PCCF drivers face the challenge of a night race

At departure time, the traditional blue and red stripes of the Paul Ricard circuit will be barely visible. The sun will count the minutes before leaving the Var route completely in the dark. The PCCF drivers will turn on their lights to complete the 30 minutes of the first race of the weekend.

A late hour which delights the majority of the championship residents. “ I can't wait to run at night, rejoices Maxence Maurice (IMSA performance). I really like it for having done it in VLN on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. » Like the IMSA Performance driver, several of his counterparts have already experienced night races. Among them, the championship leader, Marvin Klein (CLRT), participated in the 24 hours of Le Mans 2022 at the wheel of a Ferrari. " I can't wait to experience this feeling in Cup because I love these basic conditions. I've never started at night but I'm going to do what I know how. It will probably be a little hot at the first corner so I'm happy to start at the front. "The CLRT driver also knows that his pursuers will flash their headlights" which really dazzle at night. So it's difficult to estimate the distance that separates us from the guy behind. » 

So what are the main changes compared to daytime driving? “ You have to know how to adapt quickly to the track, specifies Mathieu Martins (Pierre Martinet by Alméras). FP2 this Friday evening allowed us to understand the difference between the asphalt in the morning and that in the evening. » For his second season in motorsport, Louis Perrot (TFT Racing) worked a lot on visual cues. “ Reference points change because we see much less of what is around us. This is even more important in fast corners like Signes. »

Experienced in night driving, Dorian Boccolacci (Martinet by Alméras) has already faced certain situations that only night offers. “ The impression of speed is greater so you tend to want to brake sooner. We must counter this phenomenon to have the same trajectories as in broad daylight. Concentration is also more intense, we force more on our eyes so it tires.» So many parameters that some will have to learn on the job this Saturday evening. The first rounds should be lively, to be followed from 19:15 p.m.

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