Citroën Ami's Oval Racing Debut Was Can't Miss Twitch Programming

Despite what Formula 1 fans would have you believe, cars don't need V10 engines to put on a thrilling race. Nine internet personalities took to the high banks of a velodrome in France for a 100-lap race on Sunday. The livestreamed event was contested with a fleet of Citroën Ami cars and drew over a million viewers on three days' notice. The 8-hp electric quadricycles with numbers and Lightning McQueen decals slapped on the doors put on a show that looked like a NASCAR race at Daytona or Talladega, bump drafting included.

The race, simply called La Course, was organized by Sylvain Levy and broadcast on his Twitch channel. Levy created the car-focused YouTube channel Vilebrequin and is currently a host on Top Gear France. The event's name translates into English as "The Race," but it's also a humorous backronym for "L'Ami Challenge Original Ultra Racing Sport Event." Don't like the impressive drone shots or professional graphics package fool you, this wasn't a no-nonsense affair. The drivers were encouraged to trash-talk their competitors during mid-race interviews as long as they didn't insult anyone's mom, because it was Mother's Day in France. While the event's tone was light-hearted, the action on the track was more intense than you'd expect.

A vital component of a good race is finding the right track for the cars. La Course was held at Stade Isidore Thivrier, a 445-meter velodrome in Commentry, France. Despite being built for track cycling, the 0.277-mile oval was the perfect size for the Ami. The racing surface was wide enough for side-by-side racing, but there wasn't an ocean of pavement to work with. The outdoor velodrome didn't have the smoothest surface either. The onboard cameras showed how rough the ride was for drivers. And yes, they even renamed a straight after movie star Marion Cotillard.

The Ami typically has an electronically limited top speed of 28 miles per hour, but Levy removed the software restrictions to increase it to 43 mph, according to Numerama. The cars still relied on drafting to make passes, which required some skill to stay in control. There was also an element of strategy because the Ami couldn't run the full 27.7-mile distance flat out. The stock Ami has a 47-mile range, but that figure is severely cut when unrestricted. The competitors had to conserve slightly to make it to the finish, which caused some chaos during the final laps.

Racing events contested by influencers aren't a new trend in France. The annual GP Explorer race puts a field of 24 influencers behind the wheel of real Formula 4 cars at Le Mans' Bugatti Circuit. Levy won the inaugural GP Explorer in 2022. The event has swelled in popularity over the years. Last year's edition attracted 80,000 spectators to the track on race day and drew a combined online and TV audience of over 2,000,000 viewers. I wish races like these would cross over to our side of the Atlantic Ocean. While the surge in popularity for F1, it has translated into mainstream enthusiasm for racing as a whole.