Pernot clinches third consecutive French hillclimb title at Mont Dore
Marc Pernot has secured his third consecutive French hillclimb championship title after a dominant performance at the 66th Côte de Coeur Mont Dore event. Driving his Nova NP 01-2 C Hartley Turbo over the 5km course, Pernot delivered an impressive display to claim overall victory and mathematically wrap up the season title ahead of schedule.
The weekend proved challenging for organisers, with Saturday's opening race cut short due to multiple interruptions and running late into the evening. The first heat for open-class competitors was rescheduled to early Sunday morning, allowing the schedule to be completed by mid-afternoon. A brief rain shower during the touring car battle provided an early decision in that category before conditions dried for the formula car runners.
Maxime Dojat finished second overall after recovering from technical issues that forced him to retire from the opening race. The young Frenchman's team resolved the problem on his Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, enabling him to deliver a strong comeback performance and also secure the E2-SC class win up to 3 litres. Sebastien Jacqmin completed the podium in third place, piloting another Nova NP 01-2 Honda Turbo and posting consistently quick times throughout the weekend.
Belgian driver Corentin Starck claimed fourth overall in his Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, while Frenchman Cedric Lansard rounded out the top five in an Osella PA27 Cosworth. Yves Tholy finished sixth, just 0.04 seconds behind Lansard after two timed runs in his Nova NP 03 Suzuki, and won the E2-SC class up to 1.6 litres. Benoit Bouche took seventh overall and the 3-litre Group DE formula class victory in a Reynard 99L Mugen F3000.
The event, held in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, saw mixed fortunes for competitors. Miguel Vidal suffered a broken half-shaft at the start of the first race in his Lola B06/51 Mugen F3000, while Pierre Mayeur retired after the first practice session with engine failure in his Martini MK69 Evo BMW. Sarah Bernard encountered a barrier contact in her Tatuus Formula Master S2000 Honda during the opening race and later faced technical problems that prevented her from starting the third heat.