X-Nico

8 unusual facts about European Touring Car Championship


1988 Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship

With the championship generally ignored by most of the top teams from the stronger Group A championships (Australia, Europe and Japan), Crowe, Bond and Pirro were able to gain the top three placings despite each only running in two of the four rounds.

2003 German 500

Zanardi would go on to return to competitive auto racing in 2004, driving a BMW in the European Touring Car Championship (which would be redubbed the World Touring Car Championship in 2005).

2005 World Touring Car Championship season

Organised by KSO, a subsidiary of Eurosport, the championship was an evolution of the former European Touring Car Championship, elevated to World Championship status by the FIA for 2005 with the introduction of races outside Europe.

2009 FIA WTCC Race of France

SUNRED Engineering expanded to three cars for the Pau event, Tom Coronel was joined by Tom Boardman who returned after missing the previous round and former European Touring Car Championship driver Éric Cayrolle.

BMW M12

The 2.3 liter engine powered the M3 (which really was a middle class car compared to its rivals such as the Ford Sierra RS500) to the 1987 World Touring Car Championship, the 1987 and 1988 European Touring Car Championship's, the 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship, the 1988 British Touring Car Championship, and the 1987 and 1989-93 Italian Touring Car Championships.

BMW M30

The M30 powered a series of BMW 6-cylinder E9 and BMW E24 coupes to European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) throughout the 1970s and into the middle 1980s, even though a more powerful DOHC 24-valve head had been developed for high-performance motorsports and street use.

Formula Renault V6 Eurocup

Formula Renault V6 Eurocup is a former type of formula racing, active from 2003 to 2004, started by Renault as a support series in Eurosport's Super Racing Weekends (ETCC and FIA GT Championship).

Jochen Neerpasch

In the 1970s, he became a successful manager in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and the European Touring Car Championship.


FIA WTCC Race of UK

The race had previously been held at Donington Park when the series was known as the European Touring Car Championship but with promotion to world championship status, the event switched to Silverstone in Northamptonshire for 2005.

Gianfranco Brancatelli

Along with Swedish driver Thomas Lindström he won the 1985 European Touring Car Championship driving a Volvo 240 Turbo for Rudi Eggenberger, the pair winning six out of fourteen races.

Honda Civic

In 2002 JAS Motorsport entered the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) with a Super 2000 spec Civic and was used until restart season of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2005.

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben was a venue for FIA's European Touring Car Championship from 2001 to 2004 and the World Touring Car Championship from 2005 to 2011.


see also