The Clio Trophy France Terre closed its season for the fourth year running with the rally based around Millau. The competitors gathered for scrutineering on Friday before Benjamin Boulenc, Jean-Michel Da Cunha, Lilian Vialle and Bruno Zonta each won a Michelin LTX Force T XL92 tyre in a draw organised by Ceerta, the official Michelin Motorsport distributor for the French Rally Championship.

Already assured of first place in the Junior category, Tom Pellerey set off on Saturday with the overall crown in his sights. The CHL Sport Auto driver got off to a perfect start, setting the fastest times in L’Hospitalet and Le Camp, each time ahead of his rival Benjamin Boulenc. However, Benjamin Boulenc hit back in Sainte-Eulalie to close the gap to 15.3s by mid-day. Half a minute behind him, Benjamin Stirling led the chase group.

In the afternoon, the “Cardas” lived up to its reputation with tough roads on the machineries. Benjamin Stirling was the first victim with a double puncture on SS4, where Benoît Verlinde and Xavier Pruvot also suffered setbacks. The biggest drama came on the second run through Le Camp when Tom Pellerey retired. Promoted to the top, Benjamin Boulenc took full advantage to fill up on Jean Ragnotti Performer points and finish day one more than a minute and a half ahead of Jean Paul Monnin, Jean Lavigne and Christophe Truchet, all covered by only 3.4s.

Despite his favourable position, Benjamin Boulenc knew he had to avoid the hazards, keep the lead and score another nine Jean Ragnotti Performer points on Sunday to secure the crown. Diligent in the mud and fog, he took two points in Vezins, then five with the best time in Sévérac d’Aveyron. However, things got nervous in the decisive loop as a stoppage denied him an opportunity to increase his tally. Therefore, the Fun Meca Sport by Meccanocar driver approached the final special stage, needing to finish in the top four to clinch the title.

Once he had completed his run, Benjamin Boulenc had to wait for all his rivals to arrive to be sure of scoring the two points he needed. His performance was even better, with maximum points taken to secure the victory and crown. Benjamin Boulenc won ahead of Jean Lavigne, victorious for the first time in the Junior category. Third-placed Christophe Truchet claimed his first podium after Jean Paul Monnin’s puncture in the final kilometres. Fifth-placed Thomas Eustaquio finished ahead of Alexandre Gransagne, who recovered well after a puncture cost him three minutes on SS1. Ludovic Casciani, Ludovic De Luca and Gentlemen Dimitri Felices and Vincent Favre-Miville completed the top ten.

Benjamin Boulenc joins Quentin Ribaud, Florian Bouchonneau and Jean-Sébastien Vigion as a Clio Trophy France Terre title-winner, beating Tom Pellerey by four points overall and one in the Jean Ragnotti Performer Trophy. His rival, however, validated his best Junior status and will be offered an official programme in 2025, operated by Fun Meca Sport by Meccanocar, crowned team champion. Vincent Favre-Miville in the Gentlemen category, Déborrah Marie for the second year running in the Women’s category, and Bandelier Automobiles, which retained its crown in the Renault Network Challenge, complete the list of winners.

Twelve Clio Rally3s were also in action on the same special stages. Simon and Yves Heinemann won in RC3 and Rally3 and finished seventh overall as they battled against crews in the higher category. Clio Rally4 also shone, with Sylvain and Matthieu Tamisier on the podium in Rally4 and one stage win in the French 2WD Gravel Rally Championship, where Benjamin Boulenc won !

The Clio Trophy France Terre now looks to 2025 for the fifth edition in its history. Further details will be revealed soon before the calendar is released this autumn.

Benjamin Boulenc : "This title means a lot to us, as we’ve been competing in feeder series for several years. In the past, we often had to stop mid-season for budgetary reasons, which limited our progress. However, we’ve completed three full campaigns in the Clio Trophy. Right from the start, the performance was there, but we lacked that extra bit of experience, particularly in avoiding punctures. We learned how to do this while battling against drivers such as Jean-Sébastien Vigion and Matteo Chatillon, to name just a few of our rivals over these three years. We’ve been able to challenge ourselves and work hard to reach a respectable level of performance. I hope this title will serve as a springboard for us, and we’re open to all opportunities, whether it’s on gravel to put what we’ve learnt to good use or maybe move up to four-wheel drive. Let’s see what the future holds !"

Clio Trophy France Terre – Rallye Terre des Cardabelles
1. Benjamin Boulenc – Chloé Barozzi-Gauze 1h40m17.7s
2. Jean Lavigne – Arnaud Cubizolles (J) +1m49.6s
3. Christophe Truchet – Barbara Truchet +2m03.8s
4. Jean Paul Monnin – Melvin Fraigne +2m13.7s
5. Thomas Eustaquio – Pauline Compozieux (J) +3m32.1s
6. Alexandre Gransagne – Loïc Maurel +3m47.5s
7. Ludovic Casciani – Raphaël Angelou +4m43.8s
8. Ludovic De Luca – José Boyer +5m50.3s
9. Dimitri Felices – « Clochette » (G) +6m28.3s
10. Vincent Favre-Miville – Maelle Casays (G) +7m39.3s
11. Lilian Vialle – Manuel Ghirardello (G) +8m09.1s
12. Joan Font – Enrique Velasco (G) +14m58.6s
13. Gaël Bertrand – Fabien Adenot +17m13.9s
14. Benoit Verlinde – Anton Dupan (J) +26m00.0s
Ret. Jean-Michel Da Cunha – Bastien Dumas (G)
Ret. Tom Pellerey – Hervé Faucher (J)
Ret. Benjamin Stirling – Richard Monin (J)
Ret. Xavier Pruvot – Nathalie Pruvot (G)
Ret. Bruno Zonta – Yves Pontal (G)
DNS. Yannick Francisci – Carla Gaffayoli

Clio Trophy France Terre - Jean Ragnotti Performer Trophy - Teams standings - Renault Network Challenge