French Junior Rallycross Championship FFSA

The Clio RXs returned to the track for round one of the 2023 FFSA French Junior Rallycross Championship. Ten drivers were in action at the Lessay-Manche Rallycross. While Valentin Lumet took the lead over local driver Marceau Launay after a hard-fought battle on Saturday, the two men were surprised by the rise of Andrea Benezet, who won in his debut outing. Behind the leading trio, Kelig Gouesbet and Louka Bourd completed the top five. The competitors will meet again at the end of the month for the second meeting of the season at Faleyras (27-28 May).

More information here.

Elsewhere

Clio Rally5 caused a sensation in Latin America, with Luis Eduardo Stedile and Carlos Enrique Morales taking third place overall and victory in the two-wheel drive category on Rally de Estação in the Brazilian Rally Championship. Uruguayans Ignacio Gardiol and Sebastián González also excelled with the win in two-wheel drive, RC4 and Rally5 on the Rally de Laja - San Rosendo in the Chilean Championship. Lastly, Javier Arce and Mario Acosta dominated their category with Clio Rally5 at the Premio Presidente de la Republica (Peru).

These victories echoed those of Clio Rally4 in Europe, with Simon Andersson and Malin Ek finishing second overall at the Hässleholms GP (Sweden). Clio Rally4 also won round three of the Luxembourg Championship with Steve Fernandes and Florian Volvert at the Rallye de Wallonie, where David and Cédric Dardenne won their category with Clio Rally5 among the Belgian Championship entries.

In France, Sylvain Rouquette and Marjorie Mercier won at the Rallye de Lozère in their Clio Rally5, as did Damien Vaissière and Sébastien Romero on the Rallye Val d’Agout and the duo Romain Wallon and Maxime Daszuk on the Rallye Coeur de Lion. Meanwhile, Daniel Nunes and Liliana Costa led Clio Rally4 to victory in the two-wheel drive category of the Portuguese Championship at the Rali Terras d’Aboboreira while finishing ahead of the Clio Rally5 of Gonçalo Henriques and Gonçalo Cunha, victorious in RC5 and among the Juniors.

In Italy, Paolo Moricci and Paolo Garavaldi won their category with Clio Rally4 at Rally Montecatini e Valdinievole, where Marco Zanin and Massimo Moriconi triumphed in the Under 25 category while leading a Clio Rally5 lockout of the podium in its class. Lastly, Croatians Vjekoslav Čičko and Eugen Kokolić won with Clio Rally5 in their category at Rally Vipavska dolina (Slovenia), as did Aleš and Patrik Hemerka with the same model in S2 at Rally Králíky (Czech Republic).

Coming up

This week, Clio Rally3 will make its debut in three different events : the Rallye Dieppe Normandie with Thomas Chauffray (GMC Competition) ; the Targa Florio with Alessandro Casella (Motorsport Italia) ; and the Rallye Terre de Castine with Quentin Ribaud (Fun Meca Sport), Manu Gascou (CHL Sport Auto) and Bastien Bergounhe (PH Sport).

Also on the Rallye Terre de Castine, Florian Bouchonneau will make his second official appearance with Clio Rally4 in the French Gravel Rally Championship thanks to his best Junior title secured last year in Clio Trophy France Terre. The race to succeed him will continue with thirty-four crews led by Jean-Sébastien Vigion, leader of the general classification after his victory in the Rallye Terre des Causses. Meanwhile, the Targa Florio will kick off the Italian Junior Rally Championship with an all-Clio Rally5 line-up, whilst the Clio Trophy Canarias will launch its second season on Rally Islas Canarias.

Lastly, 35 drivers are entered for the third rendez-vous of the Clio Cup Series calendar at Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours. Among them, the contenders in Clio Cup España and Clio Cup France will try to confirm or inverse the early trends seen last month at Nogaro.

Photo : MAP / Pierre Simenel