Four New Winners: LeMans 24-Hour Kart Race
press release
David Martine, Adrien Bloyet, Maxime et Théo Bidard, four young drivers from Caen, took their maiden win in the Le Mans’ 24 Hours Karting at the wheel of Sarthe RTKF’s n°72 Sodi-Parilla. The local team scored a commanding one-two and repeated its 2009 and 2010 victories, while the Italian entry of Michaël Dauphin, Clément Traglia, Sébastien Bertrand et Alexandre Finkelstein (Cassino-Amobsic / Tony-Rotax) took the Group 2 honours.
Above: The winners on a victory lap
pic - Jacky Foulatier
The drivers’ presentation took place under threatening skies, and it started to downpour at the end of the formation lap. The 26th edition of the race was marked by changeable track conditions. Pays de Loire Technikart’s Kosmic-Vortex shined in early stages, and Nantes Technikart’s Group 2 Kosmic-Rotax also briefly lead the race, but Sarthe RTKF’s n°72 proved more reliable and consistent. Bloyet, Martine and the Bidard brothers broke only one engine and held the lead most of the way until a dramatic 24th hour.
Sarthe RTKF n°1’s Sodi-Parilla driven by former winners Wilfrid Lecarpentier, Charles Fiault, Antoine Poulain and rookie Antoine Lepesqueux closed the gap in the last four hours, to take the lead with 30 minutes to go. But ten minutes later, Antoine Poulain couldn’t avoid collision with a spinning backmarker and broke a steering tie rod. He was forced to bring his kart to the pits for repairs and finished second.
2005 and 2008 winners Cotentin-Intermarché (Birel-Parilla) set the fastest lap but suffered several mechanical problems. Former Karting European Champion Guignet and team-mates Poncelet, Scelles and Couasnon had to settle for 9th. La Manche Kart mag broke two engines in succession, had to wait for the first one to be repaired and lost 24 minutes in the process. De Narda, Rabineau, Ponsard and French KF2 Championship leader eventually finished 13th but head of Kart mag Jacky Foulatier’s squad keeps the Le Mans’ distance record of 2004 km it set in 2006.
With a massive 27-kart entry, the fight for Group 2 honours was exciting and close. In this single-make series’ engine class, the Italian entry of Michaël Dauphin, Clément Traglia, Sébastien Bertrand et Alexandre Finkelstein (Cassino-Amobsic / Tony-Rotax) went on to finish third overall and first in the category with a four-lap margin over Nantes Technikart. Brands Hatch Screenvyn was the best of the three British teams entered in 14th place.
Above: Group 2 (Rotax) winner was 3rd outright
pic - Jacky Foulatier
The event attracted an audience of 4200 spectators and 15.500 TV viewers on lemans.org website.
Official results:
1. David Martine, Adrien Bloyet, Maxime Bidard, Théo Bidard (Sodi-Parilla / Sarthe RTKF 72) 1447 laps, 1st in Group 1
2. Wilfrid Lecarpentier, Charles Fiault, Antoine Poulain, Antoine Lepesqueux (Sodi-Parilla / Sarthe RTKF 1) 1443 laps, 2nd in Group 1
3. Michaël Dauphin, Clément Traglia, Sébastien Bertrand, Alexandre Finkelstein (Tony-Rotax / Cassino-Amobsic) 1438 laps 1st in Group 2
4. Pascal Huteau, Maxime Lemonnier, Paul Thénot, Jean Letard (Kosmic-Rotax / Nantes Technikart) 1434 laps, 2nd in Group 2
5. Jean-François Chaussis, Andrew Deberne, Sébastien Lecourt, Emmanuel Roger (Kosmic-Rotax / Ile-de-France Mac Boys), 3rd in Group 2
