European Sportscar Championship
Encyclopedia
The European Sportscar Championship was a name used by several sports car racing
championships based in Europe. Initially created in 1970 by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile
(FISA) as the European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship for Makes, the series increased in popularity and eventually became part of the World Sports Car Championship in 1976 even after a troubled 1975 season. Only two years later, as interest in sports-prototypes faded, the championship was downgraded from World Championship status and a European championship returned once more, only to be cancelled after its sole 1978 season.
A European championship for sports cars was created once more in 1983, now named the European Endurance Championship, and combined several events from the World Endurance Championship with other European rounds. The concept was however not continued the following year.
s which used engines under 2000 cc were becoming popular cars in the World Championship for Makes
. Chassis manufacturers Lola, Chevron
, Abarth
, and Porsche
all offered cars to customers which were designed for this category, leading FISA to create a championship specifically for these cars and serving as a junior formula for the World Championship. Races varied from 250 km (155.3 mi) to 500 km (310.7 mi), and ran either as a single event or in two heats. Grand tourer
cars were also allowed to participate, although they were not included in the championship standings.
Ford
-powered Cherons won the inaugural Championship for Makes in the opening 1970 season, leading Lola by a single point. Lola triumphed in 1971, followed by Osella
entering the series in partnership with Abarth and dominated the 1972 championship with five victories. Lola won the championship once more in 1973 before the new Alpine
A441-Renault
swept the 1974 season with nine wins in nine races.
The 1975 season was cancelled shortly after it had begun, only two rounds being completed before rising fuel costs forced a premature end to the championship. FISA however pressed forward with the creation of a World Championship for open-cockpit prototypes, combining not only 2-Litre entries from the European Championship, but also the prototypes with larger engines which had previously run in the World Championship for Makes.
and 1977
seasons, FISA established new rules for a Group 6
category of prototypes. 2-Litre sports cars from the former European Championship were part of the new Group 6 classification, competing alongside sports prototypes which used the 3-Litre and 5-Litre engine rules. The new World Sports Car Championship was created exclusively for the Group 6 category. Although a World Championship, only one race was held outside of Europe in 1976 season, and all events were within Europe in 1977.
Porsche's 3-Litre cars won every event in 1976 while Osella's 2-Litre cars were second in the Manufacturer's Championship. Osella once again led the 2-Litre category in 1977 while Alfa Romeo
's 3-Litre cars won all eight rounds. At the end of the 1977 season, FISA chose to cancel the World Sports Car Championship in order to concentrate on the World Championship for Makes. The Group 6 category would however be allowed to compete in World Championship for Makes events once again, however they were not allowed to score points towards the Championship.
" who won the 2-Litre Drivers Championship. Porsche driver Reinhold Joest
won the other Drivers Championship.
Diminishing support for sports prototypes and the large number of drivers which chose to compete in the Italian Group 6 Championship led FISA to cancel the European Championship outright after 1978. Group 6 cars continued to compete as guests in World Championship for Makes events until 1982 when regulations were once again changed and the Group C
category was established.
, the World Championship for Makes was succeeded by the World Endurance Championship with the introduction of the Group C and Group B
regulations. As part of this change, a Drivers Championship was introduced for the first time alongside the Manufacturers Championship. However, as the majority of teams concentrated on the European events which were the majority of the schedule, a third Championship was created, known as the European Endurance Championship.
The European Endurance Championship was composed of five events which were part of the Manufacturers Championship, as well as three races which were not counted towards the Manufacturers Championship but were well attended by the teams. Porsche driver Bob Wollek
won the 1983 Endurance Championship, although he was ranked fifth in the World Championship standings.
After 1983, FISA eliminated the European Endurance Championship, choosing to keep the World Championship for drivers instead.
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
championships based in Europe. Initially created in 1970 by the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile
Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile
The Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile was the governing body for motor racing events. The organisation's origins date from 1922, when the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile delegated the organisation of automobile racing to the CSI , an autonomous committee that would later...
(FISA) as the European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship for Makes, the series increased in popularity and eventually became part of the World Sports Car Championship in 1976 even after a troubled 1975 season. Only two years later, as interest in sports-prototypes faded, the championship was downgraded from World Championship status and a European championship returned once more, only to be cancelled after its sole 1978 season.
