FIA Sportscar Championship




The FIA Sportscar Championship was a sports car racing series created by John Mangoletsi and was eventually taken control of by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It was a series similar to the FIA GT Championship, concentrating on two classes of open-cockpit sports prototypes in endurance races mostly around Europe. The series was folded after the 2003 season.




Contents






  • 1 History


  • 2 Champions


  • 3 See also


  • 4 References


  • 5 External links





History


Following the demise of the World Sportscar Championship in 1992, Europe was left without a major sportscar series. In the United States however, attempts were underway to recreate the glory of the World Sportscar Championship with the IMSA GTP series returning to cheaper, open-cockpit sportscars to replace their highly technological and expensive closed-cockpit sportscars that were similar to those used in the World Sportscar Championship at its end. Following on this successful formula, in 1997 John Mangoletsi developed the International Sports Racing Series, a European-based series for open-cockpit sportscars. It would be supported by major teams like Rafanelli, Riley & Scott, Kremer Racing, Joest Racing and Konrad Motorsport and by manufacturers such as Ferrari, which was having success with its new 333 SP sports racer.


The International Sports Racing Series was open to Sportscars complying with either FIA SR1 or FIA SR2 regulations. The SR1 class was for cars with engines limited to a maximum capacity of 6000cc if naturally aspirated or 4000cc if supercharged. The SR2 class was for cars with production based engines limited to a maximum of six cylinders and a maximum capacity of 3000cc.[1] The SR1 cars were similar to those contesting the LMP Class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans while the SR2 cars were similar to cars in the CN class as used in hillclimb events. In 1999, the series was officially recognized by the FIA and renamed the Sports Racing World Cup. Ferrari's success with the 333SP was proven with a large number of entrants making it the chassis of choice in SR1, while Riley & Scott, Lola, and other manufacturers attempted to overcome the dominant marque, Ferrari.


In 2001, the series was officially taken over by the FIA and renamed as the FIA Sportscar Championship and it continued to expand into new markets, including a partnership with Grand American in the United States. This partnership involved share races and, eventually, common regulations. With the creation of the American Le Mans Series in 1999 and the European Le Mans Series in 2001, the FIA Sportscar Championship found it increasingly difficult to attract top teams and manufacturers. Grand American changed to adapt to this shift in sportscar design with their dropping of the SRP1 class and the phasing out of the SRP2 class (eliminated in 2004) in 2003. By that time the FIA Sportscar Championship was suffered from a declining number of entries, leading to its demise at the end of the 2003 season. The FIA chose instead to back the new Le Mans Endurance Series that debuted in 2004, ensuring the continuation of Sportscar racing in Europe.



Champions


































































































 
SR1 Drivers
SR2 Drivers
SR1 Constructors
SR2 Constructors
SR1 Teams
SR2 Teams

1997 International Sports Racing Series
Titles not awarded

1998 International Sports Racing Series

France Emmanuel Collard
Italy Vincenzo Sospiri

France Jean-Claude de Castelli
Title not awarded
Title not awarded

France JB Giesse Team Ferrari

France Waterair Sport

1999 Sports Racing World Cup

France Emmanuel Collard
Italy Vincenzo Sospiri

Italy Angelo Lancelotti
Title not awarded
Title not awarded

France JB Giesse Team Ferrari

Italy Cauduro Tampolli Team

2000 Sports Racing World Cup

Italy Christian Pescatori
France David Terrien

United Kingdom Peter Owen
United Kingdom Mark Smithson
Title not awarded
Title not awarded

France JMB Giesse Team Ferrari

United Kingdom Redman Bright

2001 FIA Sportscar Championship

Italy Marco Zadra

United States Larry Oberto
Sweden Thed Björk

Italy Ferrari

United Kingdom Lola Cars International

Italy BMS Scuderia Italia

Sweden SportsRacing Team Sweden

2002 FIA Sportscar Championship

Netherlands Jan Lammers
Netherlands Val Hillebrand

Italy Mirko Savoldi
Italy Piergiuseppe Peroni

Japan Dome

Italy Lucchini Engineering

Netherlands Racing for Holland

Italy Lucchini Engineering

2003 FIA Sportscar Championship

Netherlands Jan Lammers
Netherlands John Bosch

Italy Mirko Savoldi
Italy Piergiuseppe Peroni

Japan Dome

Italy Lucchini Engineering

Netherlands Racing for Holland

Italy Lucchini Engineering


See also



  • European Le Mans Series

  • World Sportscar Championship

  • FIA GT Championship



References





  1. ^ Technical Regulations for the 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship Retrieved from www.totalmotorsport.com on 2 September 2009




External links



  • ISRS/SRWC/FIA SCC Results 1997 – 2003


  • Images from the International Sports Racing Series / Sports Racing World Cup / FIA Sportscar Championship – 1997 to 2003 Retrieved from www.racingsportscars.com on 3 September 2009




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