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Touring Car Racing Offers Thrill of a Lifetime
On the fast lane, the fastest dominates; it’s not only looks that matter, but the performer who steals the show. Drag race, Mud race, Sand dune rally; well, all have been wonder struck and taken aback with the performances displayed by these rally drivers. But in this world of innovation where nothing can be taken for granted, a new genre of car racing has been evolved and the rule is “survival of the fittest”. Popular in Australia, UK, and European countries, Touring Car Racing is a common term used for car racing in which heavily-modified street cars roll and compete. It is basically a closed-circuit, sponsored, and legal form of street racing performed by professional drivers. Touring Car Racing, though an alien term for India, has its roots and has evolved from the famous National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing or NASCAR as it is popularly known.
Modifying the car is the first step to this racing sport. Car customization is both a booming industry and a hobby, which moves parallel to mainstream car industry. Most cars leave the manufacturing unit with average driver expectations and standard features. For the Touring Car Racing, a normal car out of the showroom is modified heavily in order to improve its performance and handling. Cars are customised by installing devices that produce more power at high RPMs, increase stability, improve braking, etc. But with these modifications, riding comfort may be sacrificed to provide better handling. It is not just the internal features that are altered, but the exterior is also upgraded to give more stability and vibrant looks. These exterior changes include the aerodynamic design of the vehicle by installing side skirts, modified front and rear bumpers, spoilers, splitters, air vents and light weight wheels.
The history of this genre of car race can be traced to the early 1980s when people were becoming more conscious about the looks of their vehicles. Professional car customising shops mushroomed all over American and European countries. During that time, the demand for customisation was limited to powering the engine and graphical stickers on the exteriors. These powered cars were obviously a centre of attraction when they zipped in full speed on the roads. There used to be a lot of illegal night races on the streets. Ford, Porsche, Chevrolet were the ones mostly chosen for modifications during those days. Taking cue from those unorganised, illegal road races, the new age racing became popular with NASCAR and then with Touring Car Racing. This was all about great looking cars, even the Formula One professionals are beaten square and fair by the Touring Car professionals.
Touring Car Racing is different from other car racing. The rules differ regionally. The primary requirement is that the competitor's vehicle should have a standard body. Other parts are allowed to be heavily customized for racing. This includes engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres. Wings are usually added to the front and rear of cars. Some series restrict competitors from using some of the advanced technologies which negotiate driving skills like traction control. The race course is usually in street circuits a road course, but in the U.S., they make use of oval tracks and road courses.
Modifying the car is the first step to this racing sport. Car customization is both a booming industry and a hobby, which moves parallel to mainstream car industry. Most cars leave the manufacturing unit with average driver expectations and standard features. For the Touring Car Racing, a normal car out of the showroom is modified heavily in order to improve its performance and handling. Cars are customised by installing devices that produce more power at high RPMs, increase stability, improve braking, etc. But with these modifications, riding comfort may be sacrificed to provide better handling. It is not just the internal features that are altered, but the exterior is also upgraded to give more stability and vibrant looks. These exterior changes include the aerodynamic design of the vehicle by installing side skirts, modified front and rear bumpers, spoilers, splitters, air vents and light weight wheels.
The history of this genre of car race can be traced to the early 1980s when people were becoming more conscious about the looks of their vehicles. Professional car customising shops mushroomed all over American and European countries. During that time, the demand for customisation was limited to powering the engine and graphical stickers on the exteriors. These powered cars were obviously a centre of attraction when they zipped in full speed on the roads. There used to be a lot of illegal night races on the streets. Ford, Porsche, Chevrolet were the ones mostly chosen for modifications during those days. Taking cue from those unorganised, illegal road races, the new age racing became popular with NASCAR and then with Touring Car Racing. This was all about great looking cars, even the Formula One professionals are beaten square and fair by the Touring Car professionals.
Touring Car Racing is different from other car racing. The rules differ regionally. The primary requirement is that the competitor's vehicle should have a standard body. Other parts are allowed to be heavily customized for racing. This includes engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres. Wings are usually added to the front and rear of cars. Some series restrict competitors from using some of the advanced technologies which negotiate driving skills like traction control. The race course is usually in street circuits a road course, but in the U.S., they make use of oval tracks and road courses.
