As we told you, yesterday evening in Eyguières, Mayor Henri Pons handed over the keys to the karting circuit owned by the town to Johan Zarco, Laurent Fellon and Gérard Cavaloni (multiple French karting champion and world champion over 32) with objective of creating a true Provençal mechanical hub.
The municipality, which inherited the track in 2008, remains its owner, but has issued an authorization to occupy the territory to Z&F Grand Prix.
The evening was an opportunity, for all the protagonists, to provide detailed information on this project that Johann Zarco, like the Tavullia Ranch, has already nicknamed, Provence obliges, “The Mas ZF Grand Prix”. An infrastructure which, in the long term, should develop with a dirt track and a cross-country field.
Johann zarco : “Good evening everyone, I am delighted to be here this evening. It's good to have a lot of people. We had the mayor's point of view, the coach's point of view and also the point of view of the person who will take care of the karting. Getting this Eyguières track is fantastic! Indeed, I have trained a lot in the past. Before I even knew Laurent, I came to Eyguières because it was ultimately THE track where we could train. In the south, there aren't that many affordable trails to be able to go riding every weekend. So I came often, then, knowing Laurent, we came back very often because it was training and reference points. Since 2012, and especially 2014, we have been developing our driving school to bring kids to competition. And even if that doesn't make them champions, it in any case allows them to discover motorcycling, to give parents confidence and to show them that motorcycle sport, or motor sport in general, is not a crazy sport! With a working method and good supervision, there is the possibility of doing this sport in great conditions to discover a passion, a passion, for motorcycling which is extraordinary. So since 2014, we've been doing these competitions and we've had to travel to lots of places, and that's a lot to do: every time we come back from the Grands Prix, Laurent loads the truck with the people who work with us to bring all the equipment to the children, the motorcycles, the suits, to introduce them to motorcycles and make them race. Now, everything will happen in Eyguières, and that will allow us to have everything there. Everything will be ready in boxes and people will just have to come. We will really be able to receive them and it will be much easier for us. For me, it will allow me to train much more regularly. I reached the title of Moto2 world champion, there is the possibility of achieving victories and playing for a title in MotoGP, but for that you have to put another notch of higher level of training, and this circuit arrives right on cue. I will be able to train on a motorbike, do some quality riding on a motorbike and improve my level to go after the Márquez and all these riders who are in front (applause). In terms of location, it's Eyguières, it's Bouches-du-Rhône: we're close to Avignon which is a great city, a very beautiful city, also next to Nîmes. Hérault is not that far away, the Côte d'Azur is also very close, so it's great. More than saying to ourselves, for later, that we are trying to produce a champion from Eyguières or a champion from Bouches-du-Rhône, we need to think more about Provence. We are in a magnificent place, live in a magnificent place, and there, thanks to our notoriety, we really have the potential and the chance to be able to develop this sport. As a pilot, I am committed to being able to become this icon and to give people dreams, and when people have this dream, they will be able to make it come true in Eyguières. That's the objective of all of us, with Laurent, whether it's for the motorbike part, but also to continue the karting activity to also give everyone the opportunity, and provide the necessary playing field and that everyone has been waiting for for a very long time. Thanks !
The site FranceBlue has also broadcast numerous audios from this evening…
John Zarco:
Laurent Fellon:
Henri Pons:
Gérard Cavaloni:
