It's almost as though nothing can separate the THP Spider Cup and the Coupe 207 THP any more! Following the recent WTCC weekend in Pau where both of Peugeot Sport's singlemake racing series formed part of the programme, the two championships will be sharing the bill again this weekend at the French circuit of Val de Vienne which is hosting a Super Série FFSA fixture.

The two competitions are very distinct, but the THP Spider Cup and the Coupe 207 THP do have a couple of points in common: the cars that star in both championships are powered by the same 1.6 THP engine (which is the fruit of collaboration with BMW Group) and the fact that they both offer outstanding spectator value…

THP Spider Cup: Julien Beltoise, the man to beat!
The ferocity of the fight in this year's Europe-wide series is perfectly understandable, since the winner at the end of the season will be given a chance to spend a day testing the 908 HDi FAP!

Following the first two rounds at Monza and Pau, the points table is provisionally topped by the youngest member of the Beltoise clan, Julien, although he has not won any of the four races contested to date.

His consistency cannot be faulted, however, and he is currently four points clear of his closest chaser who is none other than the championship's early leader, Briton Simon Moulton. These two drivers have pulled slightly clear of the pack, which is led by Grégory Guilvert, winner of one of the races that took place in appalling weather in Pau. Running on slick tyres in torrential rain, Grégory and Julien put on a nail-biting show and appeared to be in a class of their own. These two acrobats are joined by Marcel Sciabbarrasi whose race pace makes up for the fact that he tends not to be one of the fastest drivers in timed practice, while his spectacular style when dicing in the pack is an added attraction for spectators.

Julien Briché followed up his win in the first race at Pau by going off in the second and is unsure whether he will be able to attend Val de Vienne, so his rivals will have to wait and see if he makes it. The presence of fellow Frenchman David Pouget is also in doubt, but relative newcomer Gaël Castelli will be there, although the track will be entirely new to him.

The fight for Ladies' honours promises to be particularly close with the competition's former sole female driver Marlène Broggi, who is currently contesting her second season, now facing challenges from Corentine Quiniou, Aurélia Marti and new Austrian recruit Stephie Halm. The Val de Vienne meeting will also mark the debuts of Vincent Huot, Grégoire Demoustier and Thomas Dagoneau, as well as that of Peugeot Sport's guest driver Jean-Luc Roy.

The weekend's programme features two races which will give the spectators two opportunities to sample the exciting yet sporting action that has been a highlight of the year since the 2008 series kicked off at Monza. Two absentees of note will be outgoing champ Dino Lunardi, winner of both races in Italy, and Pau-based Mike Parisy who had the speed but who was down on luck at his home meeting.

THP Spider Cup standings going into Val de Vienne:

1, J. Beltoise (69 points).
2, S. Moulton (65).
3, G. Guilvert (56).
4, M. Sciabbarrasi (42).
5, G. Castelli (29).
6, J. Briché (25).
7, A. Rambure (23).
8, Sébastien Dhouailly (18).
9, M. Broggi (17).
10, M. Parisy (16). Etc.

Spider THP technical info:
Tubular chassis based on the ACO's LMP1 and LMP2 regulations, notably concerning the roll cage.
The rear of the car is redolent of the sport-prototype cars of the 1970s, with a short engine cowling and no rear wing.
Engine: mid-rear 1.6 THP (1,598cc), transversely mounted. Power: 220bhp.
Gearbox: six-speed sequential dog engagement gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift
controls.
Tyres: Michelin 21/65/18 (slicks: S8B; wet weather tyres: P2C.
Weight: 765kg
Coupe 207 THP: the pack with punch!

The main feature of the 207 LW is the fact that it is based on an entirely showroom spec car (a lightweight version of the 207 RC), and that includes its tyres. In its bid to keep costs to a minimum, Peugeot Sport wanted to keep the formula simple and affordable, but it also saw it as a chance for young racers to learn the ropes. If the full entry list – with more than 40 drivers registered – and the exciting race action are anything to judge by, the cocktail is clearly a success. That said, the recent encounter in Pau and this weekend's clash at Val de Vienne have seen the Coupe 207 THP make two forays away from the Rencontres Peugeot Sport meetings which generally provide the framework for the series, although competitors will return to the championship's Rencontres roots for mid-July's gathering at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

By then, the ebullient pack will have had two chances to topple the provisional leader Ludovic Bellinato who has yet to win a race but whose remarkable consistency has seen him move slightly clear after the first four races. He only failed to finish on the podium in the first race at Pau, which means he has regularly finished in the big points. One driver who would like to say the same thing is Quentin Morel. After the Angoulême-based youngster's two excellent performances at Magny-Cours at the start of the season, he seemed to be heading for more success in Pau where he secured pole position for both races. His chances were dashed, however, when he was sidelined by a big crash after qualifying. With the invaluable help of his family, he is busily trying to rebuild his car in time for his home round at Val de Vienne.

The year has been marked so far by an interesting clash between the championship's experienced campaigners and the under-25 brigade. The youngsters, led by Morel, Kévin Ropars, Mathieu Lambert and Steven Palette got off to a flying start, but their elders gained the upper-hand round Pau's demanding street circuit, and the likes of Bellinato, Laurent Fresnais, Romuald Jolivière and, above all, Florent Priez have eased to the top of the provisional standings! Priez, who races for the Julien Briché-run Team JSB, has effectively caused something of a stir recently. He was immediately on the pace when he made his debut in the series at the end of the 2007 and has since followed up his slowish start to this year's campaign with two wins through the streets in Pau where he wasn't really considered to be a favourite. He will no longer have the advantage of surprise at Val de Vienne, however, and he is currently just nine points behind Bellinato.

Coupe 207 THP standings going into Val de Vienne:
1, L. Bellinato (59 points).
2, L. Fresnais (53).
3, F. Priez (50).
4, R. Joliviere (44).
5, Q. Morel* (39).
6, D. Rahard (26).
7, S. Seveau (24).
8, K. Ropars* and E. Coppens (23).
9, M. Carrée (21).
10, M. Lambert* (20). Etc.
*Juniors (under 25 years old)

207 LW Technical info:
Chassis: bodyshell with bolted-on roll-cage.
Engine: 1.6 THP (1,598cc), transversally-mounted at the front of the car. Power: 175bhp
Gearbox: five-speed manual synchronised gearbox
Tyres: BFGoodrich g-Force Profiler 225x45x17
Weight: 1,100kg

PEUGEOT SPORT'S PROGRAMME (VAL DE VIENNE, 2008)
Friday, June 27, 2008
8.30am Coupe Peugeot 207 Free practice (30 minutes)
10.10am THP Spider Cup Free practice (30 minutes)
7.00pm Coupe Peugeot 207 Qualifying practice (20min + 10min + 20min)

Saturday, June 28, 2008
8.00 THP Spider Cup Qualifying practice (20min + 10min + 20min)
10.55am Coupe 207 THP Race 1 (13 laps)
2.45pm THP Spider Cup Race 1 (15 laps)

Sunday, June 29, 2008
9.55am Coupe 207 THP Race 2 (13 laps)
4.30pm THP Spider Cup Race 2 (15