Category: | Grand touring Touring car |
Country/Region: | South Korea |
Inaugural: | 2006 |
Champion Driver: | Kim Jong-kyum (2022) |
Champion Team: | Hankook ATLASBX Motorsports (2022) |
Current Season: | Superrace Championship |
Superrace Championship is a motorsports competition in South Korea hosted and organized by the Superrace Co., Ltd. It is a championship series recognized by the Korea Automobile Racing Association (KARA) that hosts races throughout the year.
As of 2021, CJ Logistics in Korea belongs to its title Sponsor, and its official name is also CJ Logistics Superrace Championship.
Superrace Championship[1] is a motorsports competition in Korea hosted and organized by the Superrace Co., Ltd. It is a championship series recognized by the Korea Automobile Racing Association (KARA) that hosts races throughout the year. The race will take place on major circuits in Korea (Korea International Circuit, Everland Speedway, and Inje Speedium), as well as in neighboring countries such as Japan and China. The Super 6000 class, the Superrace Championship's top-tier series, is Asia's only stock car race that has been recognized by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). It features a number of race sequences, including the Super 6000 class and GT (Grand Touring) class.
Outside of South Korea, series battles are frequently held in Japan and China. The history of the event in Japan is as follows.
The Superrace Championship[7] first took place in 2007. The predecessor was the Korea GT Championship (KGTC), which began in 2006 and has continued to the present in 2021 after the changing the name to the Superrace Championship in 2007. The competition's official name has been changing depending on the title sponsor, and so far, CJ O Shopping, TVing, and CJ Hello Vision have all joined as sponsors. From 2016 to the present, CJ Logistics has always been a title sponsor and the event is known as the 'CJ Logistics Superrace Championship.' It had the 100th Superrace Championship in the first round of the 2020 season which recorded a total of 107 matches by 2020.
The race for the top class, the Super 6000, started from the third round with the introduction of the stock car in 2008. At the beginning, 5 teams and 8 drivers participated but the race has constantly expanded to a competition with more than 20 drivers. Unlike mass-produced regular automobiles, stock cars are designed specifically for races. Depending on the cowl, the vehicle's design can look similar but its mechanical characteristics are totally different. It is known as the top-level race in Korea as only the racers with International C or higher license can participate. The cowl of Super 6000 has been using Toyota GR Supra since 2020 after going through Spira (2008), Cadillac CTS (2009), Hyundai Genesis (2012), Cadillac ATS-V (2016). There have been 96 races by the 2020 season, and the 100th race will be held in the 4th round of the 2021 season.
The Superrace Championship was the first to hold a night race in 2012. Aside from the various night races, it was the first to adopt the idea of ‘Motortainment,' which mixes motorsport and entertainment. It is credited with helping to popularize motorsport by trying to relay broadcasting via terrestrial TV.
From 2013, Asian tours have been conducted in Korea as well as in Japan and China. They began to have successful interactions by promoting Korean races to neighboring countries. The effort led to Korea-China Motor Sports Festival (2014), the Korea-China-Japan Motor Sports Festival (2015), the Korea-China-Japan Motor Sports Carnival (2016), the Asian Motor Sports Carnival launched in 2017, and the Gangwon World Motor Festival started in 2018. It has been developed and is still being continued to this day.
The Superrace Championship reopened in 2016, when Everland Speedway reconstruction was completed after an eight-year hiatus, and it has significantly increased the popularity of domestic motor sports. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) accepted the Super 6000 class as an international series in 2016, and modifications were made, such as changing the cowl to the Cadillac ATS-V. As CJ Logistics participated as the competition's title sponsor, and CJ Racing, a prestigious team, were divided into CJ Logistics, CheilJedang, and E&M. The overall race was enhanced for both quantity and quality.
As the reopening of circuits in the Seoul metropolitan area combined with various changes, the number of visitors steadily increased. More than 20,000 audiences gathered at Everland Speedway for the 2018 season opening which showed a different atmosphere than before. More than 40,000 people visited the same location at the final show in 2019, breaking the record for the most visits ever. In 2019, the average number of on-site visitors to the Superrace Championship was 22,000, for a total of about 180,000 visitors. Despite the fact that there is a gap in the overall number of games played in the season, the Superrace Championship has the largest number of games played among professional sports in Korea that year.
