Barcelona, Spain, September 13th - A big field gathered in Barcelona this weekend as the Alpine Elf Europa Cup returned to action after its summer break, with no fewer than twenty-six car competing in round four of the championship.
Clearly, those present were all itching to get back into their Berlinette and enjoy the unique thrill of racing an Alpine. Simon Tirman (Autosport GP) seemed to have lost none of his racing skills or instincts since he was the first out of the blocks, claiming pole position in the first qualifying session ahead of team-mates Laurent Hurgon (LSGroup Autosport GP) and Paul Cauhaupé (Autosport GP). In the race, however, he was caught off guard by Paul Cauhaupé, who won the race ahead of Tirman and Hurgon, whilst Lucas Frayssinet (Chazel Technologie Course), the series leader before Barcelona, had to settle for fifth position. Tirman refused to be beaten, however, and managed to grab pole position for the second race, a sure sign of his competitiveness on the Catalonian racetrack. A pole position that he duly converted into a race win this time, as Paul Cauhaupé fell out of contention for victory after being handed a five-second penalty for rejoining the track unsafely at the start of the race.
It was therefore Lucas Frayssinet and Laurent Hurgon who stood alongside Tirman this time on the podium. “We worked well during the practice sessions before grabbing a good pole position on Friday,” commented a delighted Tirman afterwards. “Unfortunately, the race was more frustrating, what with starting at dusk, a lot of yellow flags, finishing after nightfall and then Paul catching me at the end to take the win. We didn't give up, though, and were able to claim pole again and this time, I managed to hold onto the lead from start to finish despite a number of incidents. I'm pleased that I scored a lot of points this weekend and I'm already more than ready for Monza, a meeting that, I think, will be decisive for the outcome of the title.” Indeed, the Alpine Elf Europa Cup next heads for the Autodromo Nazionale de Monza (Italy) on 23-25 September at what will be the penultimate round of the season.
After coming into the weekend in Catalonia as leader with a thirteen point cushion, Lucas Frayssinet was dislodged from top spot in the standings by Simon Tirman, whilst Paul Cauhaupé has now moved closer to the leading pair. In fact, just four points separate the top three as the championship heads into its closing stages. In the Gentlemen Drivers’ class, although Mathieu Blaise (Herrero Racing) bagged two wins on his return to the category, in the championship standings, Anthony Fournier increased his lead over Frédéric Roy to nine points after finishing ahead of him in both races this weekend.
