The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World Touring Car Championship, and a single-race European Touring Car Cup has been held since then.
ETCC 1963-1988[]
The European Touring Car Challenge, as it was originally known,[1] was started in 1963 by Willy Stenger, who created the series at the behest of the FIA. Cars competed under FIA Group 2[1] Improved Touring Car regulations[2] which allowed a variety of touring cars of different sizes and engine displacements to race together, from the small Fiat 600 and Mini to the large Jaguar Mark 2 and Mercedes-Benz 300SE
In 1963 races and hillclimbing events at Nürburgring, Mont Ventoux, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Zolder, Zandvoort, Timmelsjoch and even in the Népliget (People's Park) in Budapest counted towards the ETCC, which was won by German Peter Nöcker and his Jaguar.
In 1968, the regulations were changed to allow Group 5 cars to participate,[3] however these highly modified Special Touring Cars[4] would only be eligible for two years. In 1970 the series name was changed from European Touring Car Challenge to European Touring Car Championship.[5] Group 2 again became the principle category [6] although Group 2 regulations were now much more liberal in nature than the old Group 2.[7]
Following the 1973 oil crisis the next two seasons had few entrants. It was only in 1977 that the situation was normalised with the return of factory teams. Rules allowed Group 2 and Group 1B "National" cars to compete together, with BMW 3.0 Coupé CSL and Capri RS remaining the most competitive entries.
In 1982, the FIA replaced Groups 1 and 2 with Group N and Group A. The first one was mainly ignored by the ETCC entrants, all cars going the Group A route. BMW and Alfa Romeo prepared regular touring cars for the championship, but it was the big-engined Tom Walkinshaw Racing prepared Jaguar XJS and Rover 3500 Vitesse that would be more competitive in the years to come, fighting against the turbocharged Volvo 240 and Ford Sierra Cosworth.
The championship was cancelled after the end of the 1988 season, due to escalating costs (a one-off World Touring Car Championship in 1987 also exarcebated the problem). By then, the FIA had allowed "Evolution" models to be homologated, and it was special cars such as the BMW M3 Evo and Ford Sierra RS500 that dominated the grids.
The Macau Grand Prix's Guia Race, the Spa 24 Hours and the 24 Hours Nürburgring were the only international touring car races during those years. With the success and popularity of Supertouring in many national championships, the FIA organised the one-round Super Touring World Cup for these cars, between 1993 and 1995. In 1996, the FIA promoted the DTM, which already had races outside Germany in its calendar, to International Touringcar Championship (ITC), but once more escalating costs ended the series after two seasons.
ETCC 2000-2004[]
In 2000, the Italian Superturismo Championship was promoted to the European Super Touring Cup. In 2001, this series became the FIA European Super Touring Championship, with an extra class for Super Production cars alongside the main Super Touring class. In 2002, this evolved into the brand new FIA European Touring Car Championship, using Super 2000 rules, dominated by Alfa Romeo and BMW, but popular with the public due to the intense competition and Eurosport live broadcasts. In 2005, the ETCC was promoted to World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).
ETCC 2005 onwards[]
- Main article: European Touring Car Cup
The European Touring Car title was given from 2005 until 2009 to a once a year European Touring Car Cup, with the best representatives from national championships running to Super 2000, Super Production and Super 1600 regulations in the Baltic States, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Starting in 2010 the ETCC will once again become a multi event racing series. Four events of two races each are set to be held in Portugal, Italy, Austria and Germany at respectively the Circuito Vasco Sameiro in Braga, the Autodromo Bonara in Franciacorta, the Salzburgring in Salzburg and the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Oschersleben. However, on 25 Mar 2010, fiawtcc.com reported that the event in Germany was cancelled to avoid clashes with the German touring car series.[8]
Champions[]
ETCC (1963-1988)[]
Year | Drivers | Manufacturers |
---|---|---|
1963 | Peter Nöcker (Jaguar Mk II) | - |
1964 | Warwick Banks (BMC Mini Cooper S) | - |
