Rationalisation for European touring car racing
The promoters of all the major national touring car championships in Europe have agreed a ground-breaking common strategy for the future of touring car racing across the continent, based on the FIA Super 2000 regulations. The strategy was agreed at a meeting arranged by KSO, the promoter of the FIA European Touring Car Championship, and TV channel Eurosport. From 2004, national championship rounds can be run concurrently with ETCC events
The pan-European ETCC and the Swedish series both run to the Super 2000 rules already, and the Danish championship will adopt these regulations from 2004. The Italian series will allow Super 2000 cars to race together with the 'Super Production' cars currently in use, in two separate classes from 2004.
The British championship will also accept Super 2000 cars from 2004, alongside the currently used 'BTC' cars [Jun 9]. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Challenge intends to move to Super 2000 in two steps over the next two seasons.
After the meeting, ETCC promoter Marcelo Lotti said: "I believe that today we have moved a step forward to unifying the concept of touring car racing on an international basis under the FIA rules, for the joint benefit of the FIA European Touring Car Championship, the national Touring Car series, the manufacturers and the competitors."
Those present at the meeting were: Angelo Codignoni, president and CEO of Eurosport; Jacques Behar, chairman of SRW Events; Jonathan Ashman, president of the FIA Touring Car Commission; Marcello Lotti, promoter of the FIA European Touring Car Championship; Alfredo Scalla, ACI Sport Italia; Pierre Gosselin, Fédération Française du Sport Automobile; Stéphane Ratel, promoter of the Championnat de France Supertourisme; Hans and Brigitta Niemann, promoters of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Challenge; Staffan Svenby, promoter of the Swedish Touring Car Championship; Peter Elgaard, promoter of the Danish Touring Car Championship; Frédéric Lequien, sales manager of Eurosport; and Fabio Ravaioli, media delegate of the FIA European Touring Car Championship.
Alan Gow, the promoter of the British Touring Car Championship, was also invited but could not attend due to a previous commitment. Gow and Lotti had a separate meeting in London.
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