Touring car racing explained

Touring car racing
Union:FIA
Team:Yes
Mgender:Yes
Category:Circuit racing, Road racing
Venue:Race track, Street circuit

Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.

While the cars do not move as fast as those in formula or sports 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 in open-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 short sprint races, many touring car series include one or more endurance 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.

Characteristics

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 carsthe 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, most series require that the competitors start with a standard car 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 a control tire that all competitors must use) and keep the racing close (sometimes by ballast weight where winning a race requires the winner's car to be heavier for subsequent races).

Touring cars share some similarity with American stock car racing governed by NASCAR. However, touring cars are, at least notionally, derived from production cars while today's NASCAR vehicles are based on a common design.[1] [2] Touring car racing is also referred to as saloon car racing.[3]

Series of competition

FIA TCR World Tour

Worldwide

See main article: TCR World Tour, World Touring Car Cup and World Touring Car Championship.

Modern World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) started in 2005, evolving from the reborn European Touring Car Championship. The series merged with the TCR International Series and became the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) starting from 2018. In 2023, the WTCR was replaced by the TCR World Tour.

Running at major international racing facilities, this series is supported by BMW, SEAT and Chevrolet. 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 to Super 2000 regulations based on FIA Group 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 and traction control.

British Touring Car Championship

United Kingdom

See main article: British Touring Car Championship.

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) currently competes at nine circuits in the UK with cars built to Next Generation Touring Car specification, with ballast being used to equalise performance. From 2011, cars that ran to the BTCC's own Next Generation Touring Car specification were eligible to compete in a phased move away from Super 2000 regulations. Cars are 2.0-litre saloons, station wagons and hatchbacks with over 350bhp and can be front or rear-wheel drive. During the 2016 season manufacturer team entries came from BMW, Subaru, MG, and Honda. Since BTCC budgets have been kept relatively low, there is a strong independent and privateer presence in the championship. Manufacturers represented by privateers include Vauxhall, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Chevrolet, and Audi.

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, and many champions of that era now race in the World 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 the Next Generation Touring Car specification, from 2011, started a phased transition from Super 2000 cars in an effort to cut costs and improve the sport.

DTM

Germany/Europe

See main article: Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

The DTM series, the initials standing for Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft until 1996, then following a hiatus, revived as Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2000, features advanced purpose built 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-powered space frame machines, covered with largely carbon 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 610hp,[5] and transmissions, brakes and tyres (Hankook) are standard parts for all. Also, dimensions and aerodynamics are equalised. The approx. 985kg (2,172lb) (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 the Opel Astra, Audi TT and Mercedes-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] while Mercedes-AMG withdrew at the end of 2018.[8] Mercedes-AMG was replaced by a privately funded Aston Martin Vantage 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 a push-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 series Super GT which runs a near identical set of rules and regulations in its GT500 class. Honda, Toyota – represented via Lexus, and Nissan each entered a wildcard entry for the final race of the 2019 season at the Hockenheimring. The cars entered were a Nissan GT-R (R35), a Lexus LC 500 and a Honda 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 at Fuji 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 notably Formula E. This will leave BMW as the sole manufacturer left, putting the series' future in serious jeopardy.[14]

Nürburgring NLS Endurance Racing Series

Germany

See main article: Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie.

Since 1997, and nowadays still on the over long famous old Nürburgring 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 100hp road legal compacts to 500hp Porsche 996 and even modified DTM cars (1250kg (2,760lb)). Most entrants of the 24 Hours Nürburgring collect experience here.

Scandinavian Touring Car Championship

Sweden/Denmark

See main article: Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.

Between 1996 and 2010 the Swedish Touring Car Championship contained various races in Sweden and a few in Denmark. The most successful car makes were Volvo, BMW, Audi, and Nissan. In 2010 the championship merged with the Danish Touringcar Championship to form the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. The 2010 champion was Robert Dahlgren, because he had achieved the best results from selected races in the Danish and Swedish championships. Rickard Rydell and Johan Kristoffersson won the championship in 2011 and 2012, in a Chevrolet and a VW, respectively. In 2013 the series merged with the TTA – Racing Elite League to form the 2013 STCC – Racing Elite League season, starring 17 drivers for Volvo, BMW, Saab, Citroën, Dacia, and Honda.