1965 | Div.3 Jacky Ickx (Ford Mustang) Div.2 John Whitmore (Ford Lotus Cortina) Div.1 Ed Swart (Abarth 1000 TC) |
Div.3 Ford Div.2 Ford Div.1 Abarth |
1966 | Div.3 Hubert Hahne (BMW 2000TI) Div.2 Andrea de Adamich (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA) Div.1 Giancarlo Baghetti (Abarth 1000 TC) |
Div.3 BMW Div.2 Alfa Romeo Div.1 Abarth |
1967 | Div.3 Karl von Wendt (Porsche 911) Div.2 Andrea de Adamich (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA) Div.1 Willi Kauhsen (Abarth 1000 TC) |
Div.3 Porsche Div.2 Alfa Romeo Div.1 Abarth |
1968 | Div.3 Dieter Quester (BMW 2002) Div.2 John Rhodes (Morris Mini Cooper S) Div.1 John Handley (Morris Mini Cooper S) |
Div.3 BMW Div.2 BMC Div.1 BMC |
1969 | Div.3 Dieter Quester (BMW 2002) Div.2 Spartaco Dini (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA) Div.1 Marsilio Pasotti (Abarth 1000 TC) |
Div.3 BMW Div.2 Alfa Romeo Div.1 Abarth |
1970 | Toine Hezemans (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm) | BMW |
1971 | Dieter Glemser (Ford Capri RS2600) | Alfa Romeo |
1972 | Jochen Mass (Ford Capri RS2600) | Alfa Romeo |
1973 | Toine Hezemans (BMW 3.0 CSL) | BMW |
1974 | Hans Heyer (Ford Escort RS1600) | Ford |
1975 | Siegfried Müller Sr. (BMW 3.0 CSL) Alain Peltier (BMW 3.0 CSL) |
Div.2: BMW Div.1: Ford |
1976 | Jean Xhenceval (BMW 3.0 CSL) Pierre Dieudonné (BMW 3.0 CSL) |
Div.4: BMW Div.3: Opel Div.2: Alfa Romeo Div.1: Alfa Romeo |
1977 | Dieter Quester (BMW 3.0 CSL) | Div.5: BMW Div.4: BMW Div.3: Alfa Romeo Div.2: Volkswagen Div.1: Alfa Romeo |
1978 | Umberto Grano (BMW 3.0 CSL) | BMW |
1979 | Martino Finotto (BMW 3.0 CSL) Carlo Facetti (BMW 3.0 CSL) |
BMW |
1980 | Helmut Kelleners (BMW 320) Siegfried Müller Jr. (BMW 320) |
Audi |
1981 | Umberto Grano (BMW 635CSi) Helmut Kelleners (BMW 635CSi) |
Škoda |
1982 | Umberto Grano (BMW 528i) | Alfa Romeo |
1983 | Dieter Quester (BMW 635CSi) | Alfa Romeo |
1984 | Tom Walkinshaw (Jaguar XJS) | Alfa Romeo |
1985 | Gianfranco Brancatelli (Volvo 240 Turbo) Thomas Lindström (Volvo 240 Turbo) |
Alfa Romeo |
1986 | Roberto Ravaglia (BMW 635CSi) | Toyota |
1987 | Winfried Vogt (BMW M3) | BMW |
1988 | Roberto Ravaglia (BMW M3) | Ford |
ETCC (2000-2004)[]
Year | Championship | Independents class (Michelin Trophy) | Series name | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drivers | Manufacturers | Drivers | Teams | ||
2000 | Fabrizio Giovanardi (Alfa Romeo 156 D2) | Alfa Romeo | N/A | N/A | European Super Touring Cup |
2001 | Fabrizio Giovanardi (Supertouring)(Alfa Romeo 156 D2) Peter Kox (Super Production) (BMW 320i) |
Alfa Romeo | Sandro Sardelli (Nissan Primera Mk3 GT) (Supertouring Amateur) Norman Simon (BMW 320i) (Super Production Under 25) |
N/A | FIA European Super Touring Championship |
2002 | Fabrizio Giovanardi (Alfa Romeo 156 GTA) | Alfa Romeo | Fabrizio Giovanardi | N/A | FIA European Touring Car Championship |
2003 | Gabriele Tarquini (Alfa Romeo 156 GTA) | BMW | Duncan Huisman (BMW 320i) | Alfa Romeo Autodelta | FIA European Touring Car Championship |
2004 | Andy Priaulx (BMW 320i) | BMW | Tom Coronel (BMW 320i) | AutoDelta Squadra Corse | FIA European Touring Car Championship |
Event Winners[]
European Super Touring Cup[]
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European Super Touring Championship[]
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European Touring Car Championship[]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Part 1: 1963-1967 The early years Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
- ↑ 1965 FIA Appendix J - Art. 252 - Categories & Groups of Vehicles Retrieved from www.fia.com on 10 August 2009
- ↑ Part 2: 1968-1969 Group 5 years Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
- ↑ 1969 FIA Appendix J - Art. 251 - Categories & groups Retrieved from www.fia.com on 10 August 2009
- ↑ ETCC race results & images – 1967 to 1988 Retrieved from www.racingsportscars.com on 10 August 2009] Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
- ↑ Results of Round 1, 1970 ETCC - Ruleset: Group 2/70 Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
- ↑ Part 3: 1970-1975 The Ford and BMW years Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
- ↑ THE FIA ETCC STARTS IN BRAGA THIS WEEKEND Retrieved from fiawtcc.com on 27 March 2010
External links[]
- European Touring Car Cup official website
- European Touring Car Championship official website
- European Touring Car Championship history
- European Touring Car Championship race results & images – 1967 to 1988
- FIA STC Article 262
Template:European Touring Car years