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• For the second year running, the competition version of Dacia Duster – Dacia Duster 'Ice' – will be contesting the Trophée Andros ice-racing championship in the hands of Alain Prost. The first round of the 2010/2011 season will take teams to Val Thorens, France, on December 4-5.
• Alain Prost and Dacia extend their association after a promising maiden campaign which produced three race wins and second place overall in the final 2009/2010 standings.
• Compared with the car which starred in last winter's series, the latest-spec Dacia Duster Ice features a number of evolutions, including a broader useful rev-band, new dampers and a revised four-wheel steering system. First pre-season tests confirmed the enhanced performance potential of this year's car over the Duster which contested the 2009/2010 championship.
• Alain Prost: "The work that has been done on Duster Ice since last year has paid dividends and we are convinced we have a competitive car for this year's competition. That said, the opposition promises to be even stiffer this time round, so we will need to deliver a blend of outright performance and consistency if we want to challenge for this year's title. […] My personal objective is to win the Trophée Andros with Dacia."
• The Trophée Andros mirrors Dacia's values. It is a unique series in motor sport which restricts the use of costly complex technologies, placing the emphasis instead on the reliability of the basic car and on driver skill. Dacia is a brand which likes to think outside of the box as well: it provides customers with a different way to go motoring thanks to robust, reliable models that are affordable to as many motorists as possible.
• Dacia's off-road vehicle, Duster, was launched in Europe last spring and has proved immensely successful in all the markets where it is sold with more than 30,000 units registered. In October, Dacia Duster was France's third bestselling model in the 4x4/SUV segment.
DACIA AND THE TROPHEE ANDROS
For the second winter running, Dacia will be looking to win the Trophée Andros ice-racing championship's Silhouette class. The tracks featured in the course of the Trophée Andros put reliability to a punishing test, so Dacia will once again be looking to showcase the robustness that has been dialled into Duster's DNA. The technical rules which govern this competition restrict the use of complex, costly technologies,
which means that the chassis, gearbox and tyres, for example, must comply with specific regulations. To be competitive, therefore, Dacia has focused on producing a simple yet ingenious package which is in perfect keeping the spirit promoted by the brand.
The Trophée Andros is acclaimed as one of motor racing's most uniquely challenging disciplines. The wintry conditions encountered at the different venues can shift extremely quickly as a function of the weather and consequently call for a precise yet spontaneous driving style which makes it ideal hunting ground for Alain
Prost.
DACIA DUSTER ICE: PREPARED BY RENAULT SPORT TECHNOLOGIES
Over and above driver ability, the cars which star in the Trophée Andros undergo bespoke preparation. The ice-racing version of Dacia Duster benefits fully from Renault Sport Technologies extensive experience of the world of motor sport. The car's glass fibre skin conceals a tubular chassis which is powered by a three-litre 24-valve V6 350hp engine developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance and carefully tuned to maximise performance at the high altitudes visited by the series. Dacia Duster Ice's V6 has undergone significant work for the 2010/2011 series, with one of the aims being the availability of extra torque at low revs. Measured on the dyno, the result is an additional 20Nm at 3,000rpm. The engine drives through a six-speed sequential gearbox which ensures swift, precise gearshifts, even when drifting at full song through an icy corner.
The double-wishbone suspension and long-travel dampers enable Dacia Duster Ice to take the different types of terrain visited by the Trophée Andros in its stride. Indeed, this year's car uses new shock absorbers developed using the same techniques and resources employed by Renault Sport Technologies when fine-tuning the suspension of its road cars.
The ice-racing version of Dacia Duster is equipped with limited slip differentials which are indispensable for the extreme wintry conditions. This sort of transmission, which can be seen on other road and competition cars engineered by Renault Sport Technologies, ensures impeccable efficiency however much grip is available, irrespective of driving style and type of turn. Dacia Duster Ice also features a four-wheel steering system for absolute cornering control. The mechanical system uses a link from the front-wheel steering which can be easily adjusted to match the different circuit layouts
encountered in the course of the season. Meanwhile, to enhance feedback from the road to the driver, the teams at Renault Sport Technologies and Tork Engineering took a fresh look at the power steering which now employs a specifically-calibrated electro-hydraulic system. The steering system's kinematics have also been revised to improve the way the rear wheels perform as a function of the different turning phases.
THREE QUESTIONS TO ALAIN PROST
How do you feel ahead of your second Trophée Andros in Dacia Duster?
"We are determined to build on what we started last winter. The thinking behind our second year together marks a logical step forward in sporting, technical and brand terms. Last season, we were aware it would be tough to win the Trophée Andros with a new car, not to mention the fact that the programme began at a relatively late stage. Our overriding aim was to take part, try to be competitive and win races, and also win over the public. This time round, my intention is to challenge for the title. We completed two very positive days of testing at Val Thorens last weekend. Our work on Duster has clearly paid dividends and we are convinced we have the means to make a strong start."
How have you prepared for this season's championship?
"We did some testing last February, just after the end of the 2009/2010 campaign. That work enabled us to pinpoint the areas where Dacia Duster Ice needed improving. A certain number of factors became clear and the engineers at Renault Sport Technologies and Tork Engineering were able to start work on the evolutions we have on the car today. The changes cover the entire car, from the engine – which marks a big step forward in terms of its flexibility and acceleration characteristics – to the steering and weight distribution, etc. Although the car hasn't changed on the outside, it isn't at all the same machine we raced last year! During our test at Val Thorens, I saw for myself that it has notably improved when track conditions deteriorate and ruts begin to form."
