Alain Prost at the controls in the Andros Trophy
After Val Thorrens and the Principality of Andorra, the Trophee Andros had the weekend's third appointment of the 2011-2012 season, the small circuit of the Alpe d'Huez.
This twenty-third year of activity of this classic French winter series is not the least BATTLING although only eighteen crews are enrolled. Two little known outside European borders trademarks or Skoda, which is part of the VW group, and Dacia, the Romanian brand of Renault-Nissan Alliance, are battling for the win, commercial and sport as both have chosen motorsport and this series to sit a little debutante their notoriety.
Technically, Trophee Andros cars are real cars modern racing, with their four wheel drive and steering. They weigh 950 pounds and are powered by engines 6 cylinder 3 liter 350 hp.
A series of support is also proposed, for vehicles has tubular frame weighing 800 pounds and teams developping 120 hp electric motors. This series is envisaged by the organizers of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres as a possible class support to their annual summer event on urban circuit.
Alpe d'Huez, the former F1 world champion Alain Prost, who is playing the Trophee Andros for nearly ten years and is now the leading driver of Team Dacia, has won one of the two races for dethrone Olivier Panis (Skoda Fabia) first place in the overall standings of the championship. Prost defeated Jean-Philippe Dayraut, which has a Mini Countryman, and Franck Lagorce (Skoda Fabia).
Eve (the Trophee Andros always offers two finals that are preceded by qualifying races), the specialist in competitions Rallycross Pierre Llorach (Renault Clio 3) was required before Panis, Prost taking fifth place.
This weekend the Alpe d'Huez did not smile a Jacques Villeneuve, which is the second year of presence in this series. Class only twenty-fourth of the first race, he finished thirteenth in the second with his Skoda Fabia. In the overall standings, the driver quebecois slides eleventh row ... This presence of Villeneuve in command of a Skoda that JV could play other races on behalf of the Volkswagen Group in the near future she means like Audi 24 Hours of Le Mans? Alas, this program is Trophee Andros initiated and financed by the importer Skoda France, so no direct link with the other commitments of the VW group in other competitions.
The Trophee Andros now relaxes for the holiday season. The second half of the season will commence on January 6 in the south of France, on the Isola 2000 circuit.
