Porsche Sprint Challenge France – Dijon: A repeat of the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Le deuxième meeting de la saison 2022 du Porsche Sprint Challenge France qui se déroulait ce week-end sur le circuit de Dijon-Prenois a été L’occasion pour de nombreux pilotes de venir faire un dernier entrainement en vue des 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is how in the stands we could come across Julien Andlauer, official Porsche driver or Charles Milesi who will compete in the 24 Hours in the car bearing number 1 entered by Richard Mille Racing.

52 drivers were entered in Dijon in the two categories of the Porsche Sprint Challenge France, 34 in the Cup Series which brings together the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and the 911 R against 18 cars in the Sport Cup Series reserved for the Cayman GT4 Clubsport and the 996 Cup.

On Saturday morning, it was on a perfectly dry track and in still mild temperatures that the Cup Series drivers set off for qualifying. At the wheel of his 991 GT3 R, Charles Milesi (IMSA Performance) showed off his talent by posting a lap time of 1'14”792, relegating Benjamin Paque (CLRT) at the wheel of his 992 GT3 Cup to a time of 1'18”215 more than 3 seconds behind! Third, Emil Caumes (CLRT) was 4 tenths behind while the young Arthur Rasse (911 Impact) who was competing in his first race of the 2022 season set the fourth time at 18 hundredths.

For the qualifying practices for race 2, Charles Milesi further increased his gap over Benjamin Paque with a 3”680 lead while Arthur Rasse, third, was 3 tenths behind second.

A few moments later, in the Sport Cup Series, it was Rodolphe Gabrion (Rempp Racing) who was the fastest in 1'22”614 followed by Dimitri Verza (CG Motorsport) at 3 tenths and Lucas Glinche (Glinche Racing) at 6 hundredths which augured a great fight in the race.

© Porsche Sprint Challenge France

For race 2, Alexandre Mottet (Team Orchid) took pole position in 1'22”817 ahead of Rodolphe Gabrion and Sylvain Noël (Racing Technology) who left his 992 GT3 Cup in the Porsche Carrera Cup France for a weekend to take the lead. driving a 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport with the same top speed.

From the start of the Cup Series race, Charles Milesi escaped, widening a gap of more than 3 seconds per lap before slowing down and managing his gap on Benjamin Paque who was in second position for the entire race, the five first finishing in the order of the starting grid with behind them Emil Caumes, Arthur rasse and Marlon Hernandez (CLRT). Note the good performance of Laurent Misbach, who started thirteenth and finished tenth, while the best comeback was to the credit of Jean-Luc Beaubelique (Racing Technology), who started twentieth, who finished fourteenth.

The second Cup Series race was a reflection of the first event for the first two with Charles Milesi ahead of Benjamin Paque while Arthur Rasse completed the podium following the spin of Marlon Hernandez (CLRT), long third. In the peloton, we noted the very good fight between Olivier Rabot (911 Impact) and Laurent Cochard (Berto Matériaux) since the two drivers finished in that order with only 3 tenths of a difference.

© Porsche Sprint Challenge France

Still under bright sunshine, the Sport Cup Series drivers also set off for 30 minutes of racing, a race led from start to finish by Rodolphe Gabrion who was unfortunately downgraded after the finish for technical non-compliance. Victory therefore went to Dimitri Verza ahead of Bertrand Dumarcet (CG Motorsport) who got the better of Lucas Glinche (Glinche Racing) three laps from the finish, Cédric Toison (NAD Systems) taking advantage of the opportunity to take third place on the podium to the Le Mans driver. But it was not only at the front of the peloton that the fights were intense since thirteenth place was particularly disputed between Richard Renault (IMSA Performance) and Jacques Buche (CG Motorsport), 12 hundredths separating them at the finish!

During the second race, starting fourth, Sylvain Noël demonstrated that he had lost none of his talent by going from fourth place to first in just one lap, then resisting pressure from Alexandre Mottet during the 20 following laps, finishing just 6 tenths ahead at the checkered flag. Third, Dimitri Verza confirmed his result from the first race by scoring valuable championship points while Richard Renault competed in a second race as lively as the first, finishing 1 tenth ahead of Clément Ghielmini (MCG Propulsion) for tenth place.

See you in Le Mans from June 6 to 10 for the opening races of the 24 2022 Hours of Le Mans of the Porsche Sprint Challenge France.