FIA Sportscar Championship
Encyclopedia
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 prototype
s in endurance races mostly around Europe. The series was folded after the 2003 season.
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. 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.
Come 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. Unfortunately, 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.
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....
series created by John Mangoletsi and was eventually taken control of by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA). It was a series similar to the FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
, concentrating on two classes of open-cockpit sports prototype
Sports 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 in endurance races mostly around Europe. The series was folded after the 2003 season.
History
Following the demise of the World Sportscar ChampionshipWorld 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,...
in 1992
1992 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1992 Sportscar World Championship season was the 40th and final FIA World Sportscar Championship season. It was a series of Group C formula sportscars separated into two classes, termed C1 and FIA Cup. It ran from April 26, 1992 to October 18, 1992, comprising 6 races.-Pre-Season:From the...
, Europe was left without a major sportscar series. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
however, attempts were underway to recreate the glory of the World Sportscar Championship with the IMSA
International Motor Sports Association
The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...
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
Riley & Scott
Riley & Scott Cars Inc. was a racing constructor and racing team that primarily provided chassis for various forms of motorsport, but worked primarily in sports car racing. It was founded in 1990 by Bob Riley and Mark Scott.-Sports car racing:...
, Kremer Racing, Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
and Konrad Motorsport and by manufacturers such as Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
, which was having success with its new 333 SP
Ferrari 333 SP
The Ferrari 333 SP was a sports prototype car built by Michelotto to World Sports Car regulations for Ferrari. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur racer Giampiero Moretti , the 333 SP marked Ferrari's official return to sports car racing after a 20 year absence...
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. The SR1 cars were similar to those contesting the LMP Class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
while the SR2 cars were similar to cars in the CN class as used in hillclimb
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
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
Riley & Scott
Riley & Scott Cars Inc. was a racing constructor and racing team that primarily provided chassis for various forms of motorsport, but worked primarily in sports car racing. It was founded in 1990 by Bob Riley and Mark Scott.-Sports car racing:...
, Lola, and other manufacturers attempted to overcome the dominant marque, Ferrari.
Come 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
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This partnership involved share races and, eventually, common regulations. Unfortunately, with the creation of the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
in 1999 and the European Le Mans Series
European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series was a sports car endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans that was created in 2000 and ran its only season in 2001 before being cancelled. It was created by Don Panoz as an expansion on his successful American Le Mans Series run by IMSA...
in 2001, the FIA Sportscar Championship found it increasingly difficult to attract top teams and manufacturers. Grand American
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
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
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
that debuted in 2004
2004 Le Mans Series season
The 2004 Le Mans Series season was the first season of ACO Le Mans Endurance Series. It is a series for Le Mans prototype and Grand Touring style cars broken into 4 classes: LMP1, LMP2, GTS, and GT...
, 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 1997 International Sports Racing Series season The 1997 International Sports Racing Series season was the first season of International Sports Racing Series . It was a series for sportscar style prototypes broken into two classes based on power and weight, called SR1 and SR2... |
Titles not awarded | ||
| 1998 International Sports Racing Series 1998 International Sports Racing Series season The 1998 International Sports Racing Series season was the second season of International Sportscar Racing Series . It was a series of sportscar-style prototypes broken into two classes based on power and weight, called SR1 and SR2, as well as a class of hillclimb-style sportscars, called CN... |
 Emmanuel CollardEmmanuel Collard Emmanuel Collard is a French racing driver. He is a member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but drives also for other marques....  Vincenzo SospiriVincenzo Sospiri - Early career :Sospiri started racing in the Italian 100CC Karting Championships at the age of 15. He spent a long time working his way through the karting ladder, eventually becoming World Karting Champion in 1987. Sospiri then progressed to Formula Ford, before working through to Formula 3000 in... |
Jean-Claude de Castelli |
|
| Title not awarded | Title not awarded | ||
| JB JMB Racing JMB Racing is a racing team from Monaco that competes in sports car racing. It was founded in Nice, France, in 1995 as JB Racing by Jean-Michel Bouresche and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. It was renamed JMB in 2000 after Jabouille left the partnership... Giesse Team Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947... |
Waterair Sport |
||
| 1999 Sports Racing World Cup 1999 Sports Racing World Cup season The 1999 Sports Racing World Cup season was the third season of Sports Racing World Cup . It was a series for sportscar style prototypes broken into two classes based on power and weight, called SR1 and SR2... |
