_opening_lap.jpg) | |
| Highestgoverning body | FIA |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | Yes |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Circuit racing,Road racing |
| Venue | Race track,Street circuit |
Touring car racing is amotorsportroad racing competition that uses race-prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences fromstock car racing, which is popular in theUnited States.
While the cars do not move as fast as those informula orsports car races, their similarity both to one another and to fans' own vehicles makes for well-supported racing. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have a much easier time passing than inopen-wheel racing, and the more substantial bodies of the cars makes the subtle bumping and nudging for overtaking much more acceptable as part of racing.
As well as shortsprint races, many touring car series include one or moreendurance races, which last anything from 3 to 24 hours and are a test of reliability and pit crews as much as car, driver speed, and consistency.
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Touring car racing started in the mid twentieth century as a long-format style of competition that took place on public roads between numerous towns. The cars were crewed by a driver and, because of their unreliability, a mechanic who carried tools and spares. The legacy of these beginnings can still be seen in modern touring and GT cars – the driver sits offset from the centreline of the car and there is space for a second seat (although they are rarely fitted any more).
While rules vary from country to country and series to series, most series require that the competitors start with a standardcar body, but virtually every other component may be allowed to be heavily modified for racing, including engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. Aerodynamic aids are sometimes added to the front and rear of the cars. Regulations are usually designed to limit costs by banning some of the more exotic technologies available (for instance, many series insist on acontrol tire that all competitors must use) and keep the racing close (sometimes byballast weight where winning a race requires the winner's car to be heavier for subsequent races).
Touring cars share some similarity with Americanstock car racing. Touring cars are, at least notionally, derived from production cars as most stock car racing outside ofNASCAR, includingstreet stock andlate model racing, continue to be. NASCAR circuits have since moved to a custom platform independent of production cars, unlike touring car circuits.[1][2] Touring car racing is also referred to assaloon car racing.[3]
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Worldwide
Modern World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) started in2005, evolving from the rebornEuropean Touring Car Championship. The series merged with theTCR International Series and became the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) starting from2018. In2023, the WTCR was replaced by theTCR World Tour.
Running at major international racing facilities, this series is supported byBMW,SEAT andChevrolet. The latter fields a works team, whereas the other two only sell racing kits to be installed on their cars, providing technical support to their customers. In 2011,Volvo also entered the championship, fielding a one-car team as an evaluation for a possible heavier commitment to the series. The World Touring Car Championship features 1.6-litre cars built toSuper 2000 regulations based on FIAGroup N.
Following the trend of recent FIA rules, cost control is a major theme in the technical regulation.In 2011 the rules concerning the engine capacity have changed, switching from 2000 cc to 1600 cc turbo engines. Cars equipped with the old 2000 cc engines are still eligible in the championship. Many technologies that have featured in production cars are not allowed, for example: variable valve timing, variable intake geometry,ABS braking andtraction control.
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United Kingdom
The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) currently competes at nine circuits in the UK with cars built toNext Generation Touring Car specification, with ballast being used to equalise performance. From2011, cars that ran to the BTCC's ownNext Generation Touring Car specification were eligible to compete in a phased move away fromSuper 2000 regulations. Cars are 2.0-litresaloons,station wagons andhatchbacks with over 350 bhp (260 kW) and can be front or rear-wheel drive. During the2016 season manufacturer team entries came from BMW,Subaru,MG, andHonda. Since BTCC budgets have been kept relatively low, there is a strong independent and privateer presence in the championship. Manufacturers represented by privateers includeVauxhall,Ford,Toyota,Volkswagen, Chevrolet, andAudi.
Prior to 2001 the BTCC was contested by cars built to 2.0-litre supertouring regulations and had in its heyday up to nine different manufacturers.Joachim Winkelhock stated on several occasions that it was the best touring car championship in the world,[citation needed] and many champions of that era now race in theWorld Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Between 2002 and 2006 the BTCC ran its own Touring class with Super Production/Super 2000 cars making up the numbers; the Touring class was phased out (only privateers are eligible to run old Touring cars) with the intention of a pure Super 2000 series. The introduction of theNext Generation Touring Car specification, from2011, started a phased transition from Super 2000 cars in an effort to cut costs and improve the sport.
