GTR Euroseries
Encyclopedia
The GTR Euroseries was a short-lived auto racing
series which ran in 1998. It was created as an alternative to the international FIA GT Championship
, while combining elements of the former BPR Global GT Series
. The GTR Euroseries was created by Patrick Peter and the Peter Organisation, who had also been a founder of the BPR.
, the FIA chose to promote the championship to a more international status and revamp the series into the FIA GT Championship
. This was due to the increased amount of manufacturer support from the series, with makes including Mercedes-Benz
, Porsche
, Lotus
, Panoz
, and Chrysler
. This increase in manufacturer input escalated the cost of being competitive in the series, driving various privateer teams out of the Championship.
At the same time, the FIA began to shorten events in the schedule. While most races in 1997 remained at four hours as they had been during BPR, others were shortened to just three hours. This was further revamped in 1998 as all events, besides the Suzuka 1000km
, were run for only 500 kilometers, averaging under three hours per race.
Believing that the FIA GT Championship was moving away from the BPR Global GT Series' ideals for grand tourer
racing, the Peter Organisation chose to create a new championship in 1998 as an alternative to FIA GT. This series would return to some of the concepts of BPR, such as all events being four hours in length. The series would also have a ban on direct manufacturer input, leaving the series open to small private teams who could not easily compete in the high-cost FIA GT series.
The new GTR Euroseries would also bring back some of the class structure that had been used in BPR. Besides allowing the GT1 and GT2 classes from FIA GT, the GT3 and GT4 classes also returned. These classes would be composed of cars from one-make series, such as the Porsche Supercup
, Ferrari Challenge
, or Venturi Trophy. Because these cars were much closer to their street legal counterparts, they were an even cheaper alternative to the GT1 and GT2 classes.
, a car which still competed in FIA GT Championship. However, the next round at Paul Ricard would not feature the McLaren, and instead the GT1 class was left with only a Porsche 911 GT2
Evo. GT2 class was the most prevalent, with nine competitors, while the GT4 class also had a variety of machines.
By the third round of the season, the series mostly became a competition with the GT2 and GT4 classes, of which most of the competitors used Porsches. A mere 12 entrants showed at Misano, while only ten arrived at the Nürburgring. The series saw some revival in its final round of the season at Spa-Francorchamps, as 19 cars were entered, but the field still consisted mostly of GT2 and GT4 teams.
During the 1998 season, the FIA GT Championship announced their plans to eliminate their GT1 class due to the high cost of the machines which ran it and the dominance of Mercedes-Benz in the Championship. This left only the smaller GT2 class, of which only Chrysler ran a factory squad. Believing the smaller FIA GT Championship would be more open to privateer teams in 1999 and due to a lack of competitors during the 1998 season, the GTR Euroseries was cancelled after five rounds due to a lack of teams entering and no desire to run a separate series in 1999.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
series which ran in 1998. It was created as an alternative to the international 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...
, while combining elements of the former BPR Global GT Series
BPR Global GT Series
The BPR Global GT Series was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997...
. The GTR Euroseries was created by Patrick Peter and the Peter Organisation, who had also been a founder of the BPR.
Development
Following the 1996 BPR Global GT Series season1996 BPR Global GT Series season
The 1996 BPR Global GT Series season was the third season of BPR Global GT Series. It is a series for Grand Touring style cars broken into two classes based on power and manufacturer involvement, called GT1 and GT2. It began on March 3, 1996 and ended November 3, 1996 after 11 races...
, the FIA chose to promote the championship to a more international status and revamp the series into 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...
. This was due to the increased amount of manufacturer support from the series, with makes including Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, 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....
, Lotus
Lotus Cars
Lotus Cars is a British manufacturer of sports and racing cars based at the former site of RAF Hethel, a World War II airfield in Norfolk. The company designs and builds race and production automobiles of light weight and fine handling characteristics...
, Panoz
Panoz
Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante...
, and Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
. This increase in manufacturer input escalated the cost of being competitive in the series, driving various privateer teams out of the Championship.
At the same time, the FIA began to shorten events in the schedule. While most races in 1997 remained at four hours as they had been during BPR, others were shortened to just three hours. This was further revamped in 1998 as all events, besides the Suzuka 1000km
Suzuka 1000km
The 1000 km Suzuka is an annual 1000-kilometer endurance race for sports cars held at the Suzuka Circuit . It is a round of the Japanese Super GT championship....
, were run for only 500 kilometers, averaging under three hours per race.
Believing that the FIA GT Championship was moving away from the BPR Global GT Series' ideals for 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....
racing, the Peter Organisation chose to create a new championship in 1998 as an alternative to FIA GT. This series would return to some of the concepts of BPR, such as all events being four hours in length. The series would also have a ban on direct manufacturer input, leaving the series open to small private teams who could not easily compete in the high-cost FIA GT series.