Supercars Championship

Australia and New Zealand

See main article: Supercars Championship. Formerly the Australian 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-litre V8 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 the Ford Mustang GT and Holden Commodore (ZB)[16] The minimum weight for a Supercar including driver is 1395kg (3,075lb).[17] The Commodore will be replaced by a Chevrolet Camaro in 2022.[18] The race cars themselves are derived from production body panels and space 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 famous Bathurst 1000 race as a championship round. Because of the longer distance, regulations require two drivers per car for this race. This also applies to The Bend 500 & the Gold Coast 600. These events make up the Pirtek 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 versus Holden battle.[20] Over 200,000 total spectators attend the four-day Adelaide 500 and Bathurst 1000 events, and the 2019 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 the AFL Grand Final with 2.2 million TV viewers in 2019.[23] Supercars is also popular in New Zealand,[24] with a regular round formerly held in the country (previously held at Pukekohe) being the only international event on the series calendar. Attempts at further international expansion were made in China, Malaysia, the Middle East, and the United 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 as Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, United Autosports and Triple 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 the Falcon in 2016[30] and Commodore in 2020 (the two models that exclusively competed in the V8 formula from 1993 to 2012).[31] [32] [33] Ford withdrew all financial support after 2015,[34] and Holden cut most of its support back to only the Red Bull Holden Racing Team from 2017.[35] Holden was shut down as a brand during 2020, ending its factory involvement in Supercars after the 2020 season,[36] while Ford returned for the 2019 season with the Mustang project.[37] The Commodore will be replaced with a Chevrolet Camaro, which will be sold in Australia by General Motors Specialty Vehicles.

Other manufacturers have also appeared in the series, including Nissan with Kelly Racing,[38] Volvo with Garry Rogers Motorsport,[39] and Mercedes-Benz in a non-factory-supported program from Erebus 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.

