TCR (touring car)
TCR ( T ouring C ar R acing) denotes a touring car specification in auto racing . The technical regulations follow the concept of the GT3 racing cars, in which the performance differences of the racing cars are balanced out by means of a balance of performance . There are various racing series that are held according to the TCR regulations. The first was the TCR International Series , which had its inaugural season in 2015 . Many other regional and national championships followed.
history
In the course of 2014, plans for a new touring car series were announced, which should be located below the WTCC . Similar to the formula or motorcycle sector, the FIA originally wanted to create a pyramid of TC1 , TC2 and TC3 touring cars. However, these plans were withdrawn and the new format, renamed TCR, was positioned as a cost-effective alternative to the WTCC. The technical regulations of the new racing series are brand cup racing cars, which are leveled to a uniform level of performance by means of a balance of performance . The basic concept is the Seat Leon Supercopa brand cup racing car. He was already eligible to compete in the European Touring Car Cup between 2014 and 2015 in the Single Make Trophy alongside the TC2 touring cars. This took up the concept of the German Touring Car Championship from the late 1980s. At that time, the DTM took over the FIA Group A regulations with different engine displacement classes and introduced the "classless society" through handicap regulations.
In 2015 the TCR International Series started its first season. Other international, regional and national racing series followed. The TCR Germany has existed in Germany since 2016 , which is one of the largest fields in the world with over 40 registered vehicles. Due to the global success of the TCR racing series, the FIA also adopted these regulations: Between 2006 and 2007, the ETC Cup was held with touring cars comparable to TCR. For the 2018 season, the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) merged with the TCR International Series to form the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) and adopted the TCR rules.
Technical regulations
On September 15, 2014, the technical regulations were published for the first time and revised again on January 22, 2016. The concept is brand trophy against similar vehicles that have a balance of performance be matched to a similar level of performance. The brand cup racing car of the Seat Leon Supercopa served as a template . The successful concept of the GT3 sports car was transferred to touring car sport, in which the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup from the Porsche Carrera Cup originally served as the base vehicle. The German Touring Car Championship with the concept of "class society" was similarly successful at the end of the 1980s . At that time, the various cubic capacity classes of the FIA Group A regulations were brought to a level of performance by means of handicap regulations.
While the sporting regulations in the TCR racing series are up to the organizers and both sprint and long-distance races are possible, the technical regulations are fixed and must be identical everywhere. This is to ensure that the cars can be used in many ways without major modifications.
- Approved cars: 4/5-door vehicles
- Chassis: Revised chassis from the production model
- Minimum weight: 1250 kg for vehicles with production gearbox, 1285 kg for vehicles with racing gearbox (both with driver)
- Minimum length: 4.20 meters
- Maximum overall width: 1.95 meters
- Motor: Turbo petrol or diesel up to 2.0 liters
- Torque: approx. 410 Nm
- Power: 249 kW (330 PS)
- Lubrication: wet sump lubrication
- Exhaust: Homologated catalytic converter using standard parts
- Drive: front wheel drive
- Gearbox: Production gearbox or TCR series gearbox sequential; Paddle shift is allowed
-
Brakes:
- Front: max. 6 piston calipers, brake discs max. Diameter 380 mm
- Rear: max. 2 piston calipers; Standard ABS is allowed
- Wheels: Maximum dimensions of the rim: 10 "× 18"
-
Aerodynamics:
- Front wing: 2014 SEAT León Eurocup
- Rear wing: FIA Appendix J Art. 263 2014
- Ground clearance: at least 80 mm
- Performance / weight ratio: Balance of Performance (weight difference between +70 and −20 kg from the minimum vehicle weight)
Vehicles in the TCR International Series, including the engine, cost between 70,000 and 100,000 euros.
Approved vehicles
Once a year before the start of the season, a test called by the TCR organization WSC takes place, in which the balance of performance of all TCR vehicles for all international, regional and national TCR series is determined. In addition to static performance measurements on test benches, the cars are also driven on the racetrack to compare performance data . In addition to the drivers of the various brands, an independent pilot carries out comparison tests with all vehicles.
