Simulation company Ellip6 has finalised plans for the debut season of its brand new junior rally programme and has selected the first two beneficiaries of its exciting new initiative.

Following the announcement of Ellip6’s rally plans at the end of January, two youngsters have since been chosen following an intensive selection process at the Pôle Mécanique Alès-Cévennes, part of the PPAC rally driving school, which took place on 2 February.

Former rally driver Fabrice Morel, owner of PPAC, along with Renaud Chazel, founder of Chazel Technologies, comprised the final selection jury and will run the overall operation of the Ellip6 Junior Programme in 2011.

The selection process was rigorous with a total of 8 youngsters, pre-selected by a working group consisting of Morel and his team at PPAC, Chazel and Ellip6 President Pierre Tantot, competing against each other through an intense programme of fitness, karting, rally skills, behaviour and all-round aptitude tests. After a series of kart and rally tests, participants were also invited to take to a race track in a rally car to evaluate their outright speed and style and to understand which of the drivers had the most natural and fundamental driving skill and flair.

The two selected juniors Kevin Coste and Dorian Nicolas will now compete in a series of six rallies as part of the Ellip6 Rally Junior Team throughout 2011, at the helm of a Renault Twingo R1 in the FFSA supported French Junior Rally Championship.

PPAC will run the coaching, fitness and rally craft teaching, while Chazel Technologies will run the operations prior to and on-event, preparing the cars and running them over the six events that make up the championship.

The first rally will be the Rallye le Touquet (NO) over the weekend of 20 March. The eventual winner of the Ellip6 junior programme will secure a place in the 2012 French Rally Championship in the cockpit of a Twingo R2.

Ellip6 President, Pierre Tantot: “Since the announcement of our new junior rally programme, we have been forced to speed up our preparations to finalise the programme in time for the first French Junior Rally in just over one month’s time. Working together with Fabrice Morel and Renaud Chazel, who will be giving us invaluable support this year, we pre-selected eight youngsters who demonstrated their potential. We invited the eight juniors to compete against each other in a series of specific tests to make our final choice of two drivers. I am delighted to announce Kevin Coste and Dorian Nicolas as the first two participants in the Ellip6 Rally Junior Programme for 2011. Fabrice, Renaud and their staff will be a great asset to these youngsters as they start on their way up the rally ranks, and Ellip6 is proud to be behind them.”

French Junior Championship 2011 Calendar
17-20 March - Rallye le Touquet – Pas de Calais
2-5 June - Ronde Limousine – Rallye Région Limousin Vassivière
7-10 July - Rallye Rouergue Aveyron Midi Pyrénées
1-4 September - Rallye Mont Blanc – Morzine
28 September - 2 October - Rallye de France - Alsace
24 -27 November - Rallye du Var