Automobile: an undisputed victory for Jérôme Jacquot in the Pont des Abarines hill climb

Jérôme Jacquot a signé sa première victoire scratch au volant de son Osella. Midi Libre – ALAIN LAURET

Sunday February 25, Jérôme Jacquot was the fastest in an event disrupted by rain. The Alésien won but he also damaged his car.

The team of President Brice Tinel, recently reshuffled, had done a very good job during the off-season, going from forty-eight starters in 2023 to sixty-eight for the 20th edition of the Pont des Abarines hill climb this weekend but the rain that appeared at the start of the first round of the race, Sunday, was penalizing.

Bastien Roquier (R5 GT) and all the competitors had to face rain and fog. Midi Libre – Alain Lauret

"It’s infuriating! We have a substantial plateau but the rain interferes with it, putting an end to the long-term work. Many young people have invested alongside us, which is nevertheless very encouraging,” said the president of the Ecurie des Camisards who closed the first season of his mandate here.

The spectators were therefore sparse to attend the launch of the mountain championship in Occitanie Méditerranée, with the financial loss that goes with it (refreshment bars and loss-making entries).

With the rain, prototypes and single-seaters are struggling

Under this stubborn drizzle, the prototypes and single-seaters which had taken the first three places in the tests with, in order, Arnaud Marcillac (Tracking CM), Jérôme Jacquot (Osella E2SC) and Romain Gelly (Dallara F3), were struggling.

It was about setting his time around 1:30 p.m. while the track was still partially dry. The Alésien Jérôme Jacquot played his all and won in front of Marcillac with almost two seconds in advance but he went out in the left turn which follows the finish line.

Victorious, he therefore hesitated between joy and sadness. "It’s sure, I have just scored my first scratch victory but the car is damaged. Once repaired, at the manufacturer's in Italy, I will have spent the little nest egg I had for a hard time. Will remain for resale…" Never mind, Monsieur Jacquot, with such a turn of the wheel, let’s hope that a patron will look into your case!

Four-wheel drive and a third place overall for rally driver Kévin Constanty. Free Midi – ALAIN LAURET

The rallygoers had a blast

In such conditions, the rallyemen, who came to the adjustment session, had a great time. Notably Kévin Constanty (C3 Rally2) who climbed onto the third step of the podium in the scratch classification, signing, as a bonus, a very good time during the final sprint, as had been done by Saint-Jeannais Nicolas Liron (Fiesta Rally2) during the previous round.

6th overall, Michaël Pérez is making his way

7 tenths behind the C3, 6th overall time, Michaël Pérez held his place. "I haven't put on the new tires that I can use at Sabran or at Col Saint-Pierre. “That’s another good point,” said the R8 driver Gordini.

The other local mountaineers were not left out with Alexandre Martino winning in F 2000 for his first race (206 CC ex-Boutin). Anduzien Alex Pieyre (M3) dominated group N in which Jérôme Courbette (Clio) signed the victory in class 3.

Class achievement for Tabusse and Veyrun

Sylvain Tabusse, at the wheel of the ex-Nicolas DS3, scored a first class success just like Bességeois Guillaume Veyrun in A2, with a 208.

Penalized by an alternator failure and electronic problems in the Porsche GT2 shared with Philippe Marion, Léo Rossel was content with a victory in GT. Arnaud Durand and Kévin Corbier stood out with a BRC.

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