Clutier and Salinas will rightly start as favourites in this the second round of the 2012 Twingo R2 France Trophy season, having shared all the best times between them in Limousin.

Taking third place there on a successful debut in the event was Monnet, who will be racing on home turf and aiming to go one better than last year, when he finished second, just 10.9 seconds away from outright victory.

A winner of the Trophy in 2010 and last year’s runner-up, the experienced Gonon is another obvious contender, while up-and-coming drivers such as Jonathan Fra, who caught the eye at the season’s opening round, Belgium’s Lloyd Seminara and Anthony Balester are also ones to watch.

Luckless in Limoges, where they were forced to retire, Yann Clairay and Mathieu Sentis have their sights on getting some points on the board.

Competing outside the Trophy, meanwhile, will be reigning French junior rally champion Nicolas Romiguiere and his co-driver Alexis Nègre. In exceptional form so far this season, the Renault Sport Technologies duo, who hail from Aveyron in the south of France, will continue their apprenticeship in the Twingo R2 Evo and can expect a stern examination of their skills as the weekend unfolds.

The rally starts in Mâcon at midday this Friday and will finish a little after 8pm on Saturday.

Extract from the rally regulations
The Twingo R2 France Trophy is open to teams driving the Twingo Renaultsport R2 and Twingo R2 Evo.

Points allocation: 1st place - 25 points; 2nd -18; 3rd - 15; 4th -12; 5th - 10; 6th - 8; 7th - 6; 8th - 4; 9th - 2; 10th - 1.

Prize money: 1st place: €2,500 plus €2,500 in vouchers and eight tyres; 2nd: €2,000 plus €2,000 in vouchers and six tyres; 3rd: €1,500 plus €1,500 in vouchers and four tyres; 4th: €1,000 plus €1,000 in vouchers and two tyres; 5th: €700 plus €800 in vouchers.

Each driver’s best five results of the season will count towards the Renault Sport Challenge standings.

Entrants
59. Laurent Clutier – Brice Brun
60. Romain Salinas – Benjamin Micheli
61. Thierry Monnet – Cédric Huggonot
62. Jonathan Fra – Thierry Salva
63. Lloyd Seminara – Jean-Louis Hottelet
64. Yann Clairay – Frédéric Goupil
65. Georges Gonon – Valérie Gonon
66. Mathieu Sentis – Gil Valette
67. Anthony Balester – Thomas Boshetto

Rallye des Vins Mâcon – Schedule
Friday 15 June
12h00 – Start
12h05 – Transfer stage
12h48 – SS1 : Fuisse – Bussières (12,41 km)
13h41 – SS2 : Chissey – Bissy (10,81 km)
14h02 – SS3 : Lugny – Vire (10,35 km)
16h37 – Transfer stage
17h35 – SS4 : Fuisse – Bussières (12,41 km)
18h28 – SS5 : Chissey – Bissy (10,81 km)
18h49 – SS6 : Lugny – Vire (10,35 km)
19h34 – Transfer stage
20h09 – Parc fermé

Saturday 16 June
8h00 – Start
8h05 – Transfer stage
8h53 – SS7 : Serrieres – Pierreclos (14,18 km)
9h41 – SS8 : Cortambert – Aze (21,08 km)
10h39 – SS9 : La Chapelle/Brancion – Tournus (25,48 km)
12h49 – Transfer stage
13h52 – SS10 : Serrieres – Pierreclos (14,18 km)
14h40 – SS11 : Cortambert – Aze (21,08 km)
15h38 – SS12 : La Chapelle/Brancion – Tournus (25,48 km)
17h18 – Transfer stage
18h21 – SS13 : Serrieres – Pierreclos (14,18 km)
19h09 – SS14 : Cortambert – Aze (21,08 km)
20h09 – Finish