Automobile Racing Can Be Confusing
Who races? Where do they race? Who are the drivers? What are the cars? Who are the sanctioning bodies? From where comes the money to finance the teams?
Below is a very rough draft primer on racing.
There are many race series sanctioned by various bodies. Most race fans will be familiar with the "big six" --
1. Formula One (includes Monaco)
2. FIA World Endurance Championship (includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans)
3. Indy Car (includes the Indianapolis 500)
4. IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (includes Rolex 24 at Daytona)
5. Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
6. NASCAR (includes the Daytona 500)
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1. Formula One
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| Ascari 1950 Swiss GP Ferarri |
Sanctioning Body: FIA
Owner: Liberty Media Corporation (US)
Famous Tracks: Monza, Monaco, Spa
Famous Drivers: Shumacher; Hamilton
Current Drivers' Champion: Hamilton (Mercedes)
Current Constructors' Champion: Mercedes
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Formula One is the highest class of international single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It is owned by Liberty Media Corporation, an American mass media company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Formula One Group.
The World Drivers' Championship, which became the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1981, has been one of the premier forms of racing around the world since its inaugural season in 1950. The word "formula" in the name refers to the set of rules to which all participants' cars must conform. A Formula One season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (French for
''grand prizes" or "great prizes''), which take place worldwide on purpose-built circuits and on public roads.
The results of each race are evaluated using a points system to determine two annual World Championships: one for drivers, the other for constructors. Drivers must hold valid Super Licenses, the highest class of racing license issued by the FIA. The races must run on tracks graded "1" (formerly "A"), the highest grade-rating issued by the FIA. Most events occur in rural locations on purpose-built tracks, but several events take place on city streets.
Formula One cars are the fastest regulated road-course racing cars in the world, owing to very high cornering speeds achieved through the generation of large amounts of aerodynamic downforce. The cars underwent major changes in 2017, allowing wider front and rear wings, and wider tires, resulting in peak cornering forces near 6.5 lateral g and top speeds of up to approximately 370 km/h (230 mph). As of 2019 the hybrid engines are limited in performance to a maximum of 15,000 rpm; the cars are very dependent on electronics and aerodynamics, suspension and tires. Traction control and other driving aids have been banned since 2008.
While Europe is the sport's traditional base, the championship operates globally, with 11 of the 21 races in the 2019 season taking place outside Europe. With the annual cost of running a mid-tier team—designing, building, and maintaining cars, pay, transport—being US$120 million, its financial and political battles are widely reported. Its high profile and popularity have created a major merchandising environment, which has resulted in large investments from sponsors and budgets (in the hundreds of millions for the constructors). On 23 January 2017 Liberty Media confirmed the completion of the acquisition of Delta Topco, the company that controls Formula One, from private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners for $8 billion.
A $145 m budget cap will be introduced for each Formula One team, starting in the 2021 season, to ensure fair competition and sustainable development of the sport. The 2020 season was changed substantially due to COVID-19.
Liberty Media Corporation owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those interests are attributed to three tracking stock groups:
Liberty SiriusXM Group
Braves Group
Liberty Media Corporation's Formula 1 Group Includes:
Formula 1, which began in 1950, is an iconic global motorsports business.
OWNERSHIP 100% [Other than a nominal number of shares held by certain Formula 1 teams]
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In 2020, Formula One uses only four engines: Ferrari; Honda; Mercedes; and Renault. However, over the years various other engines were used. The big four based upon wins are:
1. Ferrari (239)
2. Mercedes (195)*
3. Ford-Cosworth (176)**
4. Renault (168)
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*Between 1997-2005 built by Ilmor (mostly for McLaren).
** The only engine to have achieved a single F1 season with 100% wins.
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Motorsport Valley
Although Formula One itself is very much a global sport,its center of gravity is located firmly in southern England. Seven of the ten teams competing in the 2020 championship are based there. In fact, a swathe of the West Midlands and Oxfordshire has been nicknamed "Motorsport Valley". It actually is the biggest hub of motor racing in the world.