Germany/Europe
The DTM series, the initials standing forDeutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft until 1996, then following a hiatus, revived asDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2000, features advanced purpose built 2.0-litrefour-cylinder turbo-poweredspace frame machines, covered with largelycarbon fibre bodyshapes resembling the manufacturers' road machine (although the roof and roof pillars do originate from the production car).[4] In order to lower costs, the engine power is limited to 610 hp (450 kW),[5] and transmissions, brakes and tyres (Hankook) are standard parts for all. Also, dimensions and aerodynamics are equalised. The approx. 985 kg (2,172 lb) (without driver) DTM cars corner incredibly quickly and wear spectacular bodykits incorporating huge wheel arches and diffusers, plus a drag-reduction system (DRS) designed to encourage overtaking.
More than 20 works-backed entries of theOpel Astra,Audi TT andMercedes-Benz CLK contested the revived 2000 DTM series but a serious issue developed for the series when Opel pulled out ahead of the 2006 season.[6] BMW would eventually replace Opel as the series' third manufacturer for 2012,[7] whileMercedes-AMG withdrew at the end of 2018.[8] Mercedes-AMG was replaced by a privately fundedAston MartinVantage program that did not last beyond the 2019 season.[9]
For the 2019 season, major technical changes occurred. Turbochargers were reintroduced in accordance with new regulations impacting engines and power outputs, as all cars are now required to have 2.0-litre 4-cylinder single turbo engines, replacing the 4.0L V8s that had been used since the series' revival in 2000. Engine power was increased from ~500 hp to 610 hp, with an extra 30 hp available as part of apush-to-pass system available to drivers for the first time.[10][11] Downforce levels were also reduced to encourage overtaking and increase top speeds to 300 km/h (186 mph) in order to improve the racing spectacle.[12]
In 2019, DTM formed a partnership with the Japanese sports car seriesSuper GT which runs a near identical set of rules and regulations in its GT500 class. Honda, Toyota – represented viaLexus, andNissan each entered a wildcard entry for the final race of the 2019 season at theHockenheimring. The cars entered were aNissan GT-R (R35), aLexus LC 500 and aHonda NSX. For the weekend of the 22nd-24 November, DTM sent three BMW M4s and four Audi RS5s to take part in a non-championship race atFuji Speedway along with the full GT500 grid, labelled the 'SUPER GT x DTM Dream Race'. Aston Martin withdrew from the event as they intended to focus on developing the Vantage package for 2020, however this never eventuated as the program was ended.[13]
Audi announced in late April 2020 that they would be discontinuing their involvement in the series after the end of the 2020 season, following the same path Mercedes-Benz did after the end of the 2018 season; focusing on electric motorsport, most notablyFormula E. This will leave BMW as the sole manufacturer left, putting the series' future in serious jeopardy.[14]
Germany
Since 1997, and nowadays still on the over 20 kilometres (12 mi) long famous oldNürburgring and other circuits worldwide, in average over 150 touring cars compete in the NLS series of ten typically four-hour-long races. Cars range from old 100 hp (75 kW) road legal compacts to 500 hp (370 kW)Porsche 996 and even modified DTM cars (1,250 kg (2,760 lb)). Most entrants of the 24 Hours Nürburgring collect experience here.
Sweden/Denmark
Between1996 and2010 theSwedish Touring Car Championship contained various races inSweden and a few inDenmark. The most successful car makes were Volvo, BMW, Audi, and Nissan. In 2010 the championship merged with theDanish Touringcar Championship to form theScandinavian Touring Car Championship. The2010 champion wasRobert Dahlgren, because he had achieved the best results from selected races in the Danish and Swedish championships.Rickard Rydell andJohan Kristoffersson won the championship in2011 and2012, in aChevrolet and aVW, respectively. In 2013 the series merged with theTTA – Racing Elite League to form the2013 STCC – Racing Elite League season, starring 17 drivers for Volvo, BMW,Saab,Citroën,Dacia, and Honda.
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Australia andNew Zealand
Formerly theAustralian Touring Car Championship, Supercars are recognised internationally as the 'fastest touring cars in the world' racing at speeds that can reach nearly 300 km/h. They are also the most expensive touring cars in the world with each car costing in excess of $1 million (AUD) which includes bespoke $250,000 (AUD) 5.0-litreV8 engines producing approximately 635 hp (473 kW).[15] The current formula was devised in 1993 (based on Group A regulations) and branded as 'V8 Supercars' in 1997 and 'Supercars' in 2016. The series features grids of approximately 25 cars, although selected events feature wildcard entries which add to the grid. The cars are currently based on theFord Mustang GT andHolden Commodore (ZB)[16] The minimum weight for a Supercar including driver is 1,395 kg (3,075 lb).[17] The Commodore will be replaced by aChevrolet Camaro in 2022.[18] The race cars themselves are derived from production body panels andspace frame chassis. Both body styles feature an aerodynamic package incorporating large front and rear wings designed to ensure equal aerodynamic performance between the two vehicle types.[19]
The series incorporates the world famousBathurst 1000 race as a championship round. Because of the longer distance, regulations require two drivers per car for this race. This also applies toThe Bend 500 & theGold Coast 600. These events make up thePirtek Enduro Cup, which is a championship-within-a-championship where the driver combination with most points collected over these three endurance races wins a trophy.
