07-2016 Dunieres hillclimb, in the Auvergne, is one of the most difficult due to the slippery nature of the road surface on its 2.36 length. It calls for great driving skill. This was the ninth climb of the season, and the 47th time it has been run, always loyally and efficiently organised by the president of the Dunieres organising committee, Auguste Mourier. Auguste has now handed over the reins to Jean-Paul Clot.
This year, at the request of many drivers, the course had been modified by the elimination of the final bend before the finish. There were nearly 130 entries, with 89 'moderns' and 40 'historics'. It was held in perfect conditions, following storms the day before.
Amongst the Marcadiers it was good to see the return of Michel Champelovier and his F2 single-seater, now fitted with a more powerful engine for this, Michel's final season. He plans to retire after an uninterrupted 53 years' racing.
In the Sports-Prototype class, as usual it was Pascal Ferretti and Gilles Coursoux who were at the forefront all weekend. In practice Michel finished one second behind Edmond Gustarini's F2 Chevron B48 in the single-seater class, whilst Pascal and Gilles led class 6/7.
In Sunday's timed runs, a titanic battle for outright winner saw an on-form Michel finishing only 2/10ths of a second behind Gustarini. To nobody's surprise, Pascal and Gilles took the first two places in their class, although Gilles couldn't take his second timed run due to a gearbox problem. The next round of the National Championship is at le Mont Dore, on the weekend of 5/7 August.
