Do we need a 24hr race for touring cars?

[Speed-King]

Recently I talked to an American friend about the 24hrs at Spa and how it used to be a touring car event until not all that long ago.
And while I really like is as a GT-event, the switch to sportscars still left something of a gap in the touring car world.

The longest touring car only race I can think of right now are the BTCS 12hours of Spa, but wouldn't it be nice to have a Touring Car only 24hour race - at Spa or elsewhere - back on the schedule?

[Quintin03]

Great idea, maybe at Bathurst. And make it a race for S2000's S1600's and group-n's.

[ROB IS THE STIG]

Would love to see this at Brands Hatch, we have a GT Night Race in November and watching that in the dark is great fun.

Touring Cars 24hrs would be brilliant!

[Valenok]

I think, it's not a good idea - to exclude GT from grid. It's not easy - to gather many touring cars in one place. In VLN ADAC prefer not to do it. I think, if we want famous touringcar 24h race, we must promote one of existing race, extend length, class variety, prize money and media coverage. For example 12h Spa - let them to race every touringcar class, extend race length to 24h format.

[kristof14]

It would be good, and Valenok i think it would be incredibly easy to gather a vast amount of Touring Cars at somewhere like Spa, it's fairly central and easily accessible to WTCC, BTCC, STCC and DTC teams!

[FIRE]

Nothing against an endurance race but I prefer the ETC Cup gets a big boost. So all major entries from BTCC, STCC, DTC, WTCC privateers and others take part in this event.

[nickyf1]

How about running it as part of the ETC Cup? Or an end of season invitational for all teams from the BTCC, WTCC, STCC etc?? Would like to see how a 888 Vectra with a Jordan/Givo/Neal line up goes up against a BMW Entry with Priualx/Muller/Farfus!

[Quintin03]

Originally Posted by Valenok

I think, it's not a good idea - to exclude GT from grid. It's not easy - to gather many touring cars in one place. In VLN ADAC prefer not to do it. I think, if we want famous touringcar 24h race, we must promote one of existing race, extend length, class variety, prize money and media coverage. For example 12h Spa - let them to race every touringcar class, extend race length to 24h format.

Wow, stupid idea, no one would know about it because there would already be a 24 hours of Spa.
I think my previous sugestion (Bathurst) wouldn't be the best. I think somewhere where no touringcar races are held would be the best. Now we need to find something decent

[Speed-King]

For purely selfish reasons I would say Hockenheim, but that track is a real snoozer now and not really a proper touring car track.

I think Brands Hatch would really be awesome, but they seem to have some noise-issues, so I am not sure if a 24hr event would be feasible there...

How about Spielberg/A1/Österreichring/Whateveryoucall it? The track will be reopened next year.
Or maybe Sachsenring?

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by Quintin03

Wow, stupid idea, no one would know about it because there would already be a 24 hours of Spa.
I think my previous sugestion (Bathurst) wouldn't be the best. I think somewhere where no touringcar races are held would be the best. Now we need to find something decent

There is beautiful circuit left by FIA-GT in South America

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by Quintin03

Wow, stupid idea, no one would know about it because there would already be a 24 hours of Spa.

Yes, I forget about that. But you can add 1 more hour and get 25 hours of Spa

Originally Posted by Quintin03

I think my previous sugestion (Bathurst) wouldn't be the best.

It must be european circuit, because of origination of most teams. And it must located in southern countries, if you want to organize it after motorsport season plus have spectators on tribunes (good weather needed). May be Mugello in last decade of November?

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Valenok

Yes, I forget about that. But you can add 1 more hour and get 25 hours of Spa

Today seems not to be your lucky day: there's also already a 25 hours of Spa for the VW-Funcup-Cars!

[Quintin03]

[QUOTE=Speed-King;2507200]How about Spielberg/A1/Österreichring/Whateveryoucall it? The track will be reopened next year.[QUOTE]
Great idea, it needs a decent top event and DTM doesn't want to make a deal with them. If they build the westschleife extension it will be perfect. If you really want to know the track will probably be known as the Redbullring since they own it although I would prefer Österreichring or Spielbergring.

[Valenok]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Today seems not to be your lucky day: there's also already a 25 hours of Spa for the VW-Funcup-Cars!

No, I know about it But this race organizied by the same people that Spa 12h, so it's not difficult to replace it by touringcar race.

[Sodemo]

I might be wrong, but wasn't there a mini-enduro touring car race (BTCC) in the late 80's, held at Donnington Park?

Something like a 4 or 8 hour event?

