Britcar
| Category | Endurance |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Inaugural season | 2005 |
| Drivers | Varies |
| Teams | Varies |
| Official website | [1] |
Britcar is an Endurance Motor Racing series formed in 1997, as a result of a discussion in a Nürburgring bar between Willie Moore and James Tucker. Folklore has it that James Tucker and John Veness formed the organizing European Endurance & Racing Club (EERC) with a £10 note found on the ground. The foremost aim was the re-introduction of a 24-Hour Race in Britain.
At the end of the 2015 season, James sold the Britcar rights to Hedley Cowell Events Ltd. For the 2016 season, Clair and Rob Hedley re-launched Britcar Endurance as the Dunlop Endurance Championship and Dunlop Production Championship. Such was the interest in the run up to the 2016 Autosport International show they also launched a separate short series of races for Prototype and CN category cars. The Production championship was expanded after the first round to allow GT-specification cars to compete, thus becoming the Dunlop GT & Production Championship.
Cars and results
There are two separate championships for different types of car; although some cars can run in both, they may be in different categories.
GT's, which include cars like Ferraris, Porsches, Marcos, Moslers and Ginettas over a long-distance race, normally between 2 and 4 hours in length with a compulsory pit stop. Normally cars will have between 2 and 3 drivers.
Production, which include cars like Renault Clio Cup, Seat Leon Supercopa, Porsche Boxster, BMW M3s and Mini Cooper S. These races are normally 90 minutes long, featuring a mandatory pit stop. There can be up to 2 drivers per car.
History
The successful first year of competition was in 2002, and following tremendous growth in 2003, it attracted Sky Sports coverage in their Motor Sports section in 2004. The first year of the Britcar 24-Hour Race was 2005 which was won by Rollcentre Mosler of Martin Short.[1] This was followed by packed grids in 2006 season culminating in a capacity field for the 24-Hours.[2] EERC became a Motor Sports Association (MSA) approved Championship in 2007 as well being the now essential 24 hours. It played a supporting role to the British round of the A1 Grand Prix. The presenters of the well-known British car show Top Gear took part in the 2007 event, coming third of the five diesel cars, and 39th overall, at the end of the 24 Hours.
In 2011 it became known as the MSA British Endurance championship.
Such was its popularity in some seasons that over-subscription meant there are reserves waiting for grid positions.
Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour
Britcar traditionally hosted an endurance race on the Silverstone GP circuit.
At the end of the 2015 season, the rights for the Silverstone 24 hour endurance race were sold to Creventic to become the UK edition of their FIA "touring car" endurance series.
For this event's history, see Silverstone Britcar 24-Hour
References
External links
- britcar-endurance.com official website from 2016 season onwards
- Britcar24hr.co.uk original URL - old site contents no longer available