In 2020 due to COVID-19, which pushed the world into chaos, the race couldn’t open as planned. The first game, which was supposed to take place in April, was postponed twice and finally took place in June. The season was cut from 8 games (9 rounds) to 5 games (8 rounds), with the final game played in late November, one month later than in the previous years. It was recorded as the latest race in history. Although all 2020 season matches were played behind closed doors, there were no COVID-19 cases on the tournament field.
The Superrace Championship has a unique concept for each round to add to the audience’s fun of watching.
The 2021 CJ Logistics Superrace Championship hosts a total of 5 classes – Super 6000, KUMHO GT, M Class, Cadillac CT4 and the Radical Cup Korea.
The races consist largely of practice runs, qualifiers and finals.
1.1 Qualifying
Every racing class of the Superrace Championship plays qualifiers and finals to determine the ranking of each round. The grid position in the finals is decided by the lap record of the official qualifying match. The official qualifying match of the Super 6000 Class will be played in a time-trial knock out method consisting of Q1 and Q2 rounds. The top 10 racers of Q1(15 minutes) will make it to Q2. Q2 will be held for 10 minutes. The final grid position will be assigned in the order of the best Q2 and Q1 lap records. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the qualifying matches will each receive 3, 2 and 1 qualifier points.
The KUMHO GT Class, M Class and Radical Cup Korea Class will hold qualifiers in a time-trial method. In the M Class, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the prior finals will receive a handicap in their lap records of the following official qualifying match. The former 1st place winner will have 104% of their lap time in the qualifiers as the official record. The 2nd and 3rd place winners will have 102% and 101%, respectively.
The 107% rule was newly introduced since 2020, limiting the participation in the finals. If a participant holds a lap record longer than 107% of the best lap record in the qualifying match (Q1 in the Super 6000 Class), he/she cannot participate in the finals. The 2021 revision allows the 107% rule to be applied by each tire manufacturer in the Super 6000 Class.
Racing Class | Race Method | Note |
---|---|---|
Super 6000 | Q1(15 min), Q2(10 min) Knock Out | Final Grid Position assigned according to best Q2 à Q1 lap records |
KUMHO GT1 | Time-trial (20 min) | Final Grid Position assigned according to best lap record |
KUMHO GT2 | Time-trial (15 min) | |
M Class | Time-trial (30 min) | |
Radical Cup Korea | Time-trial (20 min) |
Excluding the Cadillac CT4 Class which is proceeded in a Time Trial race format, all classes of the Superrace Championship is proceeded in a sprint format where the positions are determined in the order of fastest completion for a set number of laps. Race starting methods for each class can either be a standing start or a rolling start, which may differ per race depending on the decision of the competition’s organizing committee.
All participating vehicles of the race must complete a formation lap in the grid formation while following a safety car (SC) at the lead. During this lap, the distance between vehicles may not exceed more than 5 vehicle lengths and overtaking is not allowed. In the instance of a standing start, after the arrangement of the grid is complete, the tires may not move after the red light has been lit and if the front bumper protrudes over the grid line, a penalty may be given. In the instance of a rolling start, once the ‘GRID’ board has been presented, vehicles must be in 2 rows, the distance between vehicles may not exceed 1 vehicle length and vehicles must not go over the front bumper of the vehicles in front of them. If this is violated, a penalty may be given on the basis of a false start.
If 75% or more of the total set laps are raced by a driver, 1 additional completion point is added.
The overall positions for all classes of the Superrace Championship are determined by the total earned points in each round. The Super 6000 Class has the 2 titles - the Driver Championship and the Team Championship. All other classes only award the Driver Championship title.