Other series

Americas

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Africa

Former series

Famous races

Rule sets

Different sets of regulations do apply:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: What is the NASCAR Car Of Tomorrow? . Nascar.about.com . 4 April 2008 . 20 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090220034039/http://nascar.about.com/od/cars/f/caroftomorrow.htm . 20 February 2009 . dmy-all .
  2. News: Saloon car racing USA . D.S. . F . . May 1973 . 22 April 2021.
  3. News: New series launched celebrating BTCC legends . . 19 February 2019 . 22 April 2021 . Lawrence . Paul . limited.
  4. Web site: Audi UK. Audi UK > Experience > Motorsport > DTM > The Audi A4 DTM. Audi.co.uk . 6 May 2009 . 20 August 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081003102032/http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/experience/Motorsport/dtm/The_Audi_A4_DTM.html . 3 October 2008 . dmy-all .
  5. Book: Biographical Dictionary of the History of Technology. Day. Lance. McNeil. Ian. 2002-09-11. Routledge. 9781134650200. en.
  6. Web site: Opel to be withdrawn after 2005. au.motorsport.com. 24 October 2004 . en. 2020-02-26.
  7. Web site: BMW to enter DTM series in 2012 with six M3 touring cars CarAdvice. CarAdvice.com. en. 2020-02-26.
  8. Web site: Mercedes to quit DTM after 2018, confirms Formula E entry. au.motorsport.com. 24 July 2017 . en. 2020-02-26.
  9. Web site: Aston Martin rules out HWA running Vantages in DTM. au.motorsport.com. 29 January 2020 . en. 2020-02-26.
  10. Web site: RS 5 DTM. audi.com. en. 2020-02-26. 7 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307231407/https://www.audi.com/en/experience-audi/audi-sport/audi-racing-models/rs-5-dtm.html. dead.
  11. Web site: BMW M4 DTM Turbomotor. www.bmw-motorsport.com. en-SM. 2020-02-26.
  12. Web site: DTM's Class One cars for 2019 season will be 2-3s faster. Errington. Tom. Autosport.com. en. 2020-02-26.
  13. Web site: R-Motorsport to miss DTM and Super GT joint race at Fuji. 2019-09-14. TouringCarTimes. en-US. 2020-02-26.
  14. Web site: DTM News: Audi to quit series at the end of 2020. 2020-04-27. Autosport.com. en. 2020-06-30.
  15. Web site: 2020 engine rule changes locked in. Supercars. en. 2020-02-25.
  16. Web site: CONFIRMED: No Commodore for WAU in 2021. 2020-02-23. Speedcafe. en-US. 2020-02-28.
  17. Web site: Weight reduction for Supercars in 2019. Supercars. en. 2020-02-25.
  18. Web site: Pavey . James . 16 March 2022 . Tasmania debut for new-look Gen3 Camaro prototype . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516024214/https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/tasmania-debut-for-new-look-gen3-camaro-prototype/ . 2022-05-16 . 2022-05-16 . Supercars.
  19. Web site: V8 Supercars blueprint for 2017 and beyond. Supercars. en. 2020-02-28.
  20. Web site: Will taking away the Ford vs Holden battles kill off Supercars? Not necessarily. Smale. Simon. 2020-02-19. ABC News. en-AU. 2020-02-29.
  21. Web site: Adelaide 500 Supercars race has lowest attendance in 17 years. Adelaide. ABC Radio. 2020-02-24. ABC News. en-AU. 2020-02-29.
  22. Web site: Bathurst delivers ratings record. Supercars. en. 2020-02-29.
  23. Web site: 2.2m as AFL Grand Final tops year so far. 2019-09-29. TV Tonight. en-AU. 2020-02-29.
  24. Web site: Fans Flock to V8 Supercars at Pukekohe. Supercars. en. 2020-02-29.
  25. Web site: KL City 400 Supercar Extravaganza cancelled. Supercars. en. 2020-02-25.
  26. Web site: V8 Supercars and Circuit of the Americas agree to end current contract. Supercars. en. 2020-02-29.
  27. Web site: V8 Supercars confirms Abu Dhabi cancellation. 2013-01-18. Speedcafe. en-US. 2020-02-29.
  28. Web site: Winton replaces Shanghai on V8 calendar. drive.com.au. 2016-10-10. Drive. en-au. 2020-02-29.
  29. Web site: Early season schedule sees Bahrain dumped. 2010-10-29. Speedcafe. en-US. 2020-02-29.
  30. Web site: Final Ford Falcon rolls off the lineThe final Ford Falcon. Ottley. Stephen. 2016-10-13. Drive. en-au. 2020-02-28.
  31. Web site: Holden's flagship Commodore brand reaches the end of the road. 2019-12-10. ABC News. en-AU. 2020-02-28.
  32. Web site: MOTORSPORT: Holden spending less on V8 Supercars. carsales.com.au. 2020-02-25.
  33. Web site: Ford cuts back on V8 funding. Hand. Guy. 2016-10-03. Drive. en-au. 2020-02-25.
  34. Web site: Official: Ford out of V8 Supercars!. Supercars. en. 2020-02-25.
  35. Web site: Holden commits to Supercars. Supercars. en. 2020-02-28.
  36. Web site: Holden axed in Australia as General Motors gets out of right-hand-drive globally CarAdvice. CarAdvice.com. en. 2020-02-28.
  37. Web site: Ford returns to Supercars with Mustang. au.motorsport.com. en. 2020-02-25.
  38. Web site: OFFICIAL: Nissan to Join V8 Supercars Championship. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120211065021/http://www.v8supercars.com.au/championship/newsarticle/official-nissan-to-join-v8-supercars-championship/tabid/70/newsid/12124/default.aspx. 11 February 2012. 2012-02-09. dmy-all.
  39. Web site: Volvo Car Australia Joins V8 Supercars. Supercars. en. 2020-02-28.
  40. News: Mercedes-Benz to join V8 Supercars. Herald Sun. 19 September 2012.
  41. Web site: Kelly Racing confirms 2020 Mustang switch. Supercars. en. 2020-02-28.
  42. Web site: Supercars: Nissan quits after 2018, what Kelly Racing will race in 2019 and 2020. 2018-05-15. Fox Sports. en-AU. 2020-02-28.