ENDURANCE 3H · Course Race

On 20 September 2026, the Ouest Circuit International d'Essay near Aunay-les-Bois hosted a thrilling endurance race on its 1,220-metre Piste 1200m Horaire layout, with 31 teams on the starting grid. At the end of a hard-fought battle, KART ASTROPHE (kart #28) took the top step of the podium with 83 laps completed, edging out LAS BAROUDEURS (#43) by just 4.081 seconds — a razor-thin margin that reflected the intensity of the fight at the front. LES RUCHERS DE NORMANDIE (#36) rounded out the podium in third, 1:21.519 behind the winner. Fourth went to LA SCUDERIA (#9), also on 83 laps but 1:22.205 adrift. All four podium finishers completed identical lap counts, underlining just how closely matched the pace was at the sharp end of the field.

The fastest lap of the race was set by TEAM LARCO (#24) in a remarkable 1:06.342 — the quickest anyone went all day at Essay.

From a pure-pace perspective, the race analysis reveals a fascinating gap between speed and results. TEAM LARCO posted the best median race pace of the entire field (1:07.654), yet crossed the line in only 13th place. Their analysis data is partial (only two stints captured), suggesting a race interrupted or shortened, but their raw speed was undeniable. At the other end of the spectrum, KATASTROPHE (#10, 6th place) recorded a pace ranked only 25th across the field — a textbook example of strategy and consistency outweighing outright speed.

The winning team, KART ASTROPHE, combined the 2nd-best median pace (1:07.837) with the best consistency of any team in the race, posting a standard deviation of just 1.27 seconds across their laps. Their three analysed stints all showed stable pacing, with no significant degradation — a model of control and discipline over the course of the event. Each team completed 5 pit stops, with the sole exception of BA21 (#46, 19th), who made 4.

Among the other notable performances, TEAM GUINESS (#1, 9th) held the 4th-best median race pace (1:08.589) and delivered consistent stints throughout, while ZENRRV (#2, 11th) ranked 5th in pure pace at 1:08.646. Both teams left points on the table relative to their speed. L'EKIPEMPLACE (#27, 12th) showed the 6th-best pace but exhibited the highest variability of the analysed front-running pack (σ = 2.66 s), with stints that accelerated rather than degraded — an unusual pattern pointing to a progressive build in rhythm by their drivers.

RACING GORET (#35, 8th) posted the 7th-best median pace and showed an interesting trend: two stints where pace improved lap over lap, before slowing slightly in the final stint. Despite this, they finished 8th — consistent with their pace ranking.

Key takeaways for teams competing at Essay: The race confirmed that pace consistency is at least as decisive as outright speed on this circuit. KART ASTROPHE's victory was built on the most regular lap times of the field, not the fastest. Teams with strong raw pace but higher variability (LA SCUDERIA, σ = 2.16; L'EKIPEMPLACE, σ = 2.66) lost ground over the distance. Managing degradation across stints — several teams slowed by 0.16 to 0.23 s/lap towards the end of their runs — proved a key differentiator. On a 1,220-metre circuit where the entire lead group was separated by just over 1:22, every tenth counts.