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Article #3: Touring car racing

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Touring car racing is a general term for needed]
a number of distinct auto racing
competitions in heavily-modified street Germany
cars. It is notably popular in Britain, Since 1997, and nowadays still on the
Germany, Scandinavia, and Australia. over 20 km long famous old Nurburgring,
in average over 150 touring cars compete
Characteristics of a touring car in the VLN series of ten typically 4 hour
While rules vary from country to country, long races. Cars range from old 100 hp
most series require that the competitors road legal compacts to 500 hp Porsche 996
start with a standard body shell, but and even modified DTM cars (1250 kg).
virtually every other component is Most entrants of the 24 Hours Nurburgring
allowed to be heavily modified for collect experience here.
racing, including engines, suspension,
brakes, wheels and tyres. Wings are Australia/New Zealand/China/Bahrain
usually added to the front and rear of Formerly the Australian Touring Car
the cars. Regulations are usually Championship. The current formula was
designed to limit costs by banning some devised in 1993 and branded at 'V8
of the more exotic technologies available Supercars' in 1997. The series features
(for instance, many series insist on a grids of 31 650+ hp (480 kW) Ford Falcons
"control tyre" that all competitors must and Holden Commodores. The weight limit
use) and keep the racing close (sometimes for a V8 Supercar is 1350kg. At one time
by a "lead trophy" where winning a race the cars were billed as the "biggest,
requires the winner's car to be heavier heaviest, fastest and most powerful" of
for subsequent races). In this, it shares all touring cars. In terms of outright
some similarity with the American NASCAR power, size and weight this likely still
series, but raced exclusively on road true however DTM vehicles are probably
courses and street circuits rather than faster around a track. However, V8
the American series' primarily oval Supercars provide the closest racing of
tracks. any touring car category, with the top 20
Whilst not nearly as fast as Formula One, usually qualifying within 1 second of one
the similarity of the cars both to each another!
other and to fans' own vehicles makes for The race cars themselves are derived from
entertaining, well-supported racing. The production bodyshells and panels, which
lesser impact of aerodynamics also means are used rather than space-frame chassis.
that following cars have a much easier Both Holden and Ford have factory backed
time of passing than F1, and the more teams and invest heavily in the sport.
substantial bodies of the cars makes the As the series has grown, major
occasional nudging for overtaking much international motorsport groups have
more acceptable as part of racing. involved themselves. Several teams now
As well as short "sprint" races, many benefit from the involvement of Tom
touring car series include one or more Walkinshaw, Triple 8 Engineering and
"endurance" races, which last anything Prodrive. Also, in 2005 the Championship
from 3 to 24 hours and are a test of had its first non Australian/NZ round,
reliability and pit crews as much as car held at the Shanghai Grand Prix Circuit.
and driver speed. This was followed in 2006 with a multi
year deal to compete at the Bahrain Grand
Differences between touring cars and Prix Circuit. The growth of the series
sports cars has seen motorsport become equal with
For the casual observer, there can be a Rugby, as Australia's 3rd most watched
great deal of confusion when it comes to sport.
classifying closed-wheel racing cars as Due to its close, high intensity racing,
'touring cars' or 'sports cars' (also V8 Supercars can lay claim to providing
known as GT cars). In truth, there is the best Touring Car category in the
often very little technical difference world.
between the two classifications, and V8 Supercar Championship Series
nomenclature is often a matter of incorporates the famous Bathurst 1000 in
tradition. the championship. Drivers are paired up
In general, however, touring cars are for the big 'enduro', and it is weighted
based upon 4-door 'family' sedans or, equally to the championship points
more rarely, 2-door coupe cars, while GT Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series, home of
racing cars are based upon more exotic up-and-coming drivers hoping to break
vehicles, such as Ferraris or into the main game as well as loyal
Lamborghinis. Underneath the bodywork, a privateers.
Touring Car is often more closely related
to its road-going origins, using many British Touring Car Championship
original components and mountings, while United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland
a top-flight GT car is often a The British Touring Car Championship
purpose-built tube-frame racing chassis (BTCC), currently competes at nine
underneath a cosmetic bodyshell. Many circuits in the UK and Republic of
Touring Car series, such as the BTCC and Ireland, with cars built either to BTCC
the now-defunct JTCC distinguish or European Touring Car Championship
themselves from sports-car racing by (ETCC) specification, with ballast being
featuring front-wheel drive, four-wheel used to equalise the two types. Cars are
drive and rear-wheel drive cars with 2.0 Litre saloons with around 270 bhp and
smaller engines. can be Front wheel drive,4 wheel drive or
However, while in general Touring Cars Rear wheel drive. There are currently
have a lower technical level than sports only two manufacturer teams (Vauxhall,
cars, there are notable exceptions to the who run Astras built to BTCC rules, and
rule. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters SEAT, who enter "Super 2000"-spec Leons)
(DTM) is considered to be one of the most although because BTCC budgets have been
technologically advanced racing series in kept relatively low there is a strong
the world, with cars that, underneath independent and privateer presence in the
their four-door shells, are more purebred championship. Manufacturers represented
racing machines than most FIA-GT by privateers include Vauxhall, Honda,
vehicles. Lexus, BMW, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo and MG.
Prior to 2001 the BTCC was contested by
DTM cars built to 2.0 litre supertouring
Germany/Europe regulations and had in its heyday up to 9
The DTM series, the initials standing for different manufacturers. It was
Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft until considered to be the best touring car
1996, then following a hiatus, revived as championship in the world, as stated by
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters in 2000, Joachim Winkelhock on several occasions,
features advanced purpose built and many of champions of that era now
V8-powered space frame machines, covered race in the World Touring Car
with carbon fibre bodyshapes resemblant Championship (WTCC).
of the manufacturers' road machine. In
order to lower costs, the engine power is World Touring Car Championship
limited to 470 hp, and transmissions, Worldwide
brakes and tyres (Dunlop) are standard Modern World Touring Car Championship
parts for all. Also, dimension and (WTCC) started in 2005, replacing the old
aerodynamics are equalized. The approx. European Touring Car Championship. It is
1050 kg light DTM cars corner incredibly generally considered to be the most
quickly and wear spectacular bodykits prestigious touring car championship in
incorporating huge wheel arches and the world.
diffusors. Running at major international racing
Easily Europe's premier series, DTM facilities, this series is heavily
features many ex-F1 drivers like Jean supported by BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT,
Alesi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and with Ford, Chevrolet and Honda also
especially Mika Hakkinen since the 2005. showing limited support. It features 2L
The European locale makes this series cars built to Super 2000 regulations
appealing for aspiring drivers, who based of FIA Group N.
didn't quite make F1, as they compete Following the trend of recent FIA rules,
alongside legends of the sport. cost control is a major theme in the
More than 20 works-backed entries of Opel technical regulation. Engines are limited
Vectra GTS, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz to 2000 cc. Many technologies that have
C-Class contested the 2005 DTM series. featured in production cars are not
Opel will not return in 2006, though, as allowed, for example variable valve
GM has to cut costs. This puts the whole timing, variable intake geometry, ABS
series in jeopardy for 2007 as TV brakes and traction control.
contracts ask for 3 marques.[citation






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