WELSH rally driver Sara Williams – winner of the prestigious Goldstar Elite Award of the British Women Racing Drivers Club in 2017, and the Louise Aitken Walker Trophy of the BWRDC, her second win of the Goldstar honour, the first in 2015 – is getting ready to make her return to the Renault Clio R3T Trophy France Championship, after her successful first foray into the French series last year, writes Roger Gale.
The first round of the Championship is the Rallye Le Touquet, with 16 special stages scheduled in and around the upmarket seaside resort on the west coast of Northern France not far from Boulogne.
The series runs in partnership with the FFSA French Rally Championship title battle, with six rounds in total throughout France, and in legendary rally territory as the year progresses all over France from now until late November.
Sara has the experienced Patrick Walsh as co-driver for the first three rounds, with the remaining three events still in discussion.
The French opener for the Clio R3T series is not new to Sara, included in the 2017 championship, though this year is a mix of old and new special stages.
Those stages will be visited today and tomorrow, with a ‘shakedown’ stage on Thursday afternoon as a final test of the Renault prior to the rally start on Friday.
A total of some 200 kilometres will be run at high speed, including some on Friday night, and two seafront ‘Le Touquet promenade’ stages will entertain both locals and visitors at the resort.
The Welsh ace continues with support from Brecon Motors, Brecon Car Rentals, Renault Sport France, ASM Motorsport, FIA Women In Motorsport, Motordrive Seats, and Burnsides.
Following Renault Sport Racing’s confirmation that the series would continue in 2018, the Clio R3T Trophy France will be held at six leading rounds of the FFSA French Rally Championship.
The events remain the same as in 2017, except for the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnière, which replaces the Rallye Antibes Côte d’Azur.