille Tours

The first media coverage is being published about our great race week-end at Le Castellet (F). Here are some links to the French press for you to click on.

Slideshow of regional newspaper Var Matin!

Gstaad Grand Prix racereport by Le Blog Auto, France's most influential car blog!

Michel Disdier at Le Castellet racereport published on internet provider Free.FR car page

And Endurance Info has a great picture of our Dodge during qualifying.

 

Le Castellet 10.000 RPM Fotos by Com'On

These pictures are from Adrien Paviot of Com'On Racing Agency. I'll let the excellent shots speak for themselves as you can see our progress to a Top Ten finish! Shake and Bake!

Oly Express ends season with Top 10 finish

What a relief to have such a good race week-end to close the season. After two toasted transmissions and a DNF in Le Mans, we got back in the points this week-end. Thanks to great driving from ARCA's Michel Disdier, who shared the wheel with Christophe Schwartz, and outstandig wrenching from Bjoern Schmidt, the Oly Express finished 24th overall of 40 starters and 10th in the GT1 class, scoring a point in the Classic Endurance Racing championship! It was far from easy as a loose radiator and a damaged AN-12 oil connector almost stalled our week-end! But what ends well is well! So enjoy the pictures of our race week-end at Le Castellet!

Purple Stripe 4 speed rebuild: Part 2

Now that we milled the 1-2 Clutch gear a few thousands and selected the 0.091" snap ring to get the desired 0.25 mm (0.01") clearence between all main shaft gears, the transmission tail is now complete. The main case will get our attention next.

Purple stripe 4 speed rebuild: Part 1

Thanks to some new old stock gears from Tex, a pair of gear clutches and sliders from Rocket and some small parts and the right plyers from Passon Performance, we are now able to start the rebuild of the A833 purple stripe four speed that went bad at Le Mans Classic 2010. First, we assembled the clutch sliders unsing the big 1971-1982 keys and new synchro-rings (called stop rings in the shop manual) that we bought on Ebay.

Morning Thunder Espresso joins Oly Express Team

We are pleased to announce that Morning Thunder out of Washington State, just joined our team for the coming season closer at Le Castellet, France. Morning Thunder is one of the Northwest greatests drive-through coffee stands. Located at 8229 Martinway, which is at intersection of Martinway and Marvinroad next to the Grocery Outlet, in Lacey, WA, Morning Thunder sure has what it takes to wake you up! Be it for a delicious creamy coffe or just to have a quick italian shot, hop in your car and get to Morning Thunder in Lacey, WA!