Even Mercedes, which is associated with Germany, is based in England: chassis and engines manufactured there. Its leading driver, Lewis Hamilton, also is a UK citizen.
1. Mercedes/Mercedes: Hamilton/Bottas
2. Red Bull/Honda: Verstappen/Albon
3. McLaren/Renault: Sainz/Norris
4. Racing Point/Mercedes: Stroll/Perez
5. Renault/Renault: Ocon/Ricciardo
6. Haas/Ferrari: Grosjean/Magnussen
7. Williams/Mercedes: Russell/Latifi
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2. FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
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| Toyota Gazoo Racing |
Categories: Sports Car/Touring Car
Sanctioning Body: FIA
Organizing Body: ACO
Owner: None
Owner: None
Famous Tracks: Le Mans, Sebring
Famous Drivers: Salvadori, Shelby, Foyt
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The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Intercontinental Le Mans Cup which began in 2010, and is the first endurance series of world championship status since the demise of the World Sportscar Championship at the end of 1992. The World Endurance Championship name was previously used by the FIA from 1981 to 1985.
The series features multiple classes of cars competing in endurance races, with sports prototypes competing in the Le Mans Prototype categories, and production-based grand tourers competing in the LM GTE categories. World champion titles are awarded to the top scoring manufacturers and drivers over the season, while other cups and trophies will be awarded for drivers and private teams.
ACO. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organizing entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race.
FIA. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; English: International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organizations and motor car users. To the general public, the FIA is mostly known as the governing body for many auto racing events, such as the well known Formula One. The FIA also promotes road safety around the world.
Headquartered at 8 Place de la Concorde, Paris, the FIA consists of 246 member organisations in 145 countries worldwide. Its current president is Jean Todt.
The FIA is generally known by its French name or initials, even in non-French-speaking countries, but is occasionally rendered as International Automobile Federation.
Its most prominent role is in the licensing and sanctioning of Formula One, World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship, World Touring Car Cup, World Rallycross Championship, Formula E and various other forms of racing. The FIA along with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) also certify land speed record attempts. The International Olympic Committee provisionally recognized the federation in 2011, and granted full recognition in 2013.
References: WEC Magazine
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3. IndyCar
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| AJ Foyt at Indy |
Sanctioning Body: INDYCAR, LLC
Owner: Penske Entertainment Corp.
Famous Tracks: Indianapolis (Indy 500)
Famous Drivers: Andretti, Foyt, Unser
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the premier level of open-wheel racing in North America. Its parent company began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL), which was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as a competitor to CART. In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, INDYCAR, LLC.
However, the genesis of what now is IndyCar has roots back to 1909.
The IndyCar series is as old as car racing in the United States, dating back to the earliest days of motoring. The first series of IndyCar ran from 1909 to 1955 and was run by the American Automobile Association (AAA). The very first IndyCar race was in Portland, Oregon in June 1909, and featured six cars, driving 14.6 miles around a track (three laps) with an average speed of 56 miles per hour. In its inaugural season, the IndyCar series consisted of 23 races – both street racing and dirt tracks. Indeed, as evidence of the nascent stage of the series, the final race was a 480 miles race from Los Angeles to Phoenix.
In 2020, the IndyCar Series, as well as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and other holdings, was sold to Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of the Penske Corporation, owned by Roger Penske.
For a complete history see: American Open-Wheel Car Racing
References: Wikipedia
Related Series: Indy Lights
Indy Lights is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires for sponsorship reasons. Indy Lights is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.
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Categories: Sports Car/Touring Car
Sanctioning Body: IMSA
Famous Tracks: Daytona, VIR, Watkins Glenn
Famous Drivers: Fittipaldi
The International Motor Sports Association is a North American auto racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is owned by NASCAR. IMSA is the sanctioning body of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The WeatherTech Sportscar Championship is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada that resulted from the merger of Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series in 2014. The season begins with its premier race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the last weekend
of January and ends with the Petit Le Mans, another North American Endurance Cup
race, in early October. Races are either 1 hour 40 minutes, 2 hours 40 minutes, 6 hours, 12 hours or 24 hours.
