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'Touring car racing' is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, and Australia.

Contents

Characteristics of a touring car

Differences between touring cars and sports cars

Series of competition

DTM

Nürburgring VLN Endurance racing Series

V8 Supercar

British Touring Car Championship

World Touring Car Championship

Other series

The Americas

Europe

Asia

Previous series

Other notable competitions

Characteristics of a touring car

While rules vary from country to country, most series require that the competitors start with a standard body shell, but virtually every other component is allowed to be heavily modified for racing, including engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres. Wings are usually 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 tyre" that all competitors must use) and keep the racing close (sometimes by a "lead trophy" where winning a race requires the winner's car to be heavier for subsequent races). In this, it shares some similarity with the American NASCAR series, though touring cars are actually derived from production cars while NASCAR vehicles are not and are raced exclusively on road courses and street circuits rather than the American series' primarily oval tracks.
Whilst not nearly as fast as Formula One, the similarity of the cars both to each other and to fans' own vehicles makes for entertaining, well-supported racing. The lesser impact of aerodynamics also means that following cars have a much easier time of passing than F1, and
the more substantial bodies of the cars makes the occasional 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 and driver speed.

Differences between touring cars and sports cars

For the casual observer, there can be a great deal of confusion when it comes to classifying closed-wheel racing cars as 'touring cars' or 'sports cars' (also known as GT cars). In truth, there is often very little technical difference between the two classifications, and nomenclature is often a matter of tradition.
In general, however, touring cars are based upon 4-door 'family' sedans or, more rarely, 2-door coupe cars, while GT racing cars are based upon more exotic vehicles, such as Ferraris or Lamborghinis. Underneath the bodywork, a touring car is often more closely related to its road-going origins, using many original components and mountings, while a top-flight GT car is often a purpose-built tube-frame racing chassis underneath a cosmetic body shell. Many touring car series, such as the BTCC and the now-defunct JTCC distinguish themselves from sports-car racing by featuring front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars with smaller engines.
However, while touring cars have a lower technical level than sports cars in general, there are notable exceptions to the rule. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) is considered to be one of the most technologically advanced racing series in the world, with cars that, underneath their four-door shells, are more purebred racing machines than most FIA-GT vehicles.

Series of competition

DTM

''Germany/Europe''
Main articles: Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, 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 V8-powered space frame machines, covered with carbon fibre bodyshapes resemblant of the manufacturers' road machine. In order to lower costs, the engine power is limited to 470 hp, and transmissions, brakes and tyres (Dunlop) are standard parts for all. Also, dimension and aerodynamics are equalized. The approx. 1050 kg light DTM cars corner incredibly quickly and wear spectacular bodykits incorporating huge wheel arches and diffusors.
More than 20 works-backed entries of Opel Vectra GTS, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class contested the 2005 DTM series. Opel will not return in 2006, though, as GM has to cut costs. This puts the whole series in jeopardy for 2007 as TV contracts ask for 3 marques.

Nürburgring VLN Endurance racing Series

''Germany''
Main articles: VLN

Since 1997, and nowadays still on the over 20 km long famous old Nürburgring, in average over 150 touring cars compete in the VLN series of ten typically 4 hour long races. Cars range from old 100 hp road legal compacts to 500 hp Porsche 996 and even modified DTM cars (1250 kg). Most entrants of the 24 Hours Nürburgring collect experience here.

V8 Supercar

''Australia/New Zealand/Bahrain''
Main articles: V8 Supercar

Formerly the Australian Touring Car Championship. The current formula was devised in 1993 (based on Group A regulations) and branded at 'V8 Supercars' in 1997. The series features grids of 31 650+ hp (480 kW) Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores. The weight limit for a V8 Supercar is 1350kg. At one time the cars were billed as the "biggest, heaviest, fastest and most powerful" of all touring cars. In terms of outright power, size and weight this likely still true however DTM vehicles are probably faster around a track. However, V8 Supercars provide the closest racing of any touring car category, with the top 20 usually qualifying within 1 second of one another.
The race cars themselves are derived from production bodyshells and panels, which are used rather than space-frame chassis. Both Holden and Ford have factory backed teams and invest heavily in the sport.
As the series has grown, major international motorsport groups have involved themselves. Several teams now benefit from the involvement of Tom Walkinshaw, Triple 8 Engineering and Prodrive. Also, in 2005 the Championship had its first non Australian/NZ round, held at the Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit. This was followed in 2006 with a multi year deal to compete at the Bahrain Grand Prix Circuit. The growth of the series has seen motorsport become equal with Rugby League, as Australia's 3rd most watched sport.
The series incorporates the famous Bathurst 1000 in the championship. Because of the longer distance, regulations require two drivers for this race and the Sandown 500, which count for extra championship points.

★ Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series, home of up-and-coming drivers hoping to break into the main game as well as loyal privateers.

British Touring Car Championship

''United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland''
Main articles: British Touring Car Championship

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), currently competes at nine circuits in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with cars built either to BTCC or European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) specification, with ballast being used to equalise the two types. Cars are 2.0 Litre saloons with around 270 bhp and can be Front wheel drive,4 wheel drive or Rear wheel drive. There are currently only two manufacturer teams (Vauxhall and SEAT, who enter "Super 2000"-spec Vectras and Leons respectively) although because BTCC budgets have been kept relatively low there is a strong independent and privateer presence in the championship. Manufacturers represented by privateers include Vauxhall, Honda, Lexus, BMW, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and MG.
Prior to 2001 the BTCC was contested by cars built to 2.0 litre supertouring regulations and had in its heyday up to 9 different manufacturers. It was considered to be the best touring car championship in the world, as stated by Joachim Winkelhock on several occasions, and many of 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 is now being phased out (only privateers are eligible to run old Touring cars) with the intention of a pure Super 2000 series.

World Touring Car Championship

''Worldwide''
Main articles: World Touring Car Championship

Modern World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) started in 2005, evolving from the reborn European Touring Car Championship. It is generally considered to be the most prestigious touring car championship in the world.
Running at major international racing facilities, this series is heavily supported by BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT, with Ford, Chevrolet and Honda also showing limited support. It features 2L cars built to ''Super 2000'' regulations based of FIA Group N.
Following the trend of recent FIA rules, cost control is a major theme in the technical regulation. Engines are limited to 2000 cc. Many technologies that have featured in production cars are not allowed, for example variable valve timing, variable intake geometry, ABS brakes and traction control.

Other series

The Americas

★ US Touring Car Championship

★ Argentinian TC2000

★ SPEED World Challenge

★ Stock Car Brasil

Europe

★ Germany's ADAC ''Procar'' in 2006, former ''DMSB-Produktionswagen-Meisterschaft'' (DPM) with ETCC rules

★ Swedish Touring Car Championship

★ Danish Touring Car Championship

★ Italia Superturismo Championship

★ Russian Touring Car Championship

★ Finnish Touring Car Championship

★ NEZ Racing Championship (North European countries)

★ Castrol-Haugg-Cup (CHC) entry-level series on Germany's Nürburgring

★ Gleichmäßigkeitsprüfung (GLP) entry-level series on Germany's Nürburgring

Asia

★ Hong Kong Touring Car Championship

★ Asian Touring Car Championship

★ New Zealand Touring Cars

★ Philippine Touring Car Championship (formerly the PNTCC)

★ China Touring Car Championship

Previous series

★ The old World Touring Car Championship, plagued by lack of support from the FIA, raced under the Group A regulations in 1987.

★ Germany's former DTC adopted ETCC rules in 2004 and was renamed to ''DMSB-Produktionswagen-Meisterschaft'' (DPM) until 2005

★ Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC) ran from 1994 through 1998.

★ North American Touring Car Championship (NATCC) ran from 1996 to 1997.

★ Norwegian Touring Car Championship

★ Championnat de France Supertourisme (French Touring Car Championship), last season in 2005.

Other notable competitions

★ Spa 24 Hours since 1924

★ 24 Hours Nürburgring at the famous old Nürburgring, since 1970, related to VLN series there

★ Macau Grand Prix Guia Race (contested as part of WTCC in 2005 and 2006)

★ Tourist Trophy held until 1988

★ Wellington 500, held at the Wellington street circuit between 1985 to 1996