In Australia, Supercars enjoys a strong support base that is still driven in large part by the tribal Ford versusHolden battle.[20] Over 200,000 total spectators attend the four-dayAdelaide 500 andBathurst 1000 events, and the2019 Bathurst 1000 drew a maximum of 2.36 million television viewers across the country.[21][22] This compares favourably with other major sporting events such as theAFL Grand Final with 2.2 million TV viewers in2019.[23] Supercars is also popular inNew Zealand,[24] with a regular round formerly held in the country (previously held atPukekohe) being the only international event on the series calendar. Attempts at further international expansion were made inChina,Malaysia, theMiddle East, and theUnited States during the 2000s and 2010s, none of which have survived.[25][26][27][28][29]
As the series has grown, major international motorsport organisations have become involved such asTeam Penske,Andretti Autosport,United Autosports andTriple Eight Race Engineering.
Both Ford and Holden financially and technically supported their favoured teams and took an active role in promotion of the series from its beginning, but began to wind back and ultimately withdraw their financial commitments approximately in line with the decline in sales and eventual discontinuation of theFalcon in 2016[30] andCommodore in 2020 (the two models that exclusively competed in the V8 formula from 1993 to 2012).[31][32][33] Ford withdrew all financial support after2015,[34] and Holden cut most of its support back to only theRed Bull Holden Racing Team from 2017.[35] Holden was shut down as a brand during 2020, ending its factory involvement in Supercars after the2020 season,[36] while Ford returned for the2019 season with the Mustang project.[37] The Commodore will be replaced with aChevrolet Camaro, which will be sold in Australia by General Motors Specialty Vehicles.
Other manufacturers have also appeared in the series, including Nissan withKelly Racing,[38] Volvo withGarry Rogers Motorsport,[39] andMercedes-Benz in a non-factory-supported program fromErebus Motorsport.[40] With Kelly Racing's switch to Ford Mustangs for 2020[41] after a year of running its Nissan Altimas privately,[42] Supercars reverted to a two-make Ford vs. Holden competition.
TC 2000 Championship (1979–present)
TC America Series – during the SpeedVision/Speed Channel era, the "touring cars" in this series were lower-performance vehicles modified to almost the same extent as theAmerican Le Mans Series andRolex Sports Car Series caliber grand touring cars. After the touring cars became a BMW–Mazda–Acura affair, the series was reformatted to include a new touring car class mostly sharing Grand Am's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge vehicles. Shortly later, a lesserB-Spec group was added. After acquisition by SRO, TC America was separated from World Challenge.
Canadian Touring Car Championship (2007–present)
Costa Rica Touring Car Championship
CDCC Dominican National ChampionshipU.S. Touring Car ChampionshipContinental Tire Sports Car Challenge (1997–present) – features both a sports-car-basedgrand sport class and a touring-car-basedstreet tuner class
Stock Car Brasil (1979–present,link)American Touring Car Championship (2009–present)Copa Petrobras de Marcas (link)
ADAC Procar Series (Germany), formerlyDMSB-Produktionswagen-Meisterschaft (DPM) withETCC rules (1995–2017)
Renault Eurocup Mégane Trophy
European Touring Car Cup, held at various European circuits since 2005
Baltic Touring Car Championship
Finnish Touring Car Championship (1987–present)
Irish Touring Car Championship
Portuguese Touring Car Championship
Russian Touring Car Championship
Cruze Cup (One-make series)[citation needed]
Super GT (1993–present)
Hong Kong Touring Car Championship (2002–present)
Philippine Touring Car Championship (formerly the PNTCC)
China Touring Car Championship
Macau Touring Car Championship (? –present)
Malaysia Championship Series (2014–present)
Thailand Super Series (2013–present)
NZ Touring Cars
Super2 Series (2000–present)Super3 Series (2008–present),linkSaturday Night Fever Challenge Series – Malaysia (Club Event Series)
Volkswagen Vento Cup India (2011–present)
South African Touring Cars (2016–present)
Different sets of regulations do apply:
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