Thanks to the Balance of Performance, the differences in the various vehicle concepts are brought into line with one another. This is mainly done by adjusting the vehicle weight and the maximum engine power. During the test, the technical experts from the TCR organization WSC work together with the experts from the FIA.
| brand | vehicle | engine | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homologated vehicles | |||
|
Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | Alfa Romeo 1750 TBi R4 | Romeo Ferraris |
|
Audi RS 3 LMS SEQ | Volkswagen EA888 2.0 TFSI R4 | Audi Sport GmbH |
| Audi RS 3 LMS TCR DSG | |||
|
Cupra TCR | SEAT Sport | |
| Cupra TCR DSG | |||
|
Honda Civic Type R FK2 TCR | Honda K20C1 i-VTEC DOHC Turbo R4 | JAS Motorsport |
| Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | |||
|
Hyundai i30 N TCR | Hyundai Theta II G4KD R4 | Hyundai Motorsport |
|
Kia cee'd TCR | STARD | |
|
Lada Vesta TCR | Renault F4RT I4 | Lada Sport |
|
Opel Astra TCR | GM Ecotec 2.0L LTG R4 | Opel Performance Center / Kissling Motorsport |
| Peugeot 308 TCR | Prince EP6FDTR 1.6l THP R4 | Peugeot Sport | |
|
Renault Mégane TCR | 1.8 Energy TCe I4 | Vuković Motorsport |
|
Seat León TCR DSG | Volkswagen EA888 2.0 TFSI R4 | SEAT Sport |
| Seat León TCR SEQ | |||
|
Subaru WRX STi TCR | Subaru EJ257 B4 | Top run motorsport |
|
VW Golf GTI TCR DSG | Volkswagen EA888 2.0 TFSI R4 | Volkswagen Motorsport |
| VW Golf GTI TCR SEQ | |||
| Vehicles with special approval | |||
| Peugeot 308 Racing Cup | Prince EP6FDTR 1.6l THP R4 | Peugeot Sport | |
Audi RS3 LMS
Honda Civic TCR (10th Gen)
Honda Civic TCR (9th Gen)
Hyundai i30 N TCR
Opel Astra TCR
Seat León Cup Racer
VW Golf GTI TCR
Audi TT Cup in the TCR International Series
Opel Astra OPC Cup in the TCR International Series
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E-TCR
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Shortly before the Geneva Motor Show in 2018, the TCR rights holder WSC presented a new concept for an E-TCR in which purely electrically powered touring cars are to drive. At the same time, Seat presented a matching racing vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show with the Cupra E-Racer. The Cupra E-Racer is based on the Seat Leon TCR. In contrast to the conventional TCR cars, the rear wheels of the E-TCR vehicles are driven via a power transmission that does not require gear shifting. Four electric motors are used here, which are mounted in pairs on the rear wheels. The drive torque flows directly to the rear wheels via an input gear. Electric motors have a maximum speed of this 12000min -1 . The entire drive train with four engines is to deliver a continuous output of 300 kW (408 PS). In the short term, a peak output of up to 500 kW (680 PS) should also be available. This is 242 kW (330 PS) more than the TCR version of the Cupra with gasoline drive can usually show. Its acceleration is given as 3.2 seconds from zero to 100 km / h and 8.2 seconds from zero to 200 km / h. In addition, a top speed of over 270 km / h should be possible. The model is also equipped with an energy recovery system. A battery is used as the energy storage device, which is composed of 6,072 cells and weighs around 450 kilograms, which is around a third of the total vehicle weight. The battery capacity is 65 kilowatt hours. Seat specifies 40 minutes as the charging time. The battery sits in the vehicle floor for an optimal center of gravity. Compared to the conventionally powered Cupra TCR, the Cupra e-Racer weighs around 400 kilograms more.
The complete drive train and the batteries in the E-TCR should be standard components that can be built into the chassis of four- or five-door touring cars. The powertrain of the Seat Cupra E-Racer, which is based on the Leon TCR, is to be tested in 2018, and advertising appearances are also planned.
As part of the season finale of TCR Europe 2018, the former WTCC driver Jordi Gené completed a series of demonstration laps on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona for the first public demonstration of the Cupra e-Racer . In the meantime, the head of WSC, Marcello Lotti, presented the new series concept for the first fully electric multi-brand touring car series ETCR, which is set to debut in 2020.
TCR racing series
| TCR racing series | TCR racing series timeline | |||
| 2010s | ||||
| 5 | 6th | 7th | 8th | |
| International | ||||
 World Touring Car Cup (WTCR)
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| TCR International Series | ||||
| Regional | ||||
 European Touring Car Cup (ETCC)
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TCR Europe
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| TCR Asia | ||||
| TCR Middle East | ||||
| National | ||||
| TCR Baltic | ||||
| TCR BeNeLux | ||||
 TCR China
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 TCR Germany
|
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  TCR Ibérico
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 TCR Italy
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TCR Portugal
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 TCR Russia
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| TCR Scandinavia | ||||
 TCR Swiss Trophy
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 TCR Thailand
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 TCR UK
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| Pirelli World Challenge | ||||
| Long haul | ||||
| IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge | ||||
| 24h Touring Car Endurance Series | ||||
 Super Taikyu Series
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VLN
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Campeonato de España de Resistencia
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TCR International Series
The TCR International Series was first held in 2015 and promoted by Marcello Lotti , the former promoter of the World Touring Car Championship . The TCR International Series was a comparatively inexpensive, worldwide championship. It took place in Asia and Europe and was partly held as part of the Formula 1 World Championship .
