Andros Trophy

The Andros Trophy (Trophée Andros) is the French national ice racing championship.

History

The 2010 Trophée Andros at Serre Chevalier

The idea of an ice racing series first became an idea when professional racer Max Mamers (French Rallycross Champion 1982 and 1983 with Talbot Matra Murena) and the owner of the Andros company (jam and compote producers), Frédéric Gervoson, met as rugby fans in 1985. They spent the winter racing with friends on ice circuits.

On 27 January 1990, the idea of a series came to life at Serre Chevalier with the first round of four.

The series quickly grew, with a round at Paris (Pelouse de Reuilly) in 1991 creating a five round series; and a seven round championship in 1992.

In 2003, the trophy gained an international aspect with a race at Sherbrooke in Canada, a race that was held for three seasons. For the 2005/06 season, the trophy remained mainly national, the exception being one round held in Andorra.

The current series

	2010 Toyota Auris Andros Trophy
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The series now runs with a number of different races and classes.

A Fiat Stilo (all-wheel drive prototype) racing in the French Trophée Andros 2005/2006

Elite Class

This is the original and highest class, featuring the most prominent names.

Promotion Class

Starting in 1994, this class is for the smaller teams, encouraging them to take part in the Trophée Andros. To partake in this class, there are three conditions: the drivers can't have finished in the top 20 over the general classification; must never have participated in the Elite Class; and cannot be a professional driver.

Pilot Bike

The motorbike races for the Andros Trophy first appeared at the 1996 championship final at Super Besse, after an idea of Mamers and Claude Michy. It became a series in its own right in the 1997/98 season with a race at every round from that point.

Trophée Andros Féminin - Sprint Cars

Created in 2002, this series combined two categories. The 600cc 6-speed buggy-styled car was shared between a female driver and an experienced driver, who also was the instructor for the female driver. They competed in two different races at each weekend they attended. The Féminin trophy was discontinued as of 2011, with some of the female drivers from the series moving into other categories of the trophée including the main series and the electric cars.

Famous names

By far the most successful driver in the series is Yvan Muller, who has won the championship 10 times with 46 race victories. Alain Prost (36 wins) and Jean-Philippe Dayraut (33 wins) are the next most successful competitors to date with three championships each.

Currently, the series attracts names who were famous in other series before moving to ice racing – including Formula One drivers Alain Prost, Olivier Panis, Romain Grosjean and Jacques Villeneuve.

The "Superfinal"

On 14 February 1999, the series held a "Superfinal" at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris. Using 700 tonnes of ice, an oval track was established around the edge of the stadium, allowing for racing in front of around 60,000 people, with no championship points at stake.

The Superfinal was held at the Stade de France for three years, before moving to an oval track at Nœux-les-Mines in 2002. No Superfinal was held in 2003, but returned to the Stade de France in 2004.

In 2005 the races were held at Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, and once again at the Stade de France in 2006, 2008 and 2011. Various other locations have been used, but in recent years the Superfinal was almost always raced at Clermont / Super Besse.

Trophy winners

Season	Rounds	Trophée Andros Elite[1][2]		Pilot Bike	Trophée Andros Féminin	Sprint Car	Andros Électrique
		Driver	Car
2014	7	Jean-Philippe Dayraut	Mini Countryman	Sylvain Dabert			Christophe Ferrier
2013	7	Jean-Philippe Dayraut	Mini Countryman	Sylvain Dabert			Christophe Ferrier
2012	7	Alain Prost	Dacia Lodgy Glace				Christophe Ferrier
2011	7	Jean-Philippe Dayraut	BMW 1 Series	Maxime Emery			Nicolas Prost
2010	7	Jean-Philippe Dayraut	Škoda Fabia Mk2	Sylvain Dabert	Anne-Sophie Lemonnier	Frédéric Bourlange	Nicolas Prost
2009	7	Jean-Philippe Dayraut	Škoda Fabia Mk2	Eddy Richer	Marie-Pierre Cripia	Laurent Macouin
2008	8	Alain Prost	Toyota Auris	Maxime Emery	Anne-Sophie Lemonnier	Olivier Dexant
2007	8	Alain Prost	Toyota Auris	Maxime Emery	Audrey Roche	Olivier Dexant
2006	9	Yvan Muller	Kia Rio	Maxime Emery	Marlène Broggi	Olivier Dexant
2005	8	Yvan Muller	Kia Rio	David Baffeleuf	Margot Laffite	Olivier Dexant
2004	8	Yvan Muller	Kia Rio	David Baffeleuf
2003	8	Marcel Tarrès	Citroën Xsara	David Baffeleuf
2002	8	Yvan Muller	Opel Astra	David Baffeleuf
2001	8	Yvan Muller	Opel Astra	David Baffeleuf
2000	8	Yvan Muller	Opel Astra	Pascal Roblin
1999	8	Yvan Muller	Opel Tigra	David Baffeleuf
1998	7	Yvan Muller	Opel Tigra	David Baffeleuf
1997	7	Yvan Muller	BMW 318i Compact
1996	6	Yvan Muller	BMW 318i Compact
1995	7	François Chatriot	Opel Astra
1994	7	François Chauche	Mega
1993	5	Dany Snobeck	Mercedes 190 16S
1992	7	Dany Snobeck	Mercedes 190 16S
1991	5	Maurice Chomat	Citroën AX Sport
1990	4	Eric Arpin	Peugeot 205 Turbo 16

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andros Trophy.

• Official Website (French)