Belgian Koen Pauwels claimed overall victory in the second round of the Rallycross Challenge Europe at Essay in France, but has not entered with RCE to get points for the new FIA International Series.
The venue for Round 2 of the new Rallycross Challenge Europe (RCE) series was the Circuit des Ducs at Essay near Alençon in France. The event was the 2013 French Rallycross Championship (FRC) opener and counted also as Round 4 for the Belgian Rallycross Championship (BRC). As only drivers who enter the by FIA as ‘International Series’ recognised Challenge are able to score points the below results are not identical with the results as featured in the standings of the three championships. The overall winner in SuperCars for example, Koen Pauwels, did not enter the competition for the Challenge, but only for his native Belgian championship. That results in the fact that his compatriot and runner-up Patrick Van Mechelen bagged the maximum of 20 points for the RCE, but just 17 points for the BRC.
Saturday’s timed practice saw Fabien Pailler driving the new Peugeot 208 of Pailler Compétition to the fastest time, his dad Jean-Luc Pailler was second fastest with the older Peugeot 207 SuperCar. Third fastest time was claimed by Dutch-Italian Jos Kuijpers in his new Ford Focus Mk3. The following first qualifying heat ended with Belgian Patrick Van Mechelen in the ex-Kuijpers Ford Fiesta Mk7 being fastest, followed up by his fellow-countryman Koen Pauwels in the ex-Scott Ford Focus Mk2. While on Sunday morning Jérôme Grosset-Janin (Renault Clio Mk3) was the only French driver to win a set of qualifying runs, the second heats for the SuperCars, Van Mechelen and Pauwels repeated their one-two result in the third heats. Thereby the Fiesta driver claimed the pole position for the all decisive A final from the Focus pilot, Jean-Luc Pailler finished qualification as third best competitor.
Immediately after the GO for the last race of the day the two Belgian Ford campaigners Pauwels and Van Mechelen shot leading into the first corner, closely followed by the three Frenchmen Grosset-Janin, Rallycross veteran Hervé “Knapick” Lemonnier (Citroën DS3) and his make-colleague Alain Heu (Citroën C4). 1993 European champion Pailler Senior had to throw in his towel already before the A final start, due to mechanical problems as well as to keep the 207 out of danger, as Ronny Scheveneels is set to drive it in Hungary the coming weekend. Pauwels subsequently drove his 550+bhp Fiesta to a victory that was never in real danger, Van Mechelen finished as runner-up with 20 GRC points in his pockets while for Grosset-Janin it was a similar situation. Scoring third place here saved the Renault campaigner the full 20 points margin for the French championship series.
In Super1600s four French drivers were able to defend homeground against the only foreigner who had qualified himself for the A final, Czech Stanislav Šusta (Škoda Fabia Mk2). RCE regular Dorian Launay powered his Renault Clio Mk2 to victory over Julien Fébreau (Citroën Saxo), Rallycross lady Adeline Sangnier (Citroën C2) and Fabien Chanoine (Dacia Sandero). In qualification Renault driver Launay had claimed the pole position for the A final early by setting the fastest times in both, the first and second heats.
In TouringCars Roman Častoral (Opel Astra G) and Jos Sterkens (Volvo C30/4) were the two dominating competitors, the Czech setting twice a fastest time in Sunday’s qualification, the Belgian won the first heats on Saturday. After the chequered flag had been dropped to finish the A final of the rear-wheel drive specialists it was that man Častoral who had picked the laurels at Essay, runner-up was Sterkens and third place had become prey of Dutchman Louis de Haas (Opel Astra G).
- FINAL RESULTS SUPERCARS:
- 1. Koen Pauwels (B) Ford Focus Mk2
- 2. Patrick Van Mechelen (B) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 3. Jérôme Grosset-Janin (F) Renault Clio Mk3
- 4. Hervé “Knapick” (F) Citroën DS3
- 5. Alain Heu (F) Citroën C4
- 6. Jos Kuijpers (I) Ford Focus Mk3
- 7. Pavel Koutný (CZ) Ford Fiesta Mk7
- 8. Jean-Luc Pailler (F) Peugeot 207
- FINAL RESULTS SUPER1600S:
- 1. Dorian Launay (F) Renault Clio Mk2
- 2. Julien Fébreau (F) Citroën Saxo
- 3. Adeline Sangnier ♀ (F) Citroën C2
- 4. Fabien Chanoine (F) Renault Dacia Sandero
- 5. Stanislav Šusta (CZ) Škoda Fabia Mk2
- 6. Jean-Baptiste Dubourg (F) Renault Clio Mk2
- 7. Eric Guillemette (F) Renault Clio Mk2
- 8. David Olivier (F) Renault Twingo Mk2
- FINAL RESULTS TOURINGCARS:
- 1. Roman Častoral (CZ) Opel Astra G RWD
- 2. Jos Sterkens (B) Volvo C30/4 RWD
- 3. Louis de Haas (NL) Opel Astra G RWD
- 4. Filip Baelus (B) Volvo C30/4 RWD
- 5. Mandy Kasse ♀ (NL) Ford Fiesta Mk7 RWD
- 6. Nick Snoeys (B) Ford Fiesta Mk6 RWD
- 7. Ivo Van den Brandt (B) Mitsubishi Colt CZT RWD
- FINAL RESULTS DIVISION 3 (FRC only!):
- 1. Christophe Saunois (F) Toyota Corolla
- 2. Florent Béduneay (F) MINI Cooper
- 3. Marc Morize (F) Peugeot 207
- 4. Xavier Briffaud (F) Renault Clio Mk3
- 5. Patrick Guillerme (F) Peugeot 307
- 6. Guy Moreton (F) Citroën DS3
- 7. Yannick Couillet (F) Citroën DS3
- 8. Stéphane Drean (F) Renault Clio Mk3
- FINAL RESULTS DIVISION 4 (FRC only!):
- 1. Jimmy Terpereau (F) Audi A3
- 2. David Vincent (F) Renault Clio Mk3
- 3. Steven Lefrançois (F) Peugeot 206
- 4. Marc Pouderoux (F) Peugeot 306
- 5. Sébastien Guillemaud (F) Peugeot 306
- 6. Kévin Jacquinet (F) Peugeot 207
- 7. Christophe Barbier (F) Peugeot 206
- 8. Bertrand Girardot (F) Honda S2000 AP1
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