World Touring Car Championship

WCCR
File:WTCC.jpg
Category	Touring cars
Inaugural	1987
Drivers	50 (2006)
Teams	21 (2006)
Constructors	7 (2006)
Engines
Country/region	International
Folded
Champion driver	Andy Priaulx
Champion team	N/A
Manufacturer	BMW
Website	fiawtcc.com

The World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is an international Touring Car championship organized by the FIA.

The first WTCC, which was open to Group A Touring Cars, was held in 1987 concurrent to the long-running European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). Additional rounds were held outside Europe at Bathurst in Australia, Calder Park Raceway in Australia(using both the road course and the then newly constructed Thunderdome), Wellington in New Zealand and Mount Fuji in Japan. The Drivers Championship was won by Roberto Ravaglia in a BMW M3 and the Entrants Championship was won by the Eggenberger Texaco Ford No 7 entry, which was a Ford Sierra. The WTCC lasted only one year and was a victim of its own success - the FIA feared it would take money away from Formula 1 and stopped sanctioning the Championship.

In 1993, with the high popularity of the Supertouring category, the FIA hosted the Touring Car World Cup - an annual event for touring car drivers hailing from national championships all over the world. The 1993 race at Monza was won by Paul Radisich. The race was run for two more years, (won by Radisich again in 1994 at Donington Park, and Frank Biela in 1995 at Paul Ricard) before disappearing into obscurity.

In 2001, the ETCC was resumed with support from the FIA. At the request of interested manufacturers, it was changed to the current WTCC beginning with the 2005 season, and is now considered the third most important FIA championship after Formula One and the World Rally Championship.

With rounds at major prestigious circuits, the series is heavily supported by car manufacturers BMW, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet and SEAT. Ford, Peugeot and Honda are also involved. It features compact and midsize cars based on Group N rules, yet modified to Super 2000 regulations, an intermediate level between the slightly modified Superproduction cars and the extinct Supertouring class.

Following the trend of recent FIA rules, cost control is a major theme in the technical regulation. Engines are limited to 2000 cc. Many technologies that have featured in production cars are not allowed, including variable valve timing, variable intake geometry, ABS brakes and traction control. Guernseyman Andy Priaulx won the 2005 championship for BMW, ahead of Dirk Müller and Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Previous champions

WTCC Drivers' Champions
Year	Driver		Team	Car
2007		TBC
2006		Andy Priaulx	BMW Team UK/Racing Bart Mampaey	BMW 320si
2005		Andy Priaulx	BMW Team UK/Racing Bart Mampaey	BMW 320i
1987		Roberto Ravaglia	Schnitzer Motorsport	BMW M3