Emmanuel Collard Emmanuel Collard Emmanuel Collard is a French racing driver. He is a member of the Porsche Junioren factory team, but drives also for other marques.... Vincenzo SospiriVincenzo Sospiri - Early career :Sospiri started racing in the Italian 100CC Karting Championships at the age of 15. He spent a long time working his way through the karting ladder, eventually becoming World Karting Champion in 1987. Sospiri then progressed to Formula Ford, before working through to Formula 3000 in... |
Angelo Lancelotti |
|
| Title not awarded | Title not awarded | ||
| JB JMB Racing JMB Racing is a racing team from Monaco that competes in sports car racing. It was founded in Nice, France, in 1995 as JB Racing by Jean-Michel Bouresche and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. It was renamed JMB in 2000 after Jabouille left the partnership... Giesse Team Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947... |
Cauduro Tampolli Team |
||
| 2000 Sports Racing World Cup 2000 Sports Racing World Cup season The 2000 Sports Racing World Cup season was the fourth season of Sports Racing World Cup . It was a series for sportscar style prototypes broken into two classes based on power and weight, called SR and SRL . It began on March 26, 2000 and ended November 26, 2000 after 10 races... |
Christian Pescatori Christian Pescatori Christian Pescatori is a professional racecar driver from Italy. He was born in Brescia, in 1 December 1971.Pescatori started his career in single-seater racing, becoming Italian Formula 3 Champion in 1993, before moving up to Formula 3000.... David Terrien |
 Peter Owen Mark Smithson |
|
| Title not awarded | Title not awarded | ||
| JMB JMB Racing JMB Racing is a racing team from Monaco that competes in sports car racing. It was founded in Nice, France, in 1995 as JB Racing by Jean-Michel Bouresche and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. It was renamed JMB in 2000 after Jabouille left the partnership... Giesse Team Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947... |
Redman Bright |
||
| 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship season The 2001 FIA Sportscar Championship season was the first season of FIA Sportscar Championship motor racing , a continuation of the previously named Sports Racing World Cup. It was open to prototype Sportscars competing in two classes based on power and weight, called SR1 and SR2. It began on April... |
Marco Zadra |
 Larry Oberto Thed BjörkThed Björk Thed Björk is a Swedish racing driver.-Early career:After graduating from Karting in 1997 Björk raced in the Swedish and Nordic Formula 3 series, taking both titles in 1999. For 2000 he went to the United States to race in the Barber Dodge Pro Series. Björk took one pole position, lap record at... |
|
| Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947... |
Lola Cars International |
||
| BMS Scuderia Italia |
SportsRacing Team Sweden |
||
| 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship season The 2002 FIA Sportscar Championship season was the sixth season of the FIA Sportscar Championship although only the second to carry that name. It featured a series contested by sportscar style prototypes in two classes, SR1 and SR2, defined by power and weight. Separate titles were awarded for... |
 Jan LammersJan Lammers Johannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland... Val Hillebrand |
Mirko Savoldi Piergiuseppe Peroni |
|
 DomeDome (constructor) , literally "child's dream", is a Japanese-based racing car constructor, involved mainly in open wheel and sports car racing.-Background:In 1965 Minoru Hayashi built his first racing car, a rebodied Honda S600 coupe. Belonging to Tojiro Ukiya, it was called the "Karasu" , due to its shape... |
Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering is an Italian sports car constructor and racing team. Founded by Giorgio Lucchini in Porto Mantovano in 1980, the company has built a wide variety of open-cockpit prototypes for use in hillclimbs as well as Le Mans Prototypes for endurance racing... |
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| Racing for Holland Racing for Holland Racing for Holland is a Dutch motor racing team started by Jan Lammers in 1999. The team is initially specialised in endurance races such as 24 hours of Le Mans and FIA sportscars series. The team is now also participating in the A1 Grand Prix as the A1 Team The Netherlands.-History:Racing for... |
Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering is an Italian sports car constructor and racing team. Founded by Giorgio Lucchini in Porto Mantovano in 1980, the company has built a wide variety of open-cockpit prototypes for use in hillclimbs as well as Le Mans Prototypes for endurance racing... |
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| 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season was the seventh season of FIA Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the third and final series to carry the FIA Sportscar Championship name. The series was open to prototype style sportscars competing in two classes, SR1 and SR2, based on power... |
Jan Lammers Jan Lammers Johannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland... John Bosch |
Mirko Savoldi Piergiuseppe Peroni |
|
| Dome Dome (constructor) , literally "child's dream", is a Japanese-based racing car constructor, involved mainly in open wheel and sports car racing.-Background:In 1965 Minoru Hayashi built his first racing car, a rebodied Honda S600 coupe. Belonging to Tojiro Ukiya, it was called the "Karasu" , due to its shape... |
Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering is an Italian sports car constructor and racing team. Founded by Giorgio Lucchini in Porto Mantovano in 1980, the company has built a wide variety of open-cockpit prototypes for use in hillclimbs as well as Le Mans Prototypes for endurance racing... |
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| Racing for Holland Racing for Holland Racing for Holland is a Dutch motor racing team started by Jan Lammers in 1999. The team is initially specialised in endurance races such as 24 hours of Le Mans and FIA sportscars series. The team is now also participating in the A1 Grand Prix as the A1 Team The Netherlands.-History:Racing for... |
Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering Lucchini Engineering is an Italian sports car constructor and racing team. Founded by Giorgio Lucchini in Porto Mantovano in 1980, the company has built a wide variety of open-cockpit prototypes for use in hillclimbs as well as Le Mans Prototypes for endurance racing... |
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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