The championship features two styles of cars – Prototype, which showcases the latest
automotive technology and are uniquely designed for the racetrack, and Grand Touring,
which is based on road-going production models. These two styles of cars make up the
series’ four classes:
A minimum of 2 drivers are required for every race, maximum of 5 drivers for long races.
Features 2 styles of cars: Prototype and GT (Grand Touring).
All cars race at the same time on the track together, each with their own battle for the lead. Drivers include both amateur and pro.
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The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada and organized by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). It is a result of a merger between two existing North American sports car racing series, the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series. At its inception, the name was United Sports Car Championship, which subsequently changed to the Tudor United Sports Car Championship when Rolex SA signed their Tudor brand to a title sponsorship deal. WeatherTech later signed a deal to take over title sponsorship of the series starting in 2016, rebranding the series.
There are four classes in the Sports Car Championship series, featuring two sports prototype categories and two grand touring classes:
Classes:
Daytona Prototype International (DPI) [Pro only]
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) [Pro/Am]
GT Le Mans (GTLM) [GTE] [Pro only]
GT Datyona (GTD) [GT3] [Pro/Am]
The amateur driver must qualify the car. Cars in all classes must begin the race on the tires used in qualifying.
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Daytona Prototype International (DPI): The flagship class of the championship, featuring cars built to IMSA's Daytona Prototype International regulations, which are based upon the 2017 Le Mans Prototype LMP2 cars. Previously, the DPIs had competed against their base LMP2 counterparts in the Prototype class from 2017-18. The Prototype class had originally consisted of Grand-Am's Daytona Prototypes with the American Le Mans Series LMP2 prototypes, and the DeltaWing, before the original Daytona Prototypes, and the DeltaWing were phased out of competition at the end of 2016, and replaced by the new DPi cars. Starting in 2019 the LMP2 cars were split into a separate Pro-Am class.
Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2): A new class for 2019, it features pro-am driver lineups. The class features cars built by Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) 4 licensed manufacturers (Riley-Multimatic, Ligier, Oreca and Dallara) to the specifications of the FIA/ACO 2017 Global LMP2 regulations.
Grand Touring classes:
GT Le Mans (GTLM): A continuation of the ALMS GT class, it consists of cars matching the ACO's GTE specification.
GT Daytona (GTD): a class that combined the Grand-Am GT & GX classes with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars from the ALMS GTC class. Starting in the 2016 season the class adopted full FIA GT3 specifications.
Some races may only use selected classes of cars, for example: Any class car may be permitted entry into the Rolex 24, while at the Grand Prix of Long Beach only the Daytona Prototype International (DPI) and GT Le Mans (GTLM) are entered. LMP2 and GTLM classes are compatible with regulations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
References: About WTSC 2020
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5. Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
Trans Am
The Trans Am Series is operated by the Trans Am Race Company and sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing.
Based in Palmetto Bay, Fla., the Trans Am Race Company, LLC manages and is responsible for the marketing, public relations and promotion of the Trans Am Series.
The Trans Am Series, America’s Road Racing Series, began igniting the passion of motorsports fans across the world in 1966 and has been home to some of the greatest names in road racing.
Today, Trans Am continues to honor its legacy, while challenging the status quo in racing, through meaningful racing platforms and a driver-oriented focus. The Trans Am Series is operated by The Trans Am Race Company, LLC (TARC), through a five-year agreement in which TARC oversees the management and marketing of the Trans Am Series. SCCA Pro Racing sanctions Trans Am events and provides operations services to the Series.
Tony Parella (Born July 25, 1959, in Syracuse, New York) is President and CEO of the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, SVRA and the majority owner of the Trans Am Race Company, LLC (TARC) which operates the Trans-Am series. He spent 30 years in various executive positions in the telecommunications industry prior to acquiring auto racing businesses.
