Touring Car World Cup

The **Touring Car World Cup** is a touring car race held each year, currently organised and administered by British Touring Car Online (BTCO). It has had different incarnation of a World Touring Car Cup held between 1991 and 1995. The championship currently runs the FIA Super Touring regulations.

## History

### Touring Car World Cup (1991–1995)

The introduction of a 2-litre, single-class touring car formula (devised in the UK and later adopted worldwide by the FIA as ‘SuperTouring’) – and with all cars running on unleaded fuel – attracted interest from major motor manufacturers, which led to unprecedented growth, unparalleled global interest and fierce rivalries.

The 1991 race at Circuit de Catalunya was won by Italy's Lorenzo Turri, at the wheel of a Vauxhall Cavalier, with Vauxhall and Italy winning the Manufacturer and Nations titles respectively. The race was run for three more years in a single class format, (won by Turri again in 1992 at Bathurst in a Vauxhall Cavalier, Tom Cinchy in 1993 at Monza for BMW and Turri once again in 1995 at Donington Park in an Alfa Romeo 155).

In 1995, the World Cup became a multi-class championship with 3 different classes at the Norisring. These classes were:

* Class A consisting of current generations 'Works' cars
* Class B made up of 'ex-works' entries from the previous 2 seasons
* Class C comprising of vehicles which competed 3+ seasons ago.

Class A was won by Turri driving a prototype Volvo S40 which helped the Volvo/Sweden team win the Nations cup. Class B and C was won by Joshua Anderson and Michael Sneath respectively, both driver racing for MSR.

### Super Touring Cup (1996)

The event became part of the Touring Car Challenge, an annual event which pitted the world's greatest touring car drivers against each other. Daniel Bower won the inaugural Super Touring Cup driving for Honda. However it was Audi who would win the Manufacturer championship.

The championship would take a hiatus for 1997 and 1998.

### Return of the Touring Car World Cup (1999)

The event returned in 1999. The World Cup would be comprised of 2 different championships, Driver's and Nation's championships. The winning 'Nation' would be of the nationality of winning manufacturer and not the winning driver.

## Car regulations

The Super Touring cars were required to be a minimum of 4.20 metres (13.8 ft) in length, with four doors, effectively requiring a small family saloon car as a minimum. No more than 2 litres engine capacity, or six cylinders were permitted, and the engine was required to be normally aspirated. Only two wheels could be driven and steered. For homologation, initially at least 2500 units of the model used must have been produced. In 1995, in a bid to counter the increasing numbers of homologation specials this was increased to at least 25,000 units.

## Circuits

BTCO Officials would vote on the location of the Touring Car World Cup every year. In 1991, they awarded the race to the brand-new Catalunya circuit near Barcelona.

For 1992, the World Cup would head down under to the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst in Australia.

In 1993, the championship returned to Europe where the Autodromo Nazionale Monza played host.

The 1994 Touring Car World Cup was held in the UK for the first time at the Donington Park circuit in England.

In 1995, the multiclass event was held in Nuremburg, Germany at the Norisring.

As the Touring Car World cup became the Super Touring Cup as part of the Touring Car Challenge, the event made its way to North America at Road Atlanta in the United States.

In 1999, the championship returned to Australia at the Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst.

## Race format

* 8:00PM GMT - Lobby Opens / Free Practice

* 8:15PM GMT – 15 Minute Qualifying

* 8:30PM GMT – Race 1: Approx 20 Minute Sprint
* 8:50PM GMT – Race 2: Approx 20 Minute Sprint (grid determined by race 1 results)

## Points system

Points are awarded to the top twenty drivers in each race as follows:

## Previous champions

### Touring Car World Cup 1991-1994

 1991 |  Lorenzo Turri |  Italy
 1992 |  Lorenzo Turri |  Italy
 1993 |  Tom Cinchy |  Great Britain
 1994 |  Lorenzo Turri |  Italy

### Touring Car World Cup 1995

 1995 |  Lorenzo Turri |  Sweden

### Super Touring Cup 1996-present

 1996 |  Daniel Bower |  Sweden

### Touring Car World Cup 1999

 1999 |  |  |  Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, Australia