Global Touring Cars is a new race series that promises to bring 500hp V8 compact sedans and promoter profitability. Aiming to offer a global network of championships, Global Touring Car Series also promises a return to “the competitive bare bones of racing”.
What they mean is “fierce” competition, exciting 500hp V8-powered cars, no internal politics or budget caps.
“Racing at the top level is often seen as a compromised mix of technology wars and team orders, and an expensive pastime for well-backed hobbyists on the tiers below,” said GTC executive director Mark Woolley.
“We want to bring the focus back on serious affordable racing. We can offer a readymade national series with rules, regulations, commercial rights assistance, prize funds, structure and homologated cars with everything but the bodyshell complete – it just requires buy-in from teams and franchise owners who have identified this is a viable way of making money from motorsport,” he explained.
The series is founded by racer Gary Formato, racing engineer Vic Maharaj and Mark Woolley, with the backing of entrepreneur Michael Formato.
The series already has its first franchise signed in South Africa for a 2014 start. The RWD 500hp, V8-powered spaceframed racers designed by Australia-based Paul Ceprnich will be uniform across the series, except for the bodyshell that is entirely up to the teams.
GTC says the spaceframe has been designed to accept Original Equipment body panels based on versions of most saloon or hatchback-sized vehicles on the market. Scroll down to see how a RWD V8-powered Ford Focus GTC car looks like.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
