Results
Posted: October 17, 2011 11:15 AM
CAMPANA AIMS FOR SWISS CLIO GLORY
Posted: October 28, 2010 4:48 PM
Emerging rally talent Pierre Campana will resume his bid for the prestigious Clio R3 European Trophy when he contests Rallye International du Valais in Switzerland later today (Thursday 28 October).
The 25-year-old from Corsica, who is rated as one of the most promising young rally drivers in the world, will drive his Munaretto-run Renault Clio R3 backed by Ellip6, a ground-breaking simulator company based in France.
It will be Campana's first attempt on the challenging asphalt rally, which is based in the town of Martigny south-east of Geneva and features 18 mountainous stages totalling 279.77 competitive kilometres.
After four Clio R3 European Trophy rounds, Campana trails Dutch driver Kevin Abbring by six points following his non-finish on Barum Czech Rally Zlin in late August, the result of a rare accident for Campana. He will therefore be looking to make the most of his Tarmac pace on the penultimate round of the highly-competitive one-make series to overhaul Abbring in the title standings.
"My aim all season is to win the Clio R3 European Trophy and thanks to my sponsor Ellip6 I am still in contention for the title with two events remaining," said Campana. "Valais is a new rally for me but I have shown throughout my career that it doesn't take me long to learn new events and get up to speed.
"Because the rally is in the mountains it can be difficult to know what BFGoodrich tyres to use and when because the weather can always be changing. That will increase the challenge but I am ready and will be doing my best to get some good points and keep fighting for the title."
Campana and co-driver Sabrina de Castelli spent the early part of this week learning the stages during the pre-event reconnaissance, which followed their outing on the Como Rally in northern Italy the previous weekend.
A total of 117 competitors will contest the 51st running of Rallye International du Valais, which counts as the final round of the FIA European Rally Championship. The event is due to finish on the afternoon of Saturday 30 October.
The Citroën DS3 R3 over mountains and valleys
Posted: October 27, 2010 2:04 PM
There’s no rest for the Citroën DS3 R3, which is stringing together rallies at a frenetic pace. Next, it
gets to grips with the magnificent mountains of Switzerland, for the Rallye International du Valais:
the final round of the European Championship. The route takes in some breathtaking scenery, giving
the DS3 R3 another important opportunity to capture a class victory.
The stages run over soaring mountain peaks and seemingly endless roads, with high average speeds and
slippery surfaces often covered in black ice. In total, there are 280 competitive kilometres during three
action-packed days of rallying.
Once more, the weather will play a key role thanks to wintry temperatures that will undoubtedly complicate
matters for the competing crews – who will also have to deal with the numerous surface changes that
characterise the Swiss event.
The DS3 R3, which will run in Réseau Citroën France livery, will be able to rely upon the talents of young
Belgian Thierry Neuville as it tackles these specialised Alpine stages. Among the highlights of the itinerary
are the renowned 40-kilometre Les Cols stage, as well as the Anzere and Vercorin stages, which take place
close to Sion. This latest rally, which is the third foreign round of the DS3 R3’s programme, represents
another important step forwards in the car’s development.
Jean-François Liénéré, in charge of Citroën Racing’s customer competition department, commented: “This
third ‘away fixture’ for the DS3 R3 will allow our team to confirm the data collected so far and
continue their work on the development. The DS3 R3 has already competed on four very demanding
asphalt rallies, so now it is ready to face its rivals in Switzerland. Thierry Neuville, who has already
shone at al the wheel of the C2-R2 MAX and the C2-S1600 in the past, will be a precious ally on
these mountain roads that he loves.”
The rally gets underway on Thursday 28 October. The crews will face five stages on the first day, which will
end with the traditional Casernes superspecial stage.
Three questions to... Thierry Neuville
You’ve been part of the team that developed the Citroën Racing DS3 R3. What do you think of the
car?
“I was one of the first people to drive the Citroën DS3 R3 and I was immediately surprised not just by the
potential and competitiveness of the car but also how much fun it was to drive. Since those first tests the car
has made a lot of progress and it has many strong points. I’m thinking in particular of the suspension, the
chassis and the gearbox. It will adapt itself easily to all sorts of different driving styles and it will give
professionals and amateurs alike a really good feeling.”
In 2009, you were seventh overall on the Rallye du Valais in a C2-R2 MAX. Can the Citroën DS3 R3
win on this type of terrain?
“It will definitely be extremely competitive as it is really efficient no matter what the level of grip is like. On
the roads of the Valais, the grip levels are changing constantly according to the weather, the temperature
and the altitude. I certainly think that the DS3 R3 has everything it takes to be in the top 10 of the final
overall classification.”
The Rallye du Valais is well known for being a difficult event. What do you think?
“The Rallye du Valais is an event that suits me perfectly. I love this rally, because it’s quick and often quite
varied. The small sections of gravel that you occasionally find on the stages are tricky and capable of causing
punctures. It’s a difficult rally but that’s the reason why everyone likes it. With the quality of entries that we
have this year, it should be an exciting weekend.”
David Moynihan to co-drive for Kevin Abbring
Posted: October 26, 2010 10:58 AM
David Moynihan got a last minute call to co-drive on Rallye du Vallais with Kevin Abbring in a Clio R3
Abbring / Moynihan are seeded 31 in the Rally that also includes Thierry Neuville in the Citroën
DS3 R3.
Regulations / Details
Posted: January 1, 2010 12:01 AM
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