Peyroles and Derlot start well

The French GT3 Championship did not miss its debut. The GT1s, which were still running in 2009, have given way to the GT3s and the races now promise duels involving numerous cars (Corvette Z06, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Ferrari F430 Team, Aston Martin DBRS 9, Dodge Viper, Audi R8 LMS…). This weekend, it was the Graff Racing Corvette Z06s that stood out, winning the first two races of the year. On Monday, Arnaud Peyroles and Renaud Derlot, second the day before, won, succeeding their teammates, Julien Canal and Gérard Tonelli, winners on Sunday.

However, this Monday, it was another Corvette, the No. 1 from DKR Engineering, which almost won. Olivier Panis, who started third, first came back on Julien Canal and, shortly after, inherited the race lead by dropping Renaud Derlot. He passed the baton to Eric Debard with a good lead halfway through the race. Unfortunately, the 2009 French Champion was penalized with a penalty pit stop for having bitten the pit exit line during the driver change.

It was therefore Arnaud Peyroles, who had taken over from Renaud Derlot, who inherited first place and won after an hour of racing. Second on Sunday, winners on Monday, Peyroles and Derlot performed well by taking the lead in the French Championship. “ Having done a few seasons in GT and having lost championships by a few points, it is possible that we will be very happy at the end of the season, commented Peyroles. I think we must savor our pleasure because the Lédenon race will be much more difficult? We should carry even more weight (ballast). I would like to pay tribute to Renaud. It is a great pride and joy to ride with him. »

« I carried out an uneventful relay, declared Derlot. I immediately saw that Olivier was faster and after 4 laps, I let him pass. Above all, I wanted to manage the race and give Arnaud a high-performance car in order to finish well. Of course, we “take advantage” of Eric?s drive-through. The team made great efforts this winter and this victory is great for the whole team. »

Despite his penalty, Eric Debard nevertheless managed to finish in second place, ahead of the second Corvette from DKR Engineering, that of Jean-Claude Police and Laurent Cazenave. In fourth place, we found the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Laurent Groppi and Patrick Bornhauser. Next meeting from April 23 to 25 in Lédenon.

Find the full report of the Easter Cups in Nogaro, first 2010 meeting of the FFSA Super Series, in your AUTOhebdo magazine, on newsstands tomorrow