- Enclose release below:
Please note the English is not perfect - but equally trying to do a better stab of translating the French myself - would probablyhave resulted in something quite unintelligible.
There is a video linked from this page aswell:
http://jeanericpetit.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=1
SUBARU FRENCH RALLY TEAM: The Duel !!!
Written by Serge Duquesnoy - Photos Bertrand Thiebault Jean Eric Petit, if it is pilot today Rallys on Subaru, was still little time ago an unconditional follower of the motor bike and competitions style great Raid, Baja and other disciplines. Time with other, with his best friends among whom Stephan Chambon or even Serge Nuques, it does not hesitate to launch out challenges of which some are very particular. The latest to date was it since Jean Eric Petit, at the wheel of its Subaru Wrx faced, on the asphalt circuit of the pole of the mechanical sports of Alès his friend Serge Nuques, Champion of the Rallys motor bike, who presented itself, vis-a-vis him with its Yamaha 450 WRF. Stake of this “challenge”: a fictitious trophy dedicated to Stephan Chambon and offered to that which would leave victorious this duel Car-Motor bike.
Very shared forecasts
In the rows of the journalists present (Auto-Moto, Echappement, Subaru Magazine, Moto Revue) come to attend this duel not like the others, each one sees “midday with its door”! For the ones: “Subaru will have the advantage on this track asphalts pole of the mechanical sports of Alès.” For the others on the contrary: “Yamaha, which is much lighter, to benefit little from this narrow track to make play the flexibility and the handiness of Yamaha 450 WRF that Serge Nuques preferred to use with depends on its Yamaha 1000 which however seemed more powerful.” The duel will be able to begin with any “sporting” stake private individual but just the pleasure of giving pleasure between buddies but also of designating the winner of the fictitious trophy which was concerned between the pilot car of Alès and the motorcyclist of the Basque Country.
Actors
On a side thus: Jean Eric Petit, 40 years and that one can regard as a beginner in the automobile sport that it practises truly only since 2006 in competitions on the Earth with, already, a beautiful page on its Gold book since it finished on the podium of the Championship of the Rallys Ground 2006, with precedes of it the honorary title of the group NR at the wheel of Subaru. Before that, just a service in 2002 with a T4 Sax and circuit, with appearances in the Catheram Cut. This year, it launched out a new challenge since it disputes the championship asphalts and that it is currently 6th classification general and 1st of the groups NR, always with Subaru Wrx N/11 of 285 CH version 2005.
Other: Serge Nuques, 36 years which adds up 10 seasons of enduro and connected with the Championship of France of the Rallys Motor bikes since 2003 with a title in 2006 and one possible in 2007, with already 4 victories out of five disputed tests. Its mounting for this duel: Yamaha 450 WRF of series which posts only 60 CH of origin.
The duel
At the beginning, not of surprises; powerful Subaru has the advantage in straight line but as of the first late turn, it loses this advantage vis-a-vis Yamaha 450 WRF which is nimble and flexible and which has perfect trajectories in the turns, where Subaru must pass its gauge. On the a little embossed ground on the other hand, the “sub” is more at ease but always slower. Jean Eric however tests, on this layout to extract the maximum of his Subaru: “The large foot certainly but not to have been able damage, for lack of dash, to make a jump on the bump and to place the car as I wanted it. The layout was sympathetic so that we have good feelings. The important thing, even if I were beaten, it is to have given pleasure. The next year one will give that but this time on the ground.” The winner is modest "On the rapid, I had evil to outdistance the “sub” but in the sinuous one I was very clean in my piloting. My advantage is to have been able to play with the lightness of the motor bike and the weight of my body. Jean Eric was a valorous adversary all the same.”
Epilogue
This first duel thus turned to the advantage of Serge Nuques and Yamaha. It acknowledged that for him it was a good front transmission there the test which it was to dispute in Villecomtal. For Jean Eric Petit. it y have not station-wagon since a few days later with this Subaru, it gained the victory groups NR with the ground of Langres of it where it finished 5th scratch.
