While Renault Sport’s cars have been making quite a splash so far this season, the Renault Sport Challenge has also been enjoying more and more success. The next round of the competition is the Rallye du Pays de Dieppe, which takes place this coming weekend and where no fewer than eight crews will head to the start line in the Renault Twingo Renaultsport R1, the highest number in the R1 class to date this year.

Victorious at the Rallye Pays du Gier but absent from the Grasse event, Romain Auvert has the chance to take over at the top of the R1 standings from Nicolas Renchet, who is sitting out this next round. Third in the points and an ever-present this season, Theo Chalal has his sights set on making further progress and scoring a podium finish in Dieppe.

Among the other drivers looking to turn promising performances into points are Maxime Goetz, Aurelien Lafont and Matthieu Tarif, while Eric Sauteur, Antoine Margely and Alexandre Cosson are all making their Challenge debuts in this the third round of the season. A Group A winner in last year’s French Hillclimbing Championship, Cosson has opted to start his rally career in the Renault Sport Challenge.

Following suit is his brother Anthony, the 2011 French Hillclimbing/Production Car champion and Echappement magazine’s Rising Star that same year, who has decided to build his 2014 season around the Renault Sport Challenge’s R3/N4 class. He will be taking to the wheel of a Renault Megane Renaultsport N4 in Dieppe and faces some stiff competition in the shape of Laurent Lacomy (Megane Renaultsport N4), the winner in Grasse, and Jerome Chavanne (Clio Renaultsport R3), who has two second places to his name and is the current points leader.

Steve Rousseau and Mickael Reydellet will also be competing in the Clio Renaultsport R3, while Sylvain Fouteret has chosen to start his Challenge campaign in the Megane Renaultsport N4. With six crews entering, there should be plenty of competition in the class.

In the R2 class, meanwhile, a number of loyal Renault Sport Challenge crews will be vying for the race win. Second in the standings, William Pitot is eyeing top spot in the absence of points leader Georges Gonon. Third in the Pays du Gier and second in Grasse, he has designs on a win in Dieppe at the wheel of the Twingo Renaultsport R2.

Jordan Mottard is improving with every race and has every chance of featuring prominently in Normandy. After a luckless start to the season, he bounced back in Grasse and is keen to keep his momentum going. A fine fourth in the last round, Marvin Sorin, is another candidate for the podium, while Jonathan Fra returns to the Challenge after failing to reach the finish line in round two but turning in an encouraging display nevertheless.

Rallye du Pays de Dieppe schedule:
Saturday 10 May
13:54: SS1 (15 km)
14:33: SS2 (10 km)
14:56: SS3 (16.4 km)

17:02: SS4 (15 km)
17:41: SS5 (10 km)
18:04: SS6 (16.4 km)

20:00: SS7 (15 km)
20:39: SS8 (10 km)
21:02: SS9 (16.4 km)

23:07: SS10 (10 km)
23:30: SS11 (16.4 km)

Entrants
R3/N4 class
Jerome Chavanne/Romain Montvignier (Renault Clio Renaultsport R3)
Laurent Lacomy/Sebastien Mattei (Renault Megane Renaultsport N4)
Mickael Reydellet/Thomas Chauffray (Renault Clio Renaultsport R3)
Steve Rousseau/Mathieu Opsomer (Renault Clio Renaultsport R3)
Anthony Cosson/Anne-Sophie Nourry (Renault Megane Renaultsport N4)
Sylvain Fouteret/Laurent Chenet (Renault Megane Renaultsport N4)

R2 class (Renault Twingo Renaultsport R2)
William Pitot/Alexis Estival
Jordan Mottard/Thierry Devaux
Marvin Sorin/Karine Moinet
Jonathan Fra/Leo Occhipinti

R1 class (Renault Twingo Renaultsport R1)
Romain Auvert/Maxime Belivier
Theo Chalal/Kelly Cotornini
Maxime Goetz/Marine Jeannot
Matthieu Tarif/Wilfrid Tarif
Aurelien Lafont/Aurelien Verdenet
Antoine Margely/Francois-Xavier Delabarre
Eric Sauteur/Marion Versaveau
Alexandre Cosson/Matthieu Chartier

Renault Sport Challenge standings going into the Rallye du Pays de Dieppe
R3/N4 class
1. Jerome Chavanne, 36 points (18, 18)
2. Laurent Lacomy, 33 (8, 25)
3. Pascal Berard, 30 (15, 15)
4. Boris Carminati, 25 (25, DNC*)

R2 class
1. Georges Gonon, 43 points (18, 25)
2. William Pitot, 33 (15, 18)
3. Jordan Mottard, 15 (DNC, 15)
4. Marvin Sorin, 12 (DNC, 12)

R1 class
1. Nicolas Renchet, 43 points (18, 25)
2. Romain Auvert, 25 (25, 0)
3. Theo Chalal, 22 (12, 10)
4. Emilien Sanlaville, 15 (15, DNC)
4. Maxime Goetz, 15 (DNC, 15)

* Did not compete