It was in 1998 that Damien entered his first crew, made up of Patricia Bodard, Marie-Pierre Vintaer and Aurélie Bugaud at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Bol d'Or and the 24 Hours of Spa. He moved to Suzuki in 2001, then in 2013 won the Bol d'Or in Superstock with the Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki, then in 2014 won the Superstock Endurance World Cup with the same valiant team.
A teacher at the Le Mans Sud Polyvalent High School, Damien Saulnier then took his Junior Team LMS Suzuki to second place in the 2017-2018 Endurance World Cup. The new season began with 3rd place in the Superstock qualifications of the 2018 Bol d'Or, with Louis Rossi, Hugo Clère (2018 French Superbike Challenger Champion) and Alex Sarrabayrousse, who will be replaced by Alexis Masbou in 2019.
Damien, first of all why did you recruit Alexis Masbou? With a little humor, isn't the word "Junior" in the name of your team surprising? Fortunately, Johan Nigon and Clément Stoll are officially joining you in the Challenger category for the FSBK…
“And they are accompanied by Hugo Clère who is really not very old... For Louis Rossi, there was the Le Mans, Sarthe side, and Alexis Masbou asked me last year to ride with us. He returned to the charge this year because Louis, Hugo and he know each other very well and like each other. So, one thing led to another, I told him why not, it might be fun to do endurance with you. On the other hand, there will be no French Championship, because we are preserving the Junior spirit, even if we did not yet know with whom at the time. Johan Nigon and Clément Stoll were then added.
“Afterwards, when we say Junior, historically if we go back a little, when the section was created in 1998, for the 1997 school year, it was young people until 2001 on the motorbike, with the girls, Pascal Guittet and others.
“Initially, when we talk about Junior, the basic idea with Jean-Claude-Chemarin, then later with Dominique Méliand, it has always been about training mechanics. Then we involved young pilots, because that corresponded to the general direction of the initiative, but the idea was to train mechanics.
“Sometimes, when I hear people say that we are now moving away from the original spirit of Junior Team, I tell them “you are very nice, but who in the paddock has trained 220 mechanics in 22 years? I haven't found many yet! " (laugh)
You fought for a long time in the leading group in Superstock during the last Bowl, before having to retire after 605 laps due to a broken engine, following a clutch problem. How do you see the rest of the World Cup (Le Mans, Slovakia, Oschersleben)?
“I don't wish trouble on others in any way – I'm more of a sport than that – but maybe we won't be the only ones eating black bread. I tell myself that if we don't have any major technical problems, as the young mechanics in the stands are doing a more than adequate job, we could do something nice with the three jockeys we have on the bike. We can be at the forefront of Superstock. Afterwards we have to fight up front and we will see how the race goes.
“It is certain that we lost big points in the Championship at the Bowl. We are seventh with 3 points, compared to 27 for the leader Gert56 German Endurance Racing Team. We're not at zero, thanks to the intermediate points, but we don't have a lot. We now have the obligation to move quickly and not make a mistake. »
Dominique Méliand created SERT in 1980. After winning 15 world titles, 16 Bols d'Or and 10 24h of Le Mans, the "Chef" announced his departure at the end of the year and that his succession would be between you and Dominique Hébrard (without naming him personally), adding that it would be wise to involve the two of you. What do you think ?
“Suzuki asked me a few months ago if I was interested in taking over from Dominique, if we could do an effective edit. Then we can imagine something. With whom, how, where? The adventure must continue in the same way for the people who are currently inside SERT. So why not create a structure uniting the SERT and the Junior team, while preserving the people already present, which is important?
“The ideal would be to merge the two, with Paulo, Pascal and Dominique, while retaining the spirit and soul of SERT as they have existed for more than 30 years. I would be in favor of it in any case.
“The managers of Suzuki (Japan and France) are also in this spirit. Dominic also. Afterwards it will be necessary to target who will do what, and at what times during the season. It can be interesting for us too, the Junior Team, in terms of student training. Me, with the students, I would rather be second hand, but I would rather be in favor of us working together. We should combine the two. »
“Wouldn’t that make a big difference to your current job as a teacher at the Le Mans Sud high school?
“Yes, a little bit, but I would still like to keep the basic plot. Young people obtain a Bac Pro motorcycle, and now a BTS, and with their knowledge in the field of mechanics with an approach oriented towards dealerships, we try to build them in the shape of a Swiss army knife. They have maximum versatility and autonomy at the end of the year.
“Suzuki is always keen that we maintain this good relationship with the Automobile-Club de l'Ouest, with its driving school, and that we continue to do track debuts, test runs and many other activities. There will always be this proximity with the ACO, and always the French Superbike Championship, even if it is not with three motorcycles, but with two like this year. There will always be this spirit of training young people. I don't want to change. »
If you moved to SERT, what would become of the Le Mans Sud Suzuki Junior Team?
“I don’t want it to stop. »
Above: Damien Saulnier and Dominique Méliand
Photos © Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki and Suzuki Racing