In 2012 Parella, through Parella Motorsports Holdings, LLC (PMH), acquired the then-30-year-old SportsCar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA). The event calendar includes races at motorsports facilities such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Watkins Glen International, Road America, Sebring International Raceway, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course among others. Parella is a graduate of Morrisville College and attended the six-week Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.
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6. NASCAR
NASCAR executives and team owners stood together on Feb. 9, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina, to announce a landmark long-term agreement on an owner Charter system.
The agreement provided teams with an increased business certainty and the ability to work more closely with NASCAR to continue to produce best-in-class racing.
Below are fast facts about the comprehensive agreement.
• This was announced in 2016 as a long-term agreement. Earlier this year, NASCAR President Steve Phelps announced an extension of the Charter system through 2024. “The Charter agreement is delivering stability and long-term value to existing team owners while providing a clear path for ownership in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Phelps said. ” … A healthy ownership structure ensures strong, competitive racing for our fans, which is a goal the industry collectively shares.”
• There are 36 Charter teams. The number 36 was not pre-determined — back in 2016, NASCAR analyzed which teams showed a long-term commitment to the sport by attempting to qualify every week for the past three years. That criteria yielded 36 Charters.
• A Charter guarantees entry (and therefore, a portion of the purse) into the field of every NASCAR Cup Series points race.
• Teams may sell their Charters on the open market.
• Charter owners may transfer their Charter to another team, for one full season, once over the first five years of the agreement.
• Charter teams are held to a minimum performance standard. If a Charter team finishes in the bottom three of the owner standings among all 36 Charter teams for three consecutive years, NASCAR has a right to remove the charter.
• Organizations now have a hard cap of four cars; there no longer is a the ability to run a fifth car for rookie drivers.
• NASCAR Cup Series fields consist of 40 cars — a change made, from 43 cars previously, when the Charter system was initially announced. That means 36 Charter teams are guaranteed to make every points race, and four non-Charter (or “open”) teams will complete the rest of the field.
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Sanctioning Bodies (list being completed):
FIA (Formula One, WEC, and Others)
ACO
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) [owned by NASCAR]
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)
NTT IndyCar Series
Supercars Championship (Australia)
World Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM)
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Main Categories
1. Open-Wheel: The two main open-wheel series are Formula One and Indy Car.
2. Touring Car
3. Sports Car (probably the most confusing)
4. Stock Car (includes ARCA and NASCAR)
5. Rallying
6. Drag (NHRA)
7. Sprint
8. Kart
9. Drifting
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Now, here comes more confusion. It is the IMSA Prototype Challenge. 2020 is the fifteenth season of the IMSA Lites series and its successors and the fourth season as the IMSA Prototype Challenge. The opening race of the season was on January 4 at the Daytona International Speedway and the season concludes on October 9 at Road Atlanta. The championship will be contested solely by LMP3 class prototypes.
IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda (formerly IMSA Prototype Lites, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites, Mazda Prototype Lites) is a racing series featuring two classes of single-seat prototype cars racing simultaneously. The series is sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). Most races are held in support of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The L1 class features Élan Motorsport Technologies DP02 carbon tub cars powered by a 2.0 L Mazda MZR engine. In 2013 the L2 class switched to the same Elan DP02 tub of the L1, but fitted with the car's previous generation 2.3 L Mazda engine. Each class has an overall championship, a master’s championship for drivers at least 40 years of age, and a team championship. Each race is usually 30–45 minutes.
This apparently is not part of the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship -- but who knows?
And, there is Porsche GT3 Cup USA. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama is a one-make racing series based in North America using Porsche 911 GT3s.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama entered its 15th season in 2019 and is the largest of Porsche's 20 single-make Cup Challenge series in the world. The series produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world's most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Racing is divided into two classes – Platinum Cup, featuring the 2017-2019 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the eighth (current) generation of the street car (991.2), and Gold Cup, featuring the 2014–2016 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the seventh generation of the street car (991.1). A Masters Championship also is conducted in Platinum class, this class consists of drivers 45 years of age or older. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.
