Enedis Trophée Andros Electrique - Stade de France 2019

Trophée Andros Electrique racing at the Stade de France.

The Trophée Andros Electrique was the first electric racing car series in the world with its first championship in 2010 some four years before Formula E.   Eleven of the 100% electric Andros 04 cars took part in the Stade de France event and put on a good show.  These 160kph cars are driven through two wheels by a 90Kw motor.  This year Christophe Ferrier took his fifth Andros title in the electric category and was the star again at this non-championship event.

The podium with Claudio, Vincent, Christophe and Yann.

The winner was Christophe Ferrier in the MNCA sponsored car.

Vincent Beltoise was runner up in the STEF car.

Third was Yann Ehrlacher in the Dupessy car.

The SPI Logistic car of Julien Andlauer came fourth.

Fifth was the Petit Forestier car of Louis Rousset.

Louis Gervospn was sixth in the ALD Automotive car.

Seventh was the Motul car of Thomas Laurent.

Claudio Capeo was eighth in the Andros car.

Last in the final was Guillaume Pley in the Enedis car.

Sacha Prost qualified seventh but did not appear in the final.

The Loxam car of Clémentine Lhoste qualified eigth but did not appear in the final.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Close opposite lock action in the Electric car final.

Trophée Andros - Stade de France - AMV Cup - 2019

Motorcycle Ice Racing at the Stade de France.

Car racing on ice is one thing but motorcycle racing on ice - completely mad!  It attracts riders from motocross and other motor cycle disciplines.   The bikes are allowed minimal modifications and are between 125cc and 450cc.  The tyres of course are studded.  The champion of AMV ice racing this year was Maxime Emery who won by a small margin from Vivien Gonnet.  The Stade de France race wasn't part of the championship but was obviously a race a number of them were eager to win.

Maxime Emery signing autographs in the paddock.

1st Semi-Final

Early on in the first semi-final and Maxime Emery has a lead on his Husqvarna.

Maxime Emery took a fairly easy win in his semi-final.

2nd Semi-Final

The closer battle in the second semi-final.

Sylvain Dabert chases Vivien Gonnet

Sylvain Dabert eventually took this semi-final on his KTM bike.

When following other bikes the visibility came less good from the ice kicked up.

Final

Fist corner of the final.

Lots of different lines at Turn Two.

Still close after a few laps with Sylvain Dabert leading on his KTM.

It gets a bit hairy if you drop the bike.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Sylvain Dabert on the top step of the podium with his brother Vivian Dabert (left) and Vivien Gonnet (right).

Trophée Andros - Stade de France - Défi Electrique Thermique - 2019

Franck L:agorce snd Jean-Baptiste Dubourg celebrate after a great final.

Part of the 30 Years of the Andros Trophy celebration included a challenge between combustion cars and electric cars.   The combustion cars are normally a little quicker but a surprise was in store!
The format of the event was that there was first a run off between the fastest two combustion cars and then a run off between the two fastest electric cars.  Then a final run off was held between the two winners of the prior run offs.
The event was held in pursuit fashion with each runner starting from opposite sides of the stadium.  After a couple of laps the winner was declared.

Participants included ;
Olivier Panis - ex-F1 driver and winner of the 1996 Monaco GP
Jean-Baptiste Dubourg - Twice Andros Trohy champion and a rallycross driver
Nicolas Prost - Formula E and Endurance driver (he replaced Aurelien Panis who had a car problem)
Franck Lagorce - ex F1 driver, he was second in the  Le Mans 24 hours in 1996 and has had many Andros Trophee wins.

Many famous drivers, past and present were on hand to watch the action.

Alain Prost, Sébastien Ocon, Ari Vatanen and others were on hand.

Thermique Semi-Final

Jean-Baptiste Dubourg won the Thermique run-off in his Renault Captur.

Olivier Panis was beaten for the only time of the evening in this Audi A1 Quattro.

Electrique Semi-Final

Nicolas Prost failed to win in the Motul 100% Electrique car and thus was knocked out.

Franck Lagorce won the Electrique run-off in his Andros Sports 100% Electrique car.

Thermique vs Electrique Final.

The final was very close and you can see that Jean-Baptiste Dubourg got very sideways.

Franck Lagorce was very determined to win and did so, against the odds, in the Andros Sport 100% Electrique car.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Franck Lagorce with his Trophy.  He was obviously very pleased to win.

Trophée Andros - Stade de France - Elite Pro - 2019

Panis, father and son, were the stars of the Elite Pro category at the 2019 Stade de France event.

