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Touring car racing

Motorsport road racing competition

  • 13 min read
  • 4 chapters

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While the cars are not as fast as those in formula or sports car races, their similarity both to one another and to fans' own vehicles makes for well-supported racing. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have a much easier time passing than in open-wheel racing, and the more substantial bodies of the cars makes the subtle bumping and nudging for overtaking much more acceptable.

As well as short sprint races, many touring car series include one or more endurance races, which last from 3 to 24 hours and are tests of reliability and pit crews as much as speed and consistency.

Characteristics

Touring car racing started in the mid twentieth century as a long-format style of competition that took place on public roads between numerous towns. The cars were crewed by a driver and, because of their unreliability, a mechanic who carried tools and spares. The legacy of these beginnings can still be seen in modern touring and GT cars – the driver sits offset from the centreline of the car and there is space for a second seat (although they are rarely fitted any more).

While rules vary from country to country and series to series, most series require that the competitors start with a standard car body, but virtually every other component may be allowed to be heavily modified for racing, including engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. Aerodynamic aids are sometimes added to the front and rear of the cars. Regulations are usually designed to limit costs by banning some of the more exotic technologies available (for instance, many series insist on a control tire that all competitors must use) and keep the racing close (sometimes by ballast weight where winning a race requires the winner's car to be heavier for subsequent races).

Touring cars share some similarity with American stock car racing. Touring cars are, at least notionally, derived from production cars as most stock car racing outside of NASCAR, including street stock and late model racing, continue to be. NASCAR circuits have since moved to a custom platform independent of production cars, unlike touring car circuits. Touring car racing is also referred to as saloon car racing.

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