the essential
After the technical and administrative checks this Friday afternoon in Saint-Laurent-les-Tours, it’s time for today’s six specials this Saturday. Let the show begin !
One month after the Rallye Terre des Causses which opened the 2024 French gravel Rally championship, the best drivers in the specialty will meet this weekend in the north of the department for the 2nd round on the occasion of the 24th rally Castine Terre d’Occitanie.
Once again, the Lotoise event displays its dynamism with nearly 120 crews entered, including around twenty in the premier R5/Rally2 category. It also supports the national Yacco dirt trophy, the Clio Trophy France dirt and the French two-wheel drive dirt rally championship.
Organized by the ASA Castine Stable, this race, over a 316 km course, offers six special stages this Saturday and as many on Sunday for a total of 138 km of timed specials.
This Friday, the afternoon was devoted to administrative and technical checks. The parking lot of the Saint-Laurent-les-Tours multipurpose hall was transformed, for an afternoon, into a control center where, in turn, following a very precise timing, drivers or mechanics presented their vehicles to the commissioners responsible for monitoring compliance and safety elements. Under a still shy sun, the spectators, more and more numerous, appreciated the show and the comments were well underway.
“I admit that we are relieved by this lull,” indicated President Stéphane Devez, “with the rains of recent days. The worry was great. With humidity, the paths deteriorate much less and the show will improve in quality. »
Winner in Aveyron, Florent Todeschini (Citroën C3 Rally 2) will be the favorite of the event followed by his runner-up Matthieu Margaillan (Skoda Fabia RS) but they will have to be wary of Laurent Pellier (Huynday I20), Benjamin Clémençon (VW Polo Gti ) and Cédric Rabasse (Skoda Fabia R5) in ambush.
As for historic vehicles, François Delecour, vice world rally champion in 1993, will be at the wheel of a Toyota Célica and should make all the noise, but he will have to reckon with the stage’s regional Laurent Battut at the wheel of a Ferrari. 308 GT4. Many local crews will also be at the start like Fréderic Pradayrol, Julien France or Michaël Lobry who intend to play spoilsport.
From 7 a.m. this Saturday morning, the first vehicles will leave the Bétaille service park for the first reconnaissance lap before the serious things begin around 10:50 a.m. for the first special on the Bétaille side, before continuing the second then third special before returning to the park for a mechanical break, this scenario will repeat itself in the afternoon before the first assessment of the day.
