Ice racing

The hugely popular in France, the so-called Andros Trophy ice racing has its roots in rally racing. In the early 1970s, car ice racing were contested with then relatively tame rally cars in the French Maritime Alps in winter centers, Chamonix and Serre Chevalier. The participants for much more efficient vehicles later developed; for the Andros Trophy almost exclusively very potent prototype with all-wheel drive and a synchronous steering of the front and rear wheels.

24 de Chamonix, IRSI and Andros series

The 24 Heures sur Glace de Chamonix on the 1350 -meter-long Circuit de Grépon in Chamonix discharged (Eng. 24 hours on ice from Chamonix ), in 1970 as 1ère Ronde Hivernale first time, were for a long time an independent event, usually with only six race of 40 minutes each within 24 hours. And as they, together with the unsuccessful FIA " World Cup " named Ice Race Series International ( IRSI ), surprisingly disappeared from motorsport diary in January 2004, it is ordered by the Andros series since its debut in 1990, shiny. It was initiated by the ex- rally Crosser Max Mamers ( French Rallycross Champion in 1982 and 1983 Talbot Matra Murena ), in cooperation with the duration Sponsor Andros ( a compote and jams maker ), and delighted since every winter, tens of thousands of spectators to the icy roads in France and Andorra as well as further hundreds of thousands of television viewers around the world. The Andros Trophy was won ten times between 1996 and 2006 by Yvan Muller, in the years 2007 and 2008, the ex- F1 driver Alain Prost could conquer it.

Those of the former French rally driver Franz Hummel ( organizer of the 24 de Chamonix ) initiated and approved by the FIA ​​IRSI series was first organized in 2001 and should have in the debut year over five runs. The race in Chamonix, Sherbrooke (Canada) and Kuopio ( Finland) also found actually taken, but the runs of Oschersleben ( Germany ) and Kiev (Ukraine ) were canceled at relatively short notice due to milder weather conditions. In 2002 it was re- scheduling problems; during Chamonix and Sherbrooke led by two of the four races, fell from Oschersleben and the running of Saint Rhémy -en -Bosses (Italy). For 2003, only three races were planned, Chamonix and Saint Rhémy -en -Bosses were held, the race in St. Petersburg not (Russia). In early 2004 came the final out. After the run in Livigno (Italy ) are canceled both Chamonix and Saint- Eustache had (Canada) - and the FIA Eisrennserie had become an intermezzo in car racing history.

Ice racing in Northern Europe

In Norway, Sweden and Finland ice racing are usually organized with rallycross and rally cars in particularly harsh winters on frozen lakes. The racers use special spike tires whose nails are up to 25 mm long ( swedish Långnabb ). This extremely high cornering speeds are achieved entirely without drifts, the spikes to claw but firmly in the ice and thus prevent any slippage of the wheels. The limits of traction are then set only by gravity; the cars drive through curves mostly on two wheels - and if it exaggerates the pilot only minimal, a single or more multiple rollover of his vehicle is inevitable.

Ice racing in the Alps

In the Alps you know, next to the Maritime Alps runs for Andros Eisserie, also some individual competitions. For several years the Dolomites ski resort Piancavallo was in Friuli the Mecca of Italian Eisrennfahrer.

In the years 2005 and 2006 ice racing for various motorcycle and car classes was held in Reuthe to Bezau in the Bregenz Forest of the Austrian Rallycross driver Edy Schuster, has been demonstrated in which, inter alia, also called skijoring. In January 2006, there was also the nearby Krumbach a largely identical event. The January 2007 re- planned events in Krumbach and Reuthe and the scheduled for January 2008 and January 2009 ice racing in Reuthe, Krumbach and Langen bei Bregenz had to be moved first because of the mild winter, and ultimately canceled, but were back for 2010 in the eye taken.

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