The series is managed by Randy Hembrey and sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association, and is a support series to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
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For more confusion, throw in:
2020 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Series
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo is an international motor racing series. The Lamborghini Super Trofeo is the one-make championship organized by Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
The series involves exclusively Huracán Super Trofeo Evo model cars in 3 continental series: Europe, Asia, and North America. The three continental series all have a common format: 6 double races, each 50 minutes long, on the world’s most prestigious circuits, completed by a World Final that decrees the Lamborghini world champions.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo drivers compete in identical Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo cars, based on the Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2 replacing the older Gallardo version. The drivers are also divided according to categories – Pro, Pro-Am, Am, and LB Cup.
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Understanding Le Mans
Cars race in four categories (2020 winner in parentheses):
1. Le Mans Prototype 1 (Toyota)
2. Le Mans Prototype 2 (United Autosports)
3. Grand Touring Endurance Professional (Aston Martin)
4. Grand Touring Endurance Amateur (Aston Martin)
The first two categories are truly prototype vehicles -- purpose built from the ground up for racing. LMP1 differs from LMP2 in that LMP1 cars are "hybrid" and built according to rules uniquely applicable to them. This class has become so expensive that only six cars entered LMP1 for the 2020 24-hours of Le Mans. Toyota won.
The Grand Touring (Gran Turismo) cars are based upon production vehicles. GTE Pro are factory-backed teams. GTE Am are "privateer" teams with drivers with less experience. Aston Martin won both GT categories. There were 8 entrants in GTE Pro and 19 entrants in GTE Am.
Because the LMP1 cars are so exotic, an entrant from this class always is expected to be the overall Le Mans winner. And, this was so for 2020. However, that these cars are by rule so much advanced, many consider the winner of LMP2 as more impressive. In 2020, United Autosports was the LMP2 winner.
United Autosports is a sports car racing team founded in 2009 by American businessman and entrepreneur Zak Brown and former British racing driver Richard Dean. It has partnerships with two world-renowned motor racing teams, Walkinshaw Andretti United in Australia and US-based Andretti Autosport. Andretti and United have teamed up to contest the inaugural season of Extreme E, an off-road racing series that begins in January 2021, racing electric-powered SUV vehicles.
United Autosports has frequently signed accomplished guest drivers to compete in the team's racecars at key events, including Fernando Alonso, Mark Blundell, David Brabham, Martin Brundle, Eddie Cheever, Paul di Resta, Johnny Herbert, Stefan Johansson, Arie Luyendyk, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bruno Senna and Markus Winkelhock. The squad's driver line-ups have also featured some of the top up-and-coming professional racing drivers, such as Brendon Hartley, Alex Lynn and Lando Norris.
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While there is some overlap here are the major categories of automobile racing:
Open-Wheel
Formula One
Formula Two
Formula Three
Formula Ford
Indy Car
Touring Car
FIA World Touring Car Cup
British Touring Car Championship
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Nürburgring VLN Endurance racing Series
Supercars Championship
Sports Car: This category often is confusing as it contains two totally different vehicles -- Gand Touring (which often are confused with Touring Cars - see above) and Sports Prototypes. The most famous races are 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Sports Prototypes are enclosed-wheel two-seater exotics.
FIA
ACO
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (US)
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)
Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS-FIA)
Stock Car
Rallying
Drag
Kart
Sprint
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The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (English: Automobile Club of the West), sometimes abbreviated to ACO, is the largest automotive group in France. It was founded in 1906 by car building and racing enthusiasts, and is most famous for being the organising entity behind the annual Le Mans 24 Hours race. The ACO also lobbies on behalf of French drivers on such issues as road building and maintenance, the availability of driving schools and road safety classes, and the incorporation of technical innovations into new vehicles. It also runs a roadside assistance service for its members.
The Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS) is an umbrella organization of auto racing sanctioning bodies in the United States. It is the official liaison of U.S. sanctioning bodies to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. It was founded in 1957 to take over FIA representation when the American Automobile Association withdrew from racing and dissolved the AAA Contest Board.[1] ACCUS processes international competition licenses for drivers in the U.S. and provides homologation and record keeping. ACCUS is also responsible for the inspection process and the issuance of FIA Historic Technical Passports (HTP) for competitors wishing to take part in International Historic events sanctioned by FIA worldwide.
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Intercontinental GT Challenge
The Intercontinental GT Challenge is a sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group in 2016. It consists of international endurance races for grand tourer racing cars complying with the FIA's GT3/GT4 regulations.
The 2020 Intercontinental GT Challenge is the fifth season of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The season again features five rounds, starting with the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour on 2 February and concluding with the Kyalami 9 Hours on 12 December. Dennis Olsen is the defending Drivers' champion and Porsche is the defending Manufacturers' champion.
Of course there are various confusing classes on the track at the same time.
Sample entrants: Ferrari; Mercedes-AMG; Bentley; Porsche; Acura-Honda; Audi; BMW; McLaren; Aston Martin.
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More Automobile Racing Confusion
GT4 America Series
The GT4 America Series is a sports car racing series based in the United States. It takes over the GTS class of the Pirelli World Challenge, which adopted global GT4 technical regulations in 2018, and it is a Blancpain GT World Challenge America support series. It is managed by the Stéphane Ratel Organization and sanctioned by the United States Auto Club.
The 2020 Pirelli GT4 America Series is the second season of the GT4 America Series. The series is split into a Sprint series, which features 50-minute races with one driver per car, and a Sprint X series, which features one-hour races with two drivers per car and a mandatory driver change during pit stops. The season begins on 7 March at Circuit of the Americas and ends on 3 October at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
There apparently are several classes: Silver; Pro/Am; and Am.
Aston Martin Vantage GT4 (Flying Lizard Motorsports) are the 2020 champions in both Sprint and Sprint X (see photograph).
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FORD MUSTANG GT4 BY FORD PERFORMANCE
Inspired by the Ford Shelby GT350R-C, the Ford Mustang GT4 has been designed and engineered jointly by Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports to compete in sports car championship racing series globally, including the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, Pirelli World Challenge GTS/GT4, and GT4 European Series.
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GT Racing
Like Formula racing - there are many classes to GT and the differences aren't plainly obvious.
GT4
At the lower end of the GT pecking order lives GT4. These machines are based on road going supercars and are sold to customer teams worldwide for them to use as they please. The main aspect that sets GT4 apart from its "3" and "E" sisters is the aerodynamics. GT4s have significantly reduced wings, splitters and diffusers compared to GT3 and GTE. Another difference is the power they produce. Obviously, having 500+HP in a race car that doesn't have the downforce to keep it glued to the track is a completely brainless idea, so the engines in GT4s are detuned to around the 400±HP mark. That's (roughly) a 100HP difference to GT3, and a 250HP deficit to GTE.
GT3
A well known fact is that GT3 is one of the most popular classes of race cars in the world. They compete in domestic and international series the world over and race on nearly ever circuit you can name. GT3 sits slap bang in the middle and is the best of both worlds. You get to enjoy the aesthetic of silly wings and diffusers you can live under without having too much dirty air from the car ahead. On average, a GT3 car will have 500HP and will utilize Balance of Performance (BoP) to keep the field close. Balance of Performance works by adding or removing ballast, or changing the amount of power the engine can deliver. BoP often causes a stir amongst drivers as changes can be made after qualifying, this means a car that was extremely quick in qualifying can be altered to be slower in the race. GT3 cars develop significantly more downforce that their GT4 counterparts. The Nissan GT-R GT3 is claimed to produce 1,000KG of downforce above 200KPH.