World Touring Car Cup (WTCR)
The FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) has been held since the 2018 season. This emerged from the merger of the TCR International Series with the World Touring Car Championship . The TCR (TCN2) regulations are adopted for the technical regulations for touring cars. Since the TCR concept provides for customer racing, no works teams are possible in the WTCR. As a result, the FIA could no longer advertise the world championship status.
TCR Germany
In the 2016 season , TCR Germany , organized by ADAC and Engstler Motorsport , made its debut in Germany. It takes place as part of the ADAC Masters Weekend and also started as part of the German races of the TCR International Series in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben . The race distance of the two runs per weekend is 30 minutes each. The success of TCR Germany led to a field of participants of over 40 vehicles in the 2017 season.
| year | Driver ranking | Team evaluation | Rookie Challenge | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Josh Files
|
SEAT Leon TCR
|
Target competition
|
Tom Lautenschlager
|
VW Golf GTI TCR
|
| 2017 |
Josh Files
|
Honda Civic TCR
|
Target Competition UK-SUI
|
Luca Engstler
|
VW Golf GTI TCR
|
| 2018 |
 Harald Proczyk
|
Opel Astra TCR
|
HP Racing
|
Max Hesse
|
Audi RS 3 LMS
|
| 2019 |
Max Hesse
|
Hyundai i30 N TCR | Hyundai Team Engstler | ||
VLN
The VLN endurance championship Nürburgring has been offering a separate class for TCR vehicles since the 2017 season. In the 2016 season, some TCR cars started in the VLN in the SP3T class. Although the TCR vehicles were inferior to the traditional SP3T vehicles in terms of performance on paper, some class wins could be achieved with TCR vehicles. Only a few adjustments are necessary to the TCR cars, which were usually developed for sprint races, for long-distance use on the Nordschleife . In close cooperation with Engstler Motorsport GmbH, which is the rights holder of the TCR in Germany, the VLN has drawn up the key data of the regulations for the VLN class.
Web links
- Official site of the TCR Race Series (English)
- Technical regulations of the TCR 2018 (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stefan Ziegler: New category names from 2014: TC1, TC2 and TC3. Motorsport-Total.com, November 21, 2013, accessed March 22, 2015 .
- ↑ a b Markus Lüttgens: FIA gives the green light: TC3 becomes TCR. Motorsport-Total.com, December 7, 2014, accessed March 22, 2015 .
- ↑ a b Marcus Schurig, Tobias Grüner: What can the TCR series do? Cheap competition for DTM and WTCC. auto-motor-und-sport.de, May 20, 2015, accessed on March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ a b Tobias Grüner: TCR series: The balance sheet of the first season of the cheap DTM. auto-motor-und-sport.de, December 17, 2015, accessed on March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ Markus Lüttgens: WTCR: Decisive BoP test in Valencia. Motorsport-Total.com, February 8, 2018, accessed March 31, 2018 .
- ^ Homologated cars. tcr-series.com, accessed May 4, 2018 .
- ↑ Markus Lüttgens: E-TCR is coming: Starting signal for the first electric touring car series. Motorsport-Total.com, March 2, 2018, accessed March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ Uli Baumann: Cupra E-Racer (2018): Electric racing car with four motors. March 5, 2018, accessed March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ CUPRA e-Racer is ready for the E-TCR series. seat.de, accessed on March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ Markus Lüttgens: Up to 680 HP: Technical details about the E-TCR presented. March 6, 2018, accessed March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ Stephen Brunsdon: First public run for new for 2020 ETCR car at Barcelona. October 21, 2018, accessed October 26, 2018 .
- ↑ Stephen Brunsdon: FAll-electric ETCR series confirmed for 2020 introduction. October 21, 2018, accessed October 26, 2018 .
- ↑ Mario Fritzsche: Officially: Lotti is behind the new TC3 series. Motorsport-Total.com, July 15, 2014, accessed March 22, 2015 .
- ↑ Markus Lüttgens & Jack Cozens: Change to TCR regulations: WTCC loses world championship status. Motorsport-Total.com, December 6, 2017, accessed December 30, 2017 .
- ↑ TCR Germany: New touring car series starts in 2016. Motorsport-Total.com, November 28, 2015, accessed March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ TCR Germany 2017: Over 40 vehicles at the start. Motorsport-Total.com, October 28, 2017, accessed March 31, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c adac-motorsport.de from September 29, 2019, Max Hesse new ADAC TCR Germany Champion , accessed on October 14, 2019.
- ↑ Heiko Stritzke: TCR class from 2017 also in the VLN. Motorsport-Total.com, October 28, 2017, accessed March 31, 2018 .