Automobile: five years later, the whirring beetles return to Bellegarde

Le spectacle de retour sur la piste du circuit Pichegut de Bellegarde Midi Libre – NASSIRA BELMEKKI

Ce week-end des 27 et 28 avril, 170 voitures participeront à l’autocross de Bellegarde (Gard), qui renaît après cinq ans d’interruption.

After a five-year hiatus, the Bellegarde Autocross returns to the motoring calendar this weekend. A new team, chaired by Dimitri Julien, was formed and worked hard to ensure that this classic of the Occitanie Méditerranée league regains its former glory.

170 engaged, a record

The bet paid off since there will be 170 (a record) going to Bellegarde for the start of the competition this Saturday.
"I was following a friend, Jean-Christophe Henri, who is French champion in the Tourism Cup category with a Berlinette Alpine, says the new president Dimitri Julien. He introduced me to this discipline and, one thing led to another, I found myself at the head of this organization. We receive valuable help from ASA Gard Cévennes and from specialists in the discipline Babet and Jean-José Dardanelli."

Dimitri Julien, new president

We had to start from scratch, "re-approve the track, renew relationships with the institutions…", continues Mr. Julien, which specifies: "We have new members but old ones are still loyal to the position like Fred Rué, Michel Aubaterre, David Guiraud, Jack Brinet, to name a few just a few. It’s the work of a group of friends and we are proud of this first result, bringing the race to life again."

As was the case in the past, the event is a qualifier for the Sud-Est Autocross Challenge (SEAC). Testing will take place on Saturday morning (April 27). Three rounds of racing will follow in the afternoon. On Sunday morning (April 27), the semi-finals will take place before the apotheosis of the afternoon with the finals. Meet on the hill of the Pichegut circuit to vibrate to the sounds of these funny whirring beetles.

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