News from France

[vino_93]

This week end, it is time for Finale of the French Cup. Hold in Oyonnax (Ain, Rhône Alpes, small city known for his rugby club, close to Switzerland and Genève). Last finale in east part of France for a while I hope As next year will be in La Rochelle (West, rugby city too ), and 2015 is between North and Corsica.

So 6 S2000 are at the start. In fact 5 + 1 RRC. The car renting by Ludovic Gherardi, the local of the finale, as he is living on a stage ... he made all to secure this victory : subscribing to a small comity (Champagne - Ardennes) in order to secure easy qualification with a small number of rally and renting the most powerfull car he can : a Fiesta RRC, from an Irish team (Keltech Motorsport).
He has no really contenders, except maybe other local Jérôme Chavanne. With a 207 S2000, renting from BDS Racing (ex Delta Racing). He finished 6th on Mont Blanc with it, but it will be hard to fight against the RRC ...

Other top contender is Michel Giraldo with an old 306 Maxi. The 306 Maxi will live its last final next year. Here Giraldo hopes to finish on podium ... as he won 8 events with it this year !

4 other S2000 are here in Oyonnax : first for corsican driver Paul Alerini, codrived by Cyril Audirac (winner of 208 Cup in Antibes). Quite surprisingly he is for the moment at ease on stages, as Normandy driver Romain Martel. This young guy drove all around the France to learn experience, and prepared the final going in Mont Blanc and Suran (part of Swiss champ, even if it's run in France). If these two rallies were difficult for him, things have been happening quite well for him, as he is easily leading the other 207 S2000 coming from Normandy, the car of Sébastien Alemany. First time here, and lot of difficulties for him, as roads are really different from what he knows.
Last S2000 is the 207 of Jean-Luc Roche, father of Pierre. he lost lot of times, and the final will be difficult for him ...

For the rest, we have a lot of good guys, coming from all around the France. We can see good battle in F2/14, where Auvergne's Thomas Badel is leading local Raphaël Michaud. S1600 driver Patrick Magnou is doing well, as usual, whereas in N4 Mickaël Lobry is trying to break Romain Salinas (winner of Twingo R2 Trophy 2012) and David Mollas.
In R, the surprise is coming from Mickaël Crepy, leading with his C2 R2. Julien Brunero, Pascal Berard and Damien Dorseuil (this one from la Réunion) are trying to catch him with Clio R3.
And in GT, Murat Dogral take a small advantage on Jean Pascal Besson.

You can find leading entries (and later full entry list) here : http://www.ewrc-results.com/startlist.p ... onnax-2013
And classification after day 1 : http://www.ffsa.org/res_rallye.php?if=C ... typeCoupe=

so that was an easy victory of Gherardi, ahead of Chavanne and Giraldo. No surprise.
Badel finished fourth with Clio Williams F2/14, just before of 207 S2000 of Alerini and Martel ! Good victory for Salinas in N, 8th overall. After a difficult beginning of rally, he took the advantage on Mollas and Lobry.
13th and 14th, we have winners in R and GT : Pascal Berard and Murat Dogral.
http://www.ffsa.org/res_rallye.php?id=2 ... typRes=tem


official videos :
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x165c6 ... ape-1_auto

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x166qo ... ape-2_auto

[Wim_Impreza]

...The 306 Maxi will live its last final next year.

That is a real pity, as it sounds so good and it is - in my opinion - by far the most beautiful Peugeot ever.

[Tom206wrc]

Nicolas Bernardi tries a 207 S2000 this week-end at Rallye des Mont-Dôme(before that he tried an Abarth Grande S2000 on two past events)

[vino_93]

My pictures from Rallye Régional de la Porte Normande.












http://www.ewrc.cz/ewrc/fotogalery.php? ... tograf=277

And classification here : http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e ... mande-2013

[vino_93]

Maurin is officially french champion 2013 as cuoq didn't enter cévennes.

For 2014, he will not start french tarmac champ. For the moment he still don't know. His goal is to do 5 or 6 events in WRC or WRC2; or maybe the french gravel champ.

[Tom206wrc]

Start Critérium des Cévennes in about 30 minutes
http://www.patricksoft.fr/

[vino_93]

It seems that François Padrona would like to run one of his Mini WRC (which are in First Motorsport) for swiss driver Jérémie Toedtli in French tarmac championship 2014.

[Tom206wrc]

Today saturday starts the Rallye du Vaucluse, last round of the french gravel championship

News from this event both Lionel Baud(2nd in championship behind Cuoq)and Jean-Manuel Beuzelin will drive Ford Fiesta WRC !!!
Jean-Michel Raoux for the first time in a Skoda Fabia S2000

http://www.mks2.fr/

[vino_93]

We can notice to Doux in Xsara WRC, Méo in DS3 WRC, ...
After first loop + 1 stage :
1 Cuoq (C4 WRC)
2 Méo (DS3 WRC) 36"
3 Baud (Fiesta WRC) 38"
4 Chieusse (307 WRC) 54"
5 Pellerey (207 S2000) 1'12
6 Jacquot (207 S2000) 1'24
7 Doux (Xsara WRC) 1'39
8 Durieu (Lancer IX) 1'47
9 Gillouin (Impreza 555) 1'50
10 Falco (Lancer IX R4) 1'59
...
12 Beuzelin (Fiesta WRC) 2'17
...
16 Besson (307 WRC) 3'12 (former Baud's car)
...
18 Tron (208 R2) 3'55 1st 2WD
...



i didn't notice it, but last Critérium des Cévennes, Jean Ragnotti with an Alpine A110 1800 would have finished ... 19th in the modern field !
Still fast
http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e ... ennes-2013
http://www.ewrc-results.com/final.php?e ... s-vhc-2013





And I've an announce to do : In the next Rallye du Var will be organized an M3 E30 Trophy. Initially done for the last year of the M3 in France, but finally FFSA choosed to homologate the car a little more.
So I need your help to find and put in touch drivers of M3 and the organizer of the trophy !
Renaud Verreydt should have start, but as he destroyed his car in Condroz he can't
Unfortunately I learn it a bit too late, as entry closure is monday, but another event will be run in 2014 for another experience like this ! (as lot of french can't start the Var too)
So if you know drivers who have such car, please give me something to contact him !

[Tom206wrc]

Belgian driver David Bonjean on entrylist of next week's Rallye du Var in a Ford Fiesta R5 !!!