GTE (also called GTLM due to its use at Lemans)
Now for the most potent GT racers around (other than Super GT). GTE cars only race in two series currently, the WEC and IMSA, but what the lack in exposure they make up for in awesomeness. By quite a margin, GTE cars are the most powerful of the three, the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo produces a fairly handy 650HP. In addition, GTE cars are extremely slippery in a straight line. As a result, at this year's Le Mans GTE cars were easily surpassing the 300KPH barrier and some going further beyond. Despite being the highest tier of GT racing, GTEs don't produce as much downforce as GT3s purely so they can reach those stupidly high speeds at Le Mans. GTEs also have fewer driver aids than GT3s and 4s. This is counter intuitive, because GTE cars race for longer distances so you'd think they should have more driver aids, but they don't. GTEs have to make do without ABS unlike GT3 and 4 cars, at least they have traction control.
Source: Joe LeCorre (2019) [https://drivetribe.com/p/the-difference-between-gt4-gt3-JEHOO8pFQhOw4LO4T-9TDw?iid=X4p0bJr-T9S62ARygFrYIQ; accessed 11 October 2020].
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GT World Challenge
Firstly, I'll answer the question about the different categories. An important concept to understand is that all drivers are given a ranking by the FIA and the SRO, that can either be Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. Also, Bronze is only given to amateur drivers while the others are given to pros. Furthermore, the different pro rankings are intended to separate pro drivers of different skill levels, with silver being the lowest and platinum the highest. Now let's talk about the classes themselves, and yes, there are different classes within the championship, and class wins are the biggest and most important objectives for each team.
AM - class for bronze (amateur) drivers only
PRO-AM - class for a mix of amateur (bronze) drivers and pro (silver, gold or platinum) drivers.
Silver - class for silver (lowest rated pro) drivers
PRO - class that fights for the overall win, for professional drivers
A very important thing to note is that, although different classes exist, all the cars, from PRO to AM should have the same pace, unlike what happens in multiclass series like the WEC, ELMS or IMSA. The difference is entirely made by the drivers themselves, which makes things really interesting imo. Plus, it makes lapping cars much more difficult, as you're fighting a very similar car in terms of pace, and one that desperately wants to stay on the overall lead lap so that it can benefit from a safety car.
Another important clarification is that although there is a class for silver drivers only, a silver rated pro can also race in the PRO or PRO-AM classes. So why the need for the Silver class in the first place, you may ask? Well, because before it, there was a problematic and common issue that needed to be solved, and it was, with the creation of this class. Basically, there were lots of cases of amateur (bronze) drivers that were getting too good for the AM class, and were eventually upgraded to Silver by the SRO. However, despite this looking like something positive, it would end the careers of many as they suddenly went from the fastest amateur to one of the slowest pros, which could downright make it impossible for them to find a seat anywhere. Thus, the silver class is a nice addition that helps young drivers develop their careers, after becoming pros.
Now about the manufacturers:
All the teams are somewhat independent from the manufactures, because the rules mandate such thing. However, they are still very involved with their customer teams, specially the pro ones. In the AM and PRO-AM, it´s pretty much about finding drivers who can afford the whole operation, the manufacturers dont really have a say on that. With silver, it's mostly up to the teams themselves to chose the driver lineup, as they still have some degree of independence from the manufacturers. However, occasionally teams that traditionally run the PRO class also run a Silver entry, and here manufacturers get more involved, as PRO teams are much more connected to the actual constructors of the car. And this leads me to the PRO class, where every team is heavily tied and arguably dependent on the manufacturer they represent, with the latter playing a big role on every decision. This is because the PRO class win is what manufacturers really desire, as its great for advertisement and marketing. Winning lower classes is always important, as it helps selling more race cars, but advertising your brand as the 24 hours of spa AM class winners just doesn't have the same ring to it as the 24 hours of Spa overall winners. And not only do they give loads of technical support, they trust the teams with bigger ties to the manufacturer with their factory drivers. Examples are Black Falcon, which always uses Mercedes factory drivers, or AF Corse and Ferrari, M Sport for Bentley, R Motorsport and Aston, etc.
So, for the top classes, manufacturer support is plenty and the manufacturers themselves can choose to assign their best drivers to specific teams. In lower classes however, its more of the teams' job to do that.
