World Touring Car Championship

From Freepedia

A worldwide Touring Car championship organized by the FIA.

Originally started in 1987 as a step forward from the long running ETCC (European Touring Car Championship) in a Group A format, with races held in Bathurst and Mount Fuji. Won by Roberto Ravaglia, the series was not a sucess only lasting just a year before reverting back as the old ETCC format which folded at the end of the season

In 1993, with the high popularity of the Super Touring Car category, the FIA hosted the annual event Touring Car World Cup held at Monza for touring car drivers all over the world, the race was won by Paul Radisich. The race would be run for another two more years, won by Radisich again in 1994 at Donington Park and Frank Biela in 1995 at Paul Ricard before disappearing into obscurity.

Modern World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) started in 2005, replacing the old European Touring Car Championship. It is considered the third most important FIA championship after Formula One Championship and World Rally Championship.

Running across vast continental racing facilities, this series which is heavily supported by BMW, Alfa Romeo and SEAT, with Ford, Chevrolet and Honda also showing limited support. It features 2L cars built to Super 2000 regulations.

Following the trend of recent FIA rules, cost control is a major theme in the technical regulation. Engines are limited to 2000 cc. Many technologies that have featured in production cars are not allowed, such as variable valve timing, variable intake geometry, ABS brakes and traction control.