2.1 Driver Championship
In the Super 6000 Class, 3~1 points are given respectively to the Best Lap 1st~3rd Place, and in the KUMHO GT1, GT2 Classes, 3~1 preliminary points are given respectively to the 1st~3rd Place of the qualifiers. If 75% or more of the total set laps are raced by a driver, 1 completion point is added. Resultantly, the maximum number of points that can be earned in one fixture is 29 points. (3 points for 1st Place in the qualifiers, 25 points for 1st Place in the finals, and 1 completion point.)
If the total series points are tied, preference is given to the driver with higher position results.
Position | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place | 5th Place | 6th Place | 7th Place | 8th Place | 9th Place | 10th Place | ≥11th Place | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Race Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | -|-|Completion Points| colspan="11" |1 Point given upon completion of race|-|Preliminary Points| colspan="11" |Super 6000: Best Lap 1st~3rd Place, KUMHO GT1-2 Class : Preliminary 1st ~ 3rd Place / 3~1 points given respectively|}2.2 Team ChampionshipTeam championship points are applied by adding the points earned by 2 drivers in each team, and teams with 3 or more drivers must select 2 drivers whose points will be added for the team championship points 15 days before the date of each round’s race.3. Handicap WeightThe Super 6000 Class and the KUMHO GT1, GT2 Class race participants are given a handicap weight depending on their race position results. Handicap weight applies to the driver, not the vehicle, meaning that even if a driver changes teams during the series, the same weight will continue to apply to that specific driver. The application of the handicap weight is only allowed for a separate ballast regardless of the weight of the vehicle, and deduction is done on the applied handicap weight. Handicap weight is applied to any driver who races for the first time after the opening race. (Super 6000 : 80KG, KUMHO GT1&2 : 60KG) If a driver does not participate in a race or is disqualified, handicap weight won’t be deducted. In the instance of M Class, additional lap time is applied on the qualifiers record of the next competition to the official 1st, 2nd and 3rd place drivers of the previous competition. (1st Place: 104%, 2nd Place: 102%, 3rd Place: 101%) Super 6000 CLASS
| +40kg|+20kg|0 kg|-10kg | -20kg|-30kg|-40kg|-50kg|-60kg|-70kg|}KUMHO GT1, KUMHO GT2 CLASS
| +40kg|+20kg|+10kg|0 kg|-10kg | -20kg|-30kg|-40kg|-50kg|-60kg|}※Maximum Handicap Weight Super 6000 Class : 150 kg / KUMHO GT1, GT2 Class: 120 kg 4. TiresFor the official vehicle inspection of each event, tire markings take place, which are separate from the maximum tire marking amounts for each class. Even if the number of markings given during the official vehicle inspection is less than the maximum allowed number, additional markings are not allowed afterwards. However, if tires are damaged during the qualifiers and the participation in races are improbable, additional marking may be received after the preliminary rounds under the permission of the technical chairman. In this instance, the Super 6000 Class may choose from the event’s practice tires and the KUMHO GT Class may choose from second-hand tires for additional marking. With the additional marking of tires, a grid place demotion penalty is given.
5. Match Operation FlagInternational flag signals inform spectators and racers of what is happening on at the racetrack. From the start of the race to the end of the final, flag signals convey a range of details. Flag signals are provided at each post, including the main post, and in domestic auto races, the International Automobile Federation's international standard flag signals are used. In the 2020 Superrace season, the Full Course Yellow (FCY) regulation was introduced. FCY can be applied for practices, qualifiers, or finals, and can be declared at the race director's decision if necessary for safety reasons. When FCY is announced, all posts will issue the yellow flag, and the FCY board is posted. All the cars must travel slowly at speeds no faster than 80 km/h, and overtaking is strictly forbidden. In the FCY situation, the SC has the authority to act if necessary. When the green flag is shown and the FCY board is removed, the FCY situation is resolved and the game continues as well as overtaking is allowed. The lap driven during FCY is counted in the total driving lap. BroadcastingThe Superrace Championship Super 6000 Class Final match will be broadcast live on Channel A, Channel A Plus and XtvN, while the KUMHO GT1 and 2 Finals will be broadcast live on Channel A Plus. All 5 classes can be viewed on Superrace's official website, YouTube, Facebook, Kakao TV and Naver TV.
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