A European championship for sports cars was created once more in 1983, now named the European Endurance Championship, and combined several events from the World Endurance Championship with other European rounds. The concept was however not continued the following year.
1970 – 1975
By 1970, light open-cockpit sports prototypeSports prototype
A sports prototype, also referred to as simply a prototype, is a form of racing car that is used as a top category in sports car racing. These purpose-built racing cars differ from street-legal and production-based racing cars that also compete in sports car racing.Prototype racing cars have...
s which used engines under 2000 cc were becoming popular cars in the World Championship for Makes
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
. Chassis manufacturers Lola, Chevron
Chevron Cars Ltd
Chevron Cars Ltd. is a manufacturer of racing cars, founded by Derek Bennett in 1965. Following Bennett's death in 1978, the firm has remained active in various guises. The original company's designs and name continue to be utilized by Roger Andreason to build replacement parts and continuation...
, Abarth
Abarth
Abarth is an Italian racing car maker founded by Austrian-Italian Carlo Abarth and Italian Armando Scagliarini in Turin in 1949. Its logo depicts a stylized scorpion on a red and yellow background.- History :...
, and Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
all offered cars to customers which were designed for this category, leading FISA to create a championship specifically for these cars and serving as a junior formula for the World Championship. Races varied from 250 km (155.3 mi) to 500 km (310.7 mi), and ran either as a single event or in two heats. Grand tourer
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
cars were also allowed to participate, although they were not included in the championship standings.
Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
-powered Cherons won the inaugural Championship for Makes in the opening 1970 season, leading Lola by a single point. Lola triumphed in 1971, followed by Osella
Osella
Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team based in Volpiano near Turin, Italy. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990...
entering the series in partnership with Abarth and dominated the 1972 championship with five victories. Lola won the championship once more in 1973 before the new Alpine
Alpine (car)
Alpine was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that used rear-mounted Renault engines.Jean Rédélé , the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who began to achieve considerable competition success in one of the few French cars produced just after World War...
A441-Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
swept the 1974 season with nine wins in nine races.
The 1975 season was cancelled shortly after it had begun, only two rounds being completed before rising fuel costs forced a premature end to the championship. FISA however pressed forward with the creation of a World Championship for open-cockpit prototypes, combining not only 2-Litre entries from the European Championship, but also the prototypes with larger engines which had previously run in the World Championship for Makes.
1976 – 1977
During the 19761976 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1976 World Sports Car Championship season was part of the 24th FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for open-cockpit sportscars. It ran from April 4, 1976 to September 19, 1976, and comprised 7 races total.-World Championship of Makes:...
and 1977
1977 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1977 World Sports Car Championship season was part of the 25th FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series open-cockpit sports cars. It ran from April 17, 1977 to September 18, 1977, and comprised 8 races total.-World Championship of Makes:...
seasons, FISA established new rules for a Group 6
Group 6 (racing)
Group 6 was the official designation applied by the FIA to two motor racing classifications, the Prototype-Sports Car category from 1966 to 1971 and the Two-Seater Racing Cars class from 1976 to 1982.-Group 6 Prototype-Sports Cars :...
category of prototypes. 2-Litre sports cars from the former European Championship were part of the new Group 6 classification, competing alongside sports prototypes which used the 3-Litre and 5-Litre engine rules. The new World Sports Car Championship was created exclusively for the Group 6 category. Although a World Championship, only one race was held outside of Europe in 1976 season, and all events were within Europe in 1977.
Porsche's 3-Litre cars won every event in 1976 while Osella's 2-Litre cars were second in the Manufacturer's Championship. Osella once again led the 2-Litre category in 1977 while Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
's 3-Litre cars won all eight rounds. At the end of the 1977 season, FISA chose to cancel the World Sports Car Championship in order to concentrate on the World Championship for Makes. The Group 6 category would however be allowed to compete in World Championship for Makes events once again, however they were not allowed to score points towards the Championship.
1978
After the cancellation of the World Sports Car Championship, the European Sports Car Championship was created for 1978 in order to allow Group 6 prototypes to continue to compete for their own championship. Manufacturers no longer were granted their own championship, and emphasis was instead placed on drivers. The series was also separated into two categories, one for the 2-Litre cars and the other for the larger capacity cars. Osellas once again led the 2-Litre field, led by drive "GimaxGimax
"Gimax" was the racing pseudonym of Carlo Franchi , a racing driver from Milan, Italy. He entered one World Championship Formula One Grand Prix with Surtees but failed to qualify...