You appear to be very focused on winning the title…
"My objective is to win the Trophée Andros with Dacia. But whatever the result we achieve, I would like to obtain it with panache. The ideal scenario would be to clinch my third title at the end of the final race! That would mean that the season has been very close and exciting. It would also allow all those involved to take something away with them from the campaign. I'm not looking for revenge because there was a certain logic behind the way last year's series unfolded. We are essentially starting again from scratch in the knowledge that we will need to be competitive from the outset and that we mustn't squander any points whatsoever. Once again, I believe race strategy, careful tyre management and optimising the ballast regulations will all be key to a top result."
DACIA DUSTER ICE – TECHNICAL DATA
CHASSIS
Tubular steel chassis
Double wishbones
ENGINE
Renault-Nissan Alliance-developed Type VQ 30 engine
Mid-rear position
V6
Valves: 24
Cubic capacity: 2,987cc
Bore x stroke: 93mm x 73.3mm
Maximum power: 257kW EEC (350hp) at 7,500rpm
Maximum torque: 360Nm EEC at 5,500rpm
TRANSMISSION
Six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox
BRAKES
Front: 260mm-diameter ventilated steel discs
Rear: 265mm-diameter steel discs
WHEELS AND TYRES
Magnesium, 5.5’’ x 16’’
Continental Ice Racing Contact 3 tyres
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT
Length: 4,001mm
Width: 1,900mm
Front/rear track: 1,690mm
Wheelbase: 2,500mm
Weight: 950kg
Fuel tank: 25 litres
MORE THAN 250,000 DACIAS SOLD IN FRANCE SINCE 2005
In the space of just five years since mainstream player in the French automobile market, with sales in excess of 250,000 vehicles over the period. With a combined market share of 4.2 percent (PC and LCV) in 2010 up to end-October, Dacia is the sixth bestselling brand in the passenger car and LCV market. Taking just passenger cars into account, Dacia is fourth. Thanks to its range of robust, roomy and affordable vehicles, Dacia has upset established thinking by proposing a new way to go motoring, with products that deliver all the essentials at the right price. Last spring's introduction of the 4x4 Duster saw Dacia extend its range which already included the Logan saloon, the Sandero hatchback, the Logan MCV estate and two utility vehicles (Logan van and Logan pick-up).
ALAIN PROST
Born February 24, 1955, in Lorette (Loire, France). Age: 55.
Four Formula 1 world titles: 1985 (with McLaren), 1986 (McLaren), 1989 (McLaren) and 1993 (Williams Renault).
First F1 GP win: 1981, with Renault (RE 30) at Dijon (French Grand Prix).
199 Grand Prix starts, 51 wins, 41 fastest race laps, 33 pole positions and 798.5 points scored.
1997-2001: Director, Prost Grand Prix
Alain Prost and the Trophée Andros:
- First race: January 17-18, 2003 (Lans-en-Vercors)
- First win: December 13, 2003 (l’Alpe d’Huez, with Toyota)
- Wins: 15
- Champion titles: 2 (2006/2007 and 2007-2008)
2009-2010 season overall ranking: 2nd (with Dacia)
CAISSE D’EPARGNE AND ALAIN PROST TO PROMOTE ANNECY'S 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS BID
Caisse d’Epargne's backing of Alain Prost in the Trophée Andros reinforces the firm's widespread involvement in French sport. Caisse d’Epargne has long partnered a high number of events at local and national level with a view to sharing its taste for competition and encounters with the world of sport and the general public. As part of Caisse d'Epargne's association with the CNOSF (Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français), the common theme behind the firm's different sponsorship activities from the end of 2010 will be its support for Annecy's bid to host the 2018 Olympic Games.
For the seventh year running, Caisse d’Epargne is backing Alain Prost as he targets a further title success in the Trophée Andros. The partnership takes the form of Caisse d’Epargne branding on the car of the four-time Formula 1 World Champion, plus a logo in support of Annecy's 2018 Winter Olympics campaign. The 17 regional branches of the Caisse d’Epargne will profit from the event from December 2010 to March 2011 to stage a range of PR activities.
THE TROPHEE ANDROS
The Trophée Andros ice-racing championship was first organised in 1990. The series delivers a cocktail of speed and spectacular action as the cars contest victory in the different classes. Dacia Duster competes in the Silhouette class which dictates that the exterior appearance of the car must resemble that of a road car which is either available on the market, or soon will be. The majority of the cars' principal features are covered by strict regulations, i.e. the tubular chassis, four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, three-litre 340hp V6 engine, six-speed gearbox and the use of Continental Ice Racing Contact 3 tyres.
The races
The rounds that count toward the Trophée Andros take place over two days. The first day is given over to free practice (no points awarded) followed by two qualifying heats which see four cars at a time complete four timed laps. The result of each heat is based on the total time for the four laps, with only the better of the two attempts taken into consideration to determine the grid order for Sunday's finals. The results of qualifying count for 80 percent of the points up for grabs each weekend. The second day is given over entirely to race action which takes the form of 10-lap races featuring 10 cars. The remaining 20 percent of the points are awarded as a function of the results of these races.
2010-2011 calendar:
Val Thorens December 4-5, 2010
Andorra December 10-11, 2010
L'Alpe d’Huez December 17-18, 2010
Isola 2000 January 7-8, 2011
Lans en Vercors January 14-15, 2011
Saint Die des Vosges January 23, 2011
Clermont/Superbesse (final) January 29, 2011
Stade de France, near Paris (super final) March 5, 2011
