This Easter WE gave rise to the launch of the new version of the French GT championship.
Change of organizer (SRO) and change of category with the arrival of the GT4 in place of the GT3.
The least we can say, it is that the success was in Nogaro for this opening. 29 cars on the grid and more than 23.000 spectators in the grandstands. Even the sun had joined us to make this WE unforgettable.
Saturday 16
We will note that the 444 opened the prize list of the French Championship FFSA GT reserved for the GT4.
The pair Rodolphe Wallgren / Gael Castelli (Ginetta G55 #444 - Speed Car) outdistanced under the checkered flag 5 Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR.
Author of the pole position, Alain Ferté associated with Grégoire Demoustier (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #4 - Energy by ART) veered in head at the "Virage de la Ferme" turn and widen a consequent gap at the beginning of the race.
Behind, the battle for the second place lasted until the pit-stop window was opened.
Taking over from Rodolphe Wallgren, Gael Castelli is driving at a high pace, allowing him to catch up with the leader, in the 48th minute the Ginetta carries the stroke and seizes the head of the race not to leave it.
Now second, Grégoire Demoustier saw enlarging in his rearview mirrors Mike Parisy (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR # 30 - CD Sport) which will eventually overtook.
Olivier Jouffret / Eric Trémoulet (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #64 - Vic Team) finished fourth ahead of Eric Clément / Romain Iannetta (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #19 - TFT Racing).
In AM the victory falls into Georges Cabannes and Fabien Michal's (Ginetta G55 #666 – CMT) hands following the Paul Lamic / Jean-Philippe Lamic (Ginetta G55 #54 – Vic Team) road exit finally second.
Monday 17
Poleman, Anthony Beltoise (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #22 - Martinet By Almeras) retained the leadership at the first corner ahead of Grégory Guilvert (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #69 - Sainteloc Racing).
This first turn was fatal to Simon Gachet (McLaren 570 S #3 - Energy by ART) victim of a collision.
Guilvert tried to find the opening several times but each time the double Champion of France FFSA GT (2011, 2012) would stayed at the command of the race.
Behind, Morgan Moullin-Traffort (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #31 - CD Sport) took third place at Jimmy Antunes (Porsche Cayman Clubsport MR #11 - Racing Technology).
If some teams chose to make their mandatory driver change from the opening of the regulatory window in the 25th minute, Beltoise and Guilvert waited until the very last moment to pass on the baton to their teammates Olivier Estèves and Manuel Rodrigues.
Manuel Rodriguez was a victim of a runway excursion and forced to abandon seeing his dreams of victory gone
The misfortune allowed David Hallyday, who succeeded Morgan Moullin-Traffort, to take the second place. The gap between the two leaders declined rapidly.
r11
The Porsche driver of CD Sport ended up taking the lead 15 minutes before the checkered flag, not weakening, he winning a prestigious success on Easter Monday in Nogaro for his return to the French GT championship.
My favorites of the week end.
Champion of France and champion of Spain 2016 in Clio Cup, Eric Trémoulet was offered by Renault a wheel for the 24 hours of Dubai. Victim of a runway excursion, the Renault Clio Cup hit the wall at 170 km / h, in a free practice session with for consequences three fractured vertebrae and one broken foot.
Three months after his accident, we find Eric Trémoulet on the second step of the podium of this Monday Easter the race together with Olivier Jouffret with whom he shares the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR # 64 of the Vic Team.
It’s what motivated my choice.
(Based on GT4 European Series Southern Cup Press release)