[aland]

it would take too much modification to a S2000 car to make it workable for enduro racing

really want to see the britcar 24hr back, run what you brung, anything goes and possibly the best event to marshal

[Speed-King]

If Supertourers could run Spa in the 90s, S2000 cars surely can today, there have already been a few S2000 cars racing at the 'Ring....

And with the SRO making it a GT2-race next year, there actually might be a chance for touring car racing to reclaim Spa a few years down the line....

[nickyf1]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I might be wrong, but wasn't there a mini-enduro touring car race (BTCC) in the late 80's, held at Donnington Park?

Something like a 4 or 8 hour event?

It was a 500km race as part of the ETCC (Part of the WTCC in '87). Touring Car racing was normaly like this for the whole season.

The Tourist Trophy at Silverstone used to be for Touring Cars in the ETCC and WTCC.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

It was a 500km race as part of the ETCC (Part of the WTCC in '87). Touring Car racing was normaly like this for the whole season.

The Tourist Trophy at Silverstone used to be for Touring Cars in the ETCC and WTCC.

Yep, thats the one.

[chunder]

Gotta be honest I am not a great fan of 24 hour races, even Le Mans. I think theya re pretty6 much only wirthy of interest to manufactureres for advertising and proving technology.

I dont really think this is important to the likes of Chevrolet or Seat or BMW, and when you consider a SEAT coulc probably do a third as many laps as anything else its pretty pointless.

I think maybe the Nurburg 24 hr is perhapsthe haven for this type of thing and quite often the tourers of various types do well.

As for the S2000 cars well can't see the point really otehr than to please the fans who like long races!

[Quintin03]

Originally Posted by chunder

Gotta be honest I am not a great fan of 24 hour races, even Le Mans. I think theya re pretty6 much only wirthy of interest to manufactureres for advertising and proving technology.

I dont really think this is important to the likes of Chevrolet or Seat or BMW, and when you consider a SEAT coulc probably do a third as many laps as anything else its pretty pointless.

I think maybe the Nurburg 24 hr is perhapsthe haven for this type of thing and quite often the tourers of various types do well.

As for the S2000 cars well can't see the point really otehr than to please the fans who like long races!

I don't see what you mean, endurance races are meant to let manufacturers prove the can build reliable cars. That's also why single seater endurance races don't exist since those are pure race vehicles and their reliability isn't needed. An endurance race for touring cars would be closer to the real goal than an endurance race for non production based sportscars.

[nickyf1]

If Endurance racing was more part of Touring Car racing, there would be major development in improving the reliability of the cars, similar to the way Deisel technology has been developed rapidly at Le Mans in recent years, which would definetaly benifit road cars.

[Quintin03]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

If Endurance racing was more part of Touring Car racing, there would be major development in improving the reliability of the cars, similar to the way Deisel technology has been developed rapidly at Le Mans in recent years, which would definetaly benifit road cars.

When did I say endurance racing was more part of touringcar racing than sportscar racing? It isn't much part of touringcar racing today but in the late 80's it certainly was because the first WTCC season in 1987 was composed of endurance races only, each atleast 500km but also races of 4 hours, 1000km and 24 hours.

[chunder]

I think in reality the diesels used in WSPC are not that similar to the oens you can buy on the road! They use very special fuel and stuff dont they so in reality how closely linked are they to your A4 TD!!

And in order to promote a brand you either race the same one or race something that isnt marketed by you but is badged.

Audi do both in DTM and WSPC and BMW only race WTCC to promote the 3 Series, nothing else. Chevy are trying to stop everyone thinking Daewoo and SEAT have a VW budget to spend on diesel who are linked back to Audi after all, and I cant imagine Repsol are too unhappy at the link in Spain and South America where they seem to race a lot, hmmmmmmmmm

24 hour TC race, no. Mixed in with other stuff fair enough

[Quintin03]

Originally Posted by chunder

I think in reality the diesels used in WSPC are not that similar to the oens you can buy on the road! They use very special fuel and stuff dont they so in reality how closely linked are they to your A4 TD!!

And in order to promote a brand you either race the same one or race something that isnt marketed by you but is badged.

Audi do both in DTM and WSPC and BMW only race WTCC to promote the 3 Series, nothing else. Chevy are trying to stop everyone thinking Daewoo and SEAT have a VW budget to spend on diesel who are linked back to Audi after all, and I cant imagine Repsol are too unhappy at the link in Spain and South America where they seem to race a lot, hmmmmmmmmm

24 hour TC race, no. Mixed in with other stuff fair enough

You're making no sense at all. Are you Italian perhaps because Italians seem to have the hardest time speaking English. What's WSPC? World SPortscar Championship? that doesn't exist anymore since 1992.