British Women Racing Drivers Club Gold Star driver Sara Williams and new co-driver Patrick Walsh had a dramatic return to the opening round of the Renault Clio R3T France 2018 Trophy last weekend, the first rally of the new Championship being the Le Touquet 2018 rally that ran from the March 15-17 around Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in the Pas-de-Calais. 

The rally was organized by the ASACNF and the Touquet Auto Club, Sara the only woman driver taking part, and building on the experience she acquired during her first season rallying in mainland Europe last year. 

Now competing alongside the experienced and successful co-driver Patrick Walsh, she returned to Le Touquet with much higher aims than a year ago.

Though the rally proved to be more difficult than expected the pair took some very credible results, taking the the ASM Motorsport Clio to the second Renault fastest time on the opening stage of the rally, the fifteen and a half kilometres of the Bernieulles test in the Vallee de la Course, repeating that success on stage three, the longer Preures run almost twenty kilometres. 

That opening day was made up of four special stages, repeated in the afternoon, the stages treacherous in parts as cars cut corners and coated the bends with mud for the later runners.

Sara and Patrick were just one of many to suffer, the resultant high speed spins needing all of Sara’s quick reactions to keep the car on the road and away from some waiting banks.

Day two was made up of five special stages, the morning trio totalling some forty five kilometres, another third fastest stage time adding to the ASM Motorsport teams confidence. Cruel luck lay in wait however, the Clio returning to the mid-day regroup, a twenty minute halt prefacing the final two stages of the rally, the penultimate blast on the Le Touquet promenade a crowd pleaser in the heart of the fashionable city seaside resort in Pas de Calais bordered by the Channel. 

As Sara and Patrick readied themselves for those final stages the Clio stubbornly refused to start !  Frantic attention to the under bonnet electrics finally rectified the problem, but as the Renault engine burst into life the rally clock told it’s own sad story – they were just one minute over the time limit, and out of the rally that had promised so much! 

Nontheless it was not all downbeat, a trio of  top three times for the Clio on demanding stages showed great potential, more experience of pace notes and a greater team gelling with Patrick as a new co-driver promises much for the next round in late April, Rallye Lyon-Charbonnière, with thirteen special stages totalling around 220 kilometers around Villefranche-sur-Saone in Eastern France.

As only the best five results will count towards the overall final standings in the Clio R3T Trophy France, the loss of points in the first round should not be too damaging, Sara and Patrick able to count every score in the remaining five events. The team is again supported by Brecon Motors, Brecon Car Rentals, Renault Sport France, ASM Motorsport, FIA Women In Motorsport, Motordrive Seats, and Burnsides Keyring and Promotions Group.