The new GTR Euroseries would also bring back some of the class structure that had been used in BPR. Besides allowing the GT1 and GT2 classes from FIA GT, the GT3 and GT4 classes also returned. These classes would be composed of cars from one-make series, such as the Porsche Supercup
Porsche Supercup
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is the international motor racing series supporting the FIA Formula One World Championship organized by Porsche AG....
, Ferrari Challenge
Ferrari Challenge
The Ferrari Challenge is a single-marque motorsport championship that was created in 1993 for owners of the 348 Berlinetta who wanted to become involved in racing. It now encompasses three official championships in the United States, Italy, and Europe. Competitors from each series are brought...
, or Venturi Trophy. Because these cars were much closer to their street legal counterparts, they were an even cheaper alternative to the GT1 and GT2 classes.
1998 season
The first round of the season in Jarama had twenty competitors appearing, with at least two cars in each class. The first race was easily won by a GT1 class competitor, Thomas Bscher, using a McLaren F1 GTRMcLaren F1 GTR
The McLaren F1 GTR was a racing variant of the McLaren F1 sports car first produced in 1995 for grand touring style racing, such as the BPR Global GT Series, FIA GT Championship, JGTC, and British GT Championship. It is most famous for its overall victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans where it...
, a car which still competed in FIA GT Championship. However, the next round at Paul Ricard would not feature the McLaren, and instead the GT1 class was left with only a Porsche 911 GT2
Porsche 911 GT2
The Porsche 911 GT2 is a sports car built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 1994. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine upgrades, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration...
Evo. GT2 class was the most prevalent, with nine competitors, while the GT4 class also had a variety of machines.
By the third round of the season, the series mostly became a competition with the GT2 and GT4 classes, of which most of the competitors used Porsches. A mere 12 entrants showed at Misano, while only ten arrived at the Nürburgring. The series saw some revival in its final round of the season at Spa-Francorchamps, as 19 cars were entered, but the field still consisted mostly of GT2 and GT4 teams.
During the 1998 season, the FIA GT Championship announced their plans to eliminate their GT1 class due to the high cost of the machines which ran it and the dominance of Mercedes-Benz in the Championship. This left only the smaller GT2 class, of which only Chrysler ran a factory squad. Believing the smaller FIA GT Championship would be more open to privateer teams in 1999 and due to a lack of competitors during the 1998 season, the GTR Euroseries was cancelled after five rounds due to a lack of teams entering and no desire to run a separate series in 1999.
Results
All races were four hours in length. The Misano Gold Cup allowed sports-prototypes to compete alongside the GT cars.| Rnd | Race | Circuit | Overall Winning Team | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Winning Drivers | ||||
| 1 |  Gran Premio RepsolRepsol YPF Repsol YPF, S.A. is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 29 countries... |
Circuito Permanente Del Jarama Circuito Permanente Del Jarama The Circuito del Jarama , formerly known as Circuito Permanente del Jarama is a race course in Madrid, Spain which has hosted nine Formula One Spanish Grand Prix.... |
 #1 GTC/DavidoffDavidoff Davidoff is a Swiss luxury tobacco goods brand name, which is carried by a range of products including cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobaccos. Its cigarette brand is currently owned by Imperial Tobacco but the company is otherwise independently owned.... Classic |
March 22 |
| Geoff Lees Geoff Lees Geoffrey Lees is a former racing driver from England. He participated in 12 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 July 1978. He scored no championship points.-Career:...  Thomas BscherThomas Bscher -External Links:*... |
||||
| 2 |  4 Hours of Paul Ricard |
Circuit Paul Ricard Circuit Paul Ricard The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard... |
#9 BVB Motorsport |
April 26 |
| Geoff Lister Maxwell Beaverbrook Barrie Williams |
||||
| 3 |  Misano Gold Cup |
Misano Circuit |  #33 GLPK Racing |
May 24 |
Paul Kumpen Stéphane Cohen Charles Margueron |
||||
| 4 | Intl. ACV-AvD Sprint Meeting |
Nürburgring Nürburgring The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about... |
#35 Freisinger Motorsport Freisinger Motorsport Freisinger Motorsport is a German company which has tuned, restored, and raced Porsches since 1967. Founded by Manfred Freisinger in Karlsruhe, the company now is run by his son Manfred Freisinger Jr.... |
July 19 |
Wolfgang Kaufmann Michel Ligonnet |
||||
| 5 | 4 Hours of Spa |
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its... |
#35 Freisinger Motorsport Freisinger Motorsport Freisinger Motorsport is a German company which has tuned, restored, and raced Porsches since 1967. Founded by Manfred Freisinger in Karlsruhe, the company now is run by his son Manfred Freisinger Jr.... |
July 26 |
| Wolfgang Kaufmann Michel Ligonnet |
External links
- World Sports Prototype Racing - GTR Euroseries
- Racing Sports Cars - Jarama 4 Hours 1998 (GTR Euroseries Round 1)