Side note: GTEs are run slightly different, as GTE PROs are 100% factory owned operations, run completely by the manufacturers. GTE AM is run very similarly to GT3 PRO, I'd say. Also, GT4s are similarly run to GT3 AMs, as it's a lower level class.
Now for the championship:
To start with, you have both the GTWC Europe Sprint and Endurance Series. Each takes place over 5 weekends, with Endurance events being 3 to 24 hours long, and each sprint event being two 1 hour races. They are their own thing and, at the end the season, you have champions for each of those champions, in each class. HOWEVER, there is also a broader championship, the GTWC Europe, which consists on adding the points of both championships. This is done in order to increase the number of cars in each series, as teams can this way take part in only 5 races but still fight for championships, which is good for them and for the sponsors. Basically, it helps teams with lower budgets, that cant otherwise compete in full seasons. The overall GTWC Europe is the most important of the three, but any of those two subdivisions is important in its own right.
Also, the GTWC Europe, Asia and America is not the same thing... more or less...its complicated. They are different championships and, for drivers and teams they are completely separate. However, there is this one championship for manufacturers only with consists of adding the results of 4 entries in each championship, to form the GTWC overall championship. This is, however, just for the manufacturers and you can disregard it. Plus, last year, only two manufacturers (Mercedes and Ferrari) actually had 4 cars in each series to begin with...
Side note: In the 24 hours of Spa, which is a part of GTWC Europe Endurance, cars from another championship, the IGTC (Intercontinental GT Championship) also compete. However, i believe they dont take points for the GTWC Europe standings and in case they get second, for example, the next best placed car of th GTWC gets he points for a 2nd place finish. The same process happens for IGTC points, but the other way around. Also, because other GTWC Europe Endurance events are significantly smaller (3-6 hrs), cars also get points at the 6th and 12th hour mark, at Spa. Rather confusingly though, IGTC cars only get points at the end of this race, as this championship is made from lengthier races, normally around 10 hours long.
Source: Absol-Hoenn (July 2020) on Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/Sportscar_Racing/comments/ho8zn9/gt_world_challenge_format/; accessed 11 October 2020].
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Category: One-make racing by Porsche
Country: United States
Inaugural Season: 2005
Constructors: Porsche
Tyre Suppliers: Yokohama
Drivers' Champion: Canada Roman De Angelis/Puerto RicoSebastian Carazo
Teams' Champion: United States Kelly Moss/United States NGT Motorsport
Official Website: porschegt3cupusa.imsa.com
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama is a one-make racing series based in North America using Porsche 911 GT3s.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama entered its 15th season in 2019 and is the largest of Porsche's 20 single-make Cup Challenge series in the world. The series produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world's most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Racing is divided into two classes – Platinum Cup, featuring the 2017-2019 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the eighth (current) generation of the street car (991.2), and Gold Cup, featuring the 2014–2016 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the seventh generation of the street car (991.1). A Masters Championship also is conducted in Platinum class, this class consists of drivers 45 years of age or older. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.
The series is managed by Randy Hembrey and sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association, and is a support series to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
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The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) is a major organ within the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's governance structure. Its primary role is amending current regulations and drafting new regulations for all of international motor sport. One of the main duties of the WMSC is to allow motor sport to: Continue to develop with an emphasis on maintaining safety for the drivers and spectators, and to encourage competitive motoring innovation which adheres to environmental standards.
The FIA's largest motorsport championships include the FIA Formula One World Championship, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the FIA World Rally Championship. The World Motor Sport Council's membership is chosen by the FIA General Assembly, which contains representatives from national automobile clubs (ASNs) throughout the world. It is one of two FIA World Councils; the other council is responsible for administrating "issues affecting the automobile in society (The World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism (WCAMT)). The World Motor Sport Council meets a minimum of three times a year to consider proposals from specialist FIA Commissions and subsidiaries. It has a current membership of 28 members, including the FIA President Jean Todt and Formula One chairman Stefano Domenicali.
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The Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA) drivers into four categories:
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
The classes are used to determine which drivers are eligible to participate in which events and in which classes into which those events are divided.
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