Damien Toulemonde testing his Norma M20 F
The first round of the Challenge Sprint Proto and the 2008 Challenge Funyo will be composed of two categories running side by side for this exceptional event. At the invitation of Patrick Peter, Eric Van de Vyver, the FFSA Series promoter and Christophe Profit, V de V Organisation sprint challenges organiser, have decided to put on a field of Sport Proto CN 2-litre cars for which they have become the specialists over numerous previous seasons.
Upcoming young drivers will try to make their mark while the gentlemen drivers will enjoy an unconcealed pleasure of taking part alongside the stars of the « Le Mans Series ». David Zollinger (n°1), reigning Champion, will be armed with a new Norma M20 F in Picard Racing colours managed by the excellent Palmyr team. He will be up against Damien Toulemonde (n°2), his 2007 challenger, who is very determined to be up with the leaders in the LD Autosport Norma M20 F. Assisted by his Endurance team-mate, the experienced Philippe Haezebrouck running the same model.
Young Sébastien Le Bras who already run a Funyo in 2007, will begin in a JMP Racing Norma. From the same team, Dijon driver François Ader (n°9) should quickly get used to driving the Norma M20 Evo to be able to mix it with the leaders. Julien Chauvière (n°77) is once again behind the wheel of the last year’s winning Norma M20 Evo and is bound to declare war on the track as usual.
To keep them on their toes, the Ligier benefiting from the latest aerodynamic upgrades will be in the hands of Julien Schell (n°18) of the Pegasus Racing team. The old hands at the Challenge will not be intimidated by this horde of hungry young wolves and Didier Beck (n°3), third in 2007, will be leading his pack at the wheel of one of Promodrive’s three Norma’s.
The other two cars will be driven by Marc Bessand (n°32) and by the man who has would not have missed this event for all the world, Eric Van de Vyver (n°11). The team will also have a Ligier JS49 (n°60) driven by Thomas Duchène, used to this kind of car. Louis Bureau (n°4) will start a new season with his Norma M20 and has should feel quite at ease even with the arrival of numerous other cars such as the Norma M20 F of his 2007 comrade in arms, Gérard Le Corre (n°5), who shares the privilege with newcomers Jacques Medard (n°10) and Alain Girardot (n°7). Catalan driver Jordi Pujol (n°24) will complete the field of cars entered in the Challenge Sprint Proto and Sylvain Guanzini will drive his Radical SR3 (n°6).
The racing will be frantic as the young go up against the experienced gentlemen drivers
The rest of the participants in this event, which will consist of three 30-minute races, is entered in the brand-new Challenge Funyo, the first premier Sport Proto single-seater Challenge, comprised of lowcost prototypes built in Brittany.
Patrice Houllier’s HMC team, based at Lohéac, will enter most of the field with the as-usual and very efficient Jacques Fontbonne (n°120), Patrice Pelissier (n°121), Xavier Cousin (n°124),Daniel Oger (n°125) or Thierry Guitton (n°129) driving the RC versions, and Michel Thierry Peltier (n°122) who will be repeating his 2007 experience. Jean-Pierre Maingault (n°183) stays loyal to his RS.
The latest and by no means less quicker arrivals, William Scavardo (n°123) and Vincent Le Besne (n°131) in RC’s or Nicolas Schneller (n°127) in an RS, have yet to discover the cut and thrust of the field. Comeback-man Gilles Tremblaye (n°130) will drive an RC, whereas Thomas Saulnier will kick off with an RS version (n°126). The favourite is still last year’s winner in the category, Serge Heriau (n°136) who will share the same structure as constructor Yves Orhant (n°135) and Patrick Jamault (n°137), who proved very fast in 2006. Yves Henri Maillerie will also make his debut at the wheel of his RC (n°153) while Emmanuel Sigier (n°159) should be a candidate for final victory in his RC with André Argelies (n°114) and Alain Vezia (n°115) pursuing the same objective as last season: to have fun.
Also driving an RC, Pierre-Emmanuel Preville (n°138) will be the third driver in the brand new APRS team by Sigier and Argelies’ side, whose boss Anthony Pichard knows Funyos by heart. Finally another new well-known and of good repute in go-kart team, Wintec, is new to the job with two RCs,in Erick Tomaszek (n°141) and Jean-Christophe Lavillette’s care (n°142).