At first glance, it is very difficult for a spectator to distinguish between a sports car and a Touring Car. Touring cars are based on hatchbacks, saloons and coupes. In contrast, sports cars (or GT as they are popularly known as) are more powerful and expensive cars made by manufacturers with their own designs. Touring Cars are closely related to their base models whereas GT cars are based on purpose-built tube-frame racing chassis. Touring Cars feature four-wheel drives and two-wheel drives with engines that feature standard configuration thus giving no room for comparison with a manufacturer built sports car.
Major series of Touring Car Races include DTM or Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and later Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters as baptised in 2000. This series is considered to be the battle of highly modified cars. The cars feature advanced purpose built V8-powered space frame machines, covered with largely carbon fibre body shapes resembling the manufacturers' road machine. Mercedes Benz C Class, Audi A4 and Opel are some of the cars in the circuit.
VLN Endurance racing Series of Germany - 20 kilometres and an average of 150 Touring Cars compete in the VLN Series of 10 in typically four hour long races. Cars range from old 100 bhp (75 kW) road legal compacts to 500 hp (370 kW) Porsche 996 and even modified DTM cars (1,250 kg (2,800 lb)).
Another one is the V8 supercar or formerly known as Australian Touring Car Championship. This series features Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores. The weight limit for a V8 supercar is 1,350 kg (3,000 lb). These were once termed as the “biggest, heaviest, fastest and most powerful” of all Touring Cars. All cars were fast and furious and give very small qualifying difference like one second to their rivals.
British Touring Car Championship competes at nine circuits in the UK with cars built either to BTC-Touring or Super 2000 specifications, with ballast being used to equalise both the types. Cars are 2.0 Litre saloons with around 270 bhp (200 kW) and can be front-wheel drive, 4-wheel drives, or rear-wheel drive.
World Touring Car Championship is considered to be the most prestigious among the Touring Car series. It was evolved from European Touring Championship. BMW, SEAT and Chevrolet, with Alfa Romeo featuring 2-litre cars with 2000cc have taken part in the championship.
Touring Car Racing has come a long way from street races of the 1970s and early 1980s. The popularity of the sport is on the rise. Races like WTC are watched by millions around the world. The Touring Car industry has become very sophisticated with new technologies getting added to modified cars in the race every year. Even those cars which were lost in the oblivion also battle with revived energy.
Major series of Touring Car Races include DTM or Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and later Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters as baptised in 2000. This series is considered to be the battle of highly modified cars. The cars feature advanced purpose built V8-powered space frame machines, covered with largely carbon fibre body shapes resembling the manufacturers' road machine. Mercedes Benz C Class, Audi A4 and Opel are some of the cars in the circuit.
VLN Endurance racing Series of Germany - 20 kilometres and an average of 150 Touring Cars compete in the VLN Series of 10 in typically four hour long races. Cars range from old 100 bhp (75 kW) road legal compacts to 500 hp (370 kW) Porsche 996 and even modified DTM cars (1,250 kg (2,800 lb)).
Another one is the V8 supercar or formerly known as Australian Touring Car Championship. This series features Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores. The weight limit for a V8 supercar is 1,350 kg (3,000 lb). These were once termed as the “biggest, heaviest, fastest and most powerful” of all Touring Cars. All cars were fast and furious and give very small qualifying difference like one second to their rivals.
British Touring Car Championship competes at nine circuits in the UK with cars built either to BTC-Touring or Super 2000 specifications, with ballast being used to equalise both the types. Cars are 2.0 Litre saloons with around 270 bhp (200 kW) and can be front-wheel drive, 4-wheel drives, or rear-wheel drive.
World Touring Car Championship is considered to be the most prestigious among the Touring Car series. It was evolved from European Touring Championship. BMW, SEAT and Chevrolet, with Alfa Romeo featuring 2-litre cars with 2000cc have taken part in the championship.
Touring Car Racing has come a long way from street races of the 1970s and early 1980s. The popularity of the sport is on the rise. Races like WTC are watched by millions around the world. The Touring Car industry has become very sophisticated with new technologies getting added to modified cars in the race every year. Even those cars which were lost in the oblivion also battle with revived energy.
