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Success out of the box for the C2-R2 MAX and Simon Jean-Joseph
The first outing of Simon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyère’s European campaign with the PH Sport-run Citroën C2-R2 MAX took the French pair to Hungary for the Rally Eger. Despite the difficult conditions, the event was fiercely contested throughout, but the new Citroën came through it to win the two-wheel drive category.The two-day rally was based in Eger, 150km northeast of Budapest, and featured a selection of fast but extremely slippery asphalt stages. A little more than 170km of competitive action awaited the C2-R2 MAX which was making its competition debut following its Group R homologation by the FIA on March 1.
A promotional event was organised prior to the start to give the specialist media and Hungarian rally drivers a chance to see the C2-R2 MAX in action. ”The day was organised in association with Citroën Hungary and was a huge success,” reports the Manager of Citroën Sport’s Customer Competition Programme, Jean-François Liénéré. ”It enabled our media and competitor guests to get a good feel for the new car’s potential during rides alongside Simon Jean-Joseph.”
For the rally itself, Simon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyère were seeded number one and consequently headed the field out to Saturday’s early stages. The weather then took a turn for the worse during the morning and the remainder of the leg took place in incessant rain, while fog was an additional hazard during the night-time tests. ”The conditions were very difficult,” observed the Martinique-based driver. ”During recce, we realised that the asphalt wouldn’t give much grip in the dry, and the rain only served to make matters worse.” However, that didn’t prevent the Citroën from constantly challenging for the lead in the two-wheel drive category.
The second leg took place in milder weather, although the stages were just as treacherous as the C2-R2 MAX continued to fight for supremacy in its category. The outcome was finally decided on the last 13.10km stage which the Citroën driver completed with a lead of 2.4 seconds.
”Our maiden run with the Citroën C2-R2 MAX went remarkably well,” concluded the 2007 European Champion. ”We received a superb welcome from the organisers, fellow competitors and spectators and we had a great fight all weekend. The terrain wasn’t easy but we came out of it on top despite some very stiff opposition. This result is a fitting reward for all the guys at Citroën Sport and PH Sport who have worked so hard to make the C2-R2 MAX both competitive and reliable, whatever the conditions.”
“It was the Citroën C2-R2 MAX’s first event and its first win, and that’s very satisfying,” confirmed Jean-François Liénéré. ”Contesting the Rally Eger was a great success on several fronts. The experience of our crew meant they were able to make the most of the car to showcase its ability, potential and reliability. Our win in the two-wheel drive category proves that the C2-R2 MAX is capable of taking on cars from superior categories. Simon, Jack and PH Sport did a remarkable job which has got our 2008 programme off to a flying start.”
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