" who won the 2-Litre Drivers Championship. Porsche driver Reinhold Joest
Reinhold Joest
Reinhold Joest is a former German race car driver and current team owner. During the last 25 years, Joest Racing has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans nine times.-Driving career:...
won the other Drivers Championship.
Diminishing support for sports prototypes and the large number of drivers which chose to compete in the Italian Group 6 Championship led FISA to cancel the European Championship outright after 1978. Group 6 cars continued to compete as guests in World Championship for Makes events until 1982 when regulations were once again changed and the Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
category was established.
1983
In 19811981 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1981 World Endurance Championship for Drivers and Makes season was the 29th FIA World Sportscar Championship. The season ran from January 31, 1981 to September 27, 1981 and was composed of 15 races including races run with the Camel GT Championship as well as the Spa 24 Hours...
, the World Championship for Makes was succeeded by the World Endurance Championship with the introduction of the Group C and Group B
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...
regulations. As part of this change, a Drivers Championship was introduced for the first time alongside the Manufacturers Championship. However, as the majority of teams concentrated on the European events which were the majority of the schedule, a third Championship was created, known as the European Endurance Championship.
The European Endurance Championship was composed of five events which were part of the Manufacturers Championship, as well as three races which were not counted towards the Manufacturers Championship but were well attended by the teams. Porsche driver Bob Wollek
Bob Wollek
Bob Wollek , nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He was killed on March 16, 2001 at age 57 in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of...
won the 1983 Endurance Championship, although he was ranked fifth in the World Championship standings.
After 1983, FISA eliminated the European Endurance Championship, choosing to keep the World Championship for drivers instead.
Champions
| European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship for Makes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Manufacturer | Driver |
| 1970 |  ChevronChevron Cars Ltd Chevron Cars Ltd. is a manufacturer of racing cars, founded by Derek Bennett in 1965. Following Bennett's death in 1978, the firm has remained active in various guises. The original company's designs and name continue to be utilized by Roger Andreason to build replacement parts and continuation... |
 Jo Bonnier |
| 1971 | Lola |
 Helmut MarkoHelmut Marko Dr. Helmut Marko is a former racing driver from Austria.A friend of Jochen Rindt, he entered racing, and eventually participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 15 August 1971... |
| 1972 |  AbarthAbarth Abarth is an Italian racing car maker founded by Austrian-Italian Carlo Abarth and Italian Armando Scagliarini in Turin in 1949. Its logo depicts a stylized scorpion on a red and yellow background.- History :... -Osella Osella Osella is an Italian racing car manufacturer and former Formula One team based in Volpiano near Turin, Italy. They participated in 132 Grands Prix between 1980 and 1990... |
Arturo Merzario Arturo Merzario Arturo Francesco "Little Art" Merzario is a former racing driver from Italy. He participated in 85 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 15, 1972... |
| 1973 | Lola |
Chris Craft |
| 1974 |  AlpineAlpine (car) Alpine was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that used rear-mounted Renault engines.Jean Rédélé , the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who began to achieve considerable competition success in one of the few French cars produced just after World War... -Renault Renault Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker... |
Alain Serpaggi |
| 1975 | Cancelled | |
| European Sports Car Championship | ||
| Year | Drivers | |
| 1978 |  Reinhold JoestReinhold Joest Reinhold Joest is a former German race car driver and current team owner. During the last 25 years, Joest Racing has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans nine times.-Driving career:... (Class 1) |
|
| "Gimax Gimax "Gimax" was the racing pseudonym of Carlo Franchi , a racing driver from Milan, Italy. He entered one World Championship Formula One Grand Prix with Surtees but failed to qualify... " (Class 2) |
||
| European Endurance Championship | ||
| Year | Driver | |
| 1983 1983 World Sportscar Championship season The 1983 World Sports Championship season was the 31st season of FIA “World Sportscar Championship” motor racing. It featured the 1983 FIA World Endurance Championship which was contested by Group C Sports Cars, Group C Junior Sports Cars and Group B GT Cars in a seven race series which ran from... |
Bob Wollek Bob Wollek Bob Wollek , nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He was killed on March 16, 2001 at age 57 in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of... |
|
External links
- European Sportscar Championship - Results and final positions