Launched with great success in 2022, the Clio Ice Trophy kicks off its second season with the first of its four rounds on the Pas de la Casa Circuit this Saturday in Andorra. Still organised as part of the GSeries, an ice racing reference in Europe, 15 drivers will vie to succeed Romain Di-Fante whilst Clio Rally3 will make its first public appearance.
Since its official release in 2019, the fifth generation of Renault Clios for competition have conquered every type of terrain: from circuit racing and rallycross to the tarmac and gravel special stages... And even the snow with the sporting and popular success of the Clio Ice Trophy. With competitors from all horizons, the discipline has established itself as the de facto two-wheel drive category of the GSeries as of this year!
Building on the proven reliability and versatility of the Clio Rally5 and Clio RX, which have been technically equalled thanks to conversion kits designed by the Manufacture Alpine Dieppe Jean Rédélé, the Clio Ice Trophy retains the elements that have made it so successful. At each of the four rounds, all on different tracks on the Pas de la Casa Circuit, drivers will start with free practice before tackling the points-awarding qualifyings and finals. The main change is the time schedule, as the slightest mistake can now be costly with all the action taking place in just over two hours!
For the kick-off of season two, fifteen competitors representing a vast panorama of disciplines have signed on for this adventure, which has an unequalled pleasure/cost ratio at a time of the year when there is generally little going on. The competition is, once again, set to be extremely hard-fought!
Newcomers RX Evolution have high expectations with brothers Tom and Marin Le Jossec, who will put their Clio RX experience to good use, while brothers Bryan and Dylan Dufas will try to do even better than they did twelve months ago. Along with Dylan Dufas and Tom Le Jossec, the field will include the last three French Junior Rallycross Champions as David Bouet enters with WRM by Chanoine Motorsport / SRD Racing! The team will also run rally drivers Lucas Darmezin, Anthony Ghesquiere and Alain Cusimano, who has raced in the Renault cars for several decades now. Enzo Lucotte, who took part in the Clio Trophy France Asphalte, will also be at the season opener for Pit Stop France.
Furthermore, the Clio Ice Trophy has once again attracted interest from beyond France. Brunet Competition from Spain returns and will target the title with Jérémy Sarhy, a front-runner in Clio Cup, Clio Trophy France Asphalte and ice racing competitions, and Spaniard Joaquin Rodrigo, 2022 Gentlemen Drivers Cup runner-up in Clio Cup Spain. Lastly, Driveland / Puzzle Motorsport will be counting on Andorra's Alex 'Sito' Español, a two-time title-winner on the Spanish rally scene in 2021, who has a wealth of experience in GSeries. He will be joined by a well-known actor in Renault Group racing in Spain, Markel de Zabaleta, and Dutchman Stephan Polderman, the reigning Gentlemen Drivers Cup winner in Clio Cup Europe, with his son, Mauro Polderman.
The top five finishers at each event will receive cash and spare-parts vouchers while the eventual Clio Ice Trophy winner will win an entry for a full campaign in one of the Clio Trophies in rallying or three rounds in Clio Cup Europe. Second and third place in the final general classification will also be rewarded. Romain Di-Fante's successor will also receive a Michelin prize for the Clio Ice Trophy in 2024.
ROUND 1 – ENTRY LIST
9A - RX EVOLUTION - TOM LE JOSSEC (FR)
9B - RX EVOLUTION - MARIN LE JOSSEC (FR)
10A - RX EVOLUTION - BRYAN DUFAS (FR)
10B - RX EVOLUTION - DYLAN DUFAS (FR)
14A - WRM BY CHANOINE MOTROSPORT / SRD RACING - DAVID BOUET (FR)
14B - WRM BY CHANOINE MOTROSPORT / SRD RACING - LUCAS DARMEZIN (FR)
17A - BRUNET COMPETITION - JEREMY SARHY (FR)
17B - BRUNET COMPETITION - JOAQUIN RODRIGO (ES)
20A - DRIVELAND / PUZZLE MOTORSPORT - ALEX ESPANOL (AD)
20B - DRIVELAND / PUZZLE MOTORSPORT - MARKEL DE ZABALETA (ES)
21A - DRIVELAND / PUZZLE MOTORSPORT - MAURO POLDERMAN (NL)
21B - DRIVELAND / PUZZLE MOTORSPORT - STEPHAN POLDERMAN (NL)
29A - PIT STOP FRANCE - ENZO LUCOTTE (FR)
77A - WRM BY CHANOINE MOTROSPORT / SRD RACING - ALAIN CUSIMANO (FR)
77B - WRM BY CHANOINE MOTROSPORT / SRD RACING - ANTHONY GHESQUIERE (FR)
TIMETABLE
- 4:12-4:44 PM: FREE PRACTICE (2 X 6 LAPS)
- 4:56-5:28 PM: QUALIFYING (2 X 6 LAPS)
- 5:43-5:58 PM: B FINAL (6 LAPS)
- 6:13-6:28 PM: A FINAL (6 LAPS)
2023 CALENDAR
- 14 JANUARY 2023: ROUND 1
- 28 JANUARY 2023: ROUND 2
- 4 FEBRUARY 2023: ROUND 3
- 11 FEBRUARY 2023: ROUND 4
THE REGULATIONS IN BRIEF
Competitors will be allowed up to six flying laps in free practice before qualifying, where they will complete a maximum of six laps. A points and driver classification (15-13-11-9-7-5-4-3-2-1) will be set, according to each driver’s best lap. The best time set by each driver will also be used to determine the starting grids for the finals. The finals will be run over a maximum of six laps, with a standing start. At the finish, points will be awarded (25-21-17-14-11-8-5-3-2-1) and will be added to those scored in qualifying. Each driver will participate in a final. If two drivers are in the same final with the same car, the lower-ranked of the two will take part in the B Final.