On February 9th 2019, I was delighted to see Ice Racing for the first ever time.  The occasion was an event at the Stade de France to celebrate 30 years of the Andros Trophy.   They don't allow spectators to take DSLR cameras into the stadium so I had to make do with my Panasonic Lumix Compact camera, but I was pleased with the results.   The event was really spectacular with some big name drivers, a variety of sophisticated cars, lots of sideways action and some close racing.  Really worth going to a Trophée Andros event if you get the chance.

A selfie with Louis Gervoson part
of the family who owns Andros
and a driver in the series.

The format was that each car had two drivers and thus there were four semi-finals and two finals.  Each race was for six laps of the Stade de France ice oval.  It is really Rallycross on Ice.   The fastest

drivers were lapping in under 23 seconds ands thus races were over in under three minutes.  So no time to get remotely bored.   The event comes at the end of the season but does not count towards the Championship.  However, a great fun event.

The cars have special tubular spaceframe chassis with glass fibre bodies that resemble production touring cars.   They are mid-engined with 3 litre V6 motors that drive all four wheels.  The cars also have four wheel steering!

We visited the paddock beforehand, attended the autograph session, spoke to some of the drivers and saw all of the racing during the evening.  A really great February Saturday!

Drivers included representatives from many of the French driving dynasties like Prost, Beltoise, Laffite and Panis as well as one of the all time rallying greats - Sébastien Loeb.   Joining them were some of the Andros Trophy stars such as Franck Lagorce, Jean-Baptiste Dubourg, Benjamin Riviere and Bertrand Balas.  Add to that other French stars such as Nathaniel Berthon and Norwegian rallycross driver Andreas Bakkerrud and you have quite an event.

Some of the drivers - Margot Laffite,  Bertrand Balas and Nicolas Prost.

Below are photos from all the Elite pro races at the Stade de France in 2019.

Semi Final 1 - Driver 1

The first semi-final went to Aurélien Panis.

Gérald Fontanel in a BMW M2 bodied car.  He was fifth in this heat.

To be fast in this type of racing you need to take the first part of the corner at 90 degrees to the direction of travel.  This is why they have windscreen wipers on the side windows!

Semi Final 1 - Driver 2

Benjamin Riviere chasing Bertrand Balas.

Olivier panis takes the flag from Jean-Sébastien Dubourg, Bertrand Balas and Benjamin Riviere.

Semi Final 2 - Driver 1

Franck Lagorce leads away the next group of cars.

The top five cars drifting around the first corner.

Nathaniel Berthon finished second in this Audi.A1 Quattro.

Close racing between Berthon, Nicolas Prost and Laffite.

Margot Laffite came fifth in this Mazda 3.

Franck Lagorce takes the win by a fairly wide margin.

Semi-Final 2 - Driver 2

Sébastien Loeb leads the field through turn one.

The order has changed slightly by the exit of turn two but Loeb still leads.

Aurélien Comte goes wide in the Peugeot 3008 and Olivier Pernaut tries to take advantage.

Andreas Bakkerud leads Olivier Perault.

Anthony Beltoise finished fourth in this semi-final in the Mini Countryman.

Final - Driver 1

First corner and Aurélien panis leads from Franck Lagorce and Andréa Dubourg.

An incredible battle ensued between Panis and Lagorce.

Lagorce lunges to the inside of Panis but there is no room.

Anthony Beltoise in the Mini Countryman chases the rest of the field.

Results
1st.  Aurélien Panis. Plastic'Up Audi.
2nd. Franck Lagorce. Andros Sport.
3rd. Andrea Dubourg. Renault Captur.
4th. Eddy Benezet. BMW M2.
5th. Nicolas Prost Motul
6th. Lionel Daziano. Audi A1 Quattro.
7th. Julien Piguet. Mini Countryman.
8th. Sylvain Pussier. Peugeot 3008.
9th. Philippe Bansard. Mazda 3.

Final - Driver 2

The final race of the night with Olivier Panis leading away from Sébastien Loeb.

First corner with Panis in the lead and a lot of sideways driving for the third to fifth placed cars.

Olivier Panis kicking up the ice at turn two in his Audi.

Battle for second lace between Sébastien Loeb, Jean-Baptiste Dubourg and Andreas Bakkerud.

By mid-race the BMW M2 of Dorian Boccolacci had lost its rear but it didn't slow him down much.

Anthony Beltoise's Mini Countryman brought up the rear in seventh place.

The top three remained close to the end.

Results
1st.  Olivier Panis. Plastic'Up Audi.
2nd. Sébastien Loeb. Andros Sport.
3rd. Jean-Baptister Dubourg. Renault Captur.
4th. Dorian Boccolacci. BMW M2.
5th. Andreas Bakkerud. Motul
6th. Didier Thoral. Mazda 3.
7th. Anthony Beltoise. Mini Countryman.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page. 

Panis leads Loeb and Dubourg in the 6th and final lap of the last race of the day.