International GT Open
Encyclopedia
The International GT Open is a grand tourer
-style sports car racing
founded in 2006 by the Spanish GT Sport Organización. It is a spin-off of the Spanish GT Championship
, and uses a similar format, except its races are held internationally.
In 2007, the first race, known as Pro-Am, covers approximately 200 km distance, while the second race is 150 km and known as GT Open. The only exception is the Open GT Barcelona, which is a single 300 km race. Since its inception, a few races have been a part of the World Touring Car Championship
support package.
, but it also allows non-homologated cars provide they obey the FIA GT2 technical regulations. Most of the field is made up of Ferrari F430
GTs and Porsche 911 GT3
-RSRs. Non-homologated cars like the Mosler MT900
R and the SEAT Cupra GT
are also competitive.
The GTB class consists of cars usually from a manufacturer's one-make cup series, like the Ferrari F430
Challenge, the Porsche 911 GT3
Cup, and the Marcos Mantis
. A GTS class was created to house the FIA GT3
class, consisting mainly of Dodge Viper
Competition Coupes and Lamborghini Gallardo
GT3s.
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....
-style sports car racing
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....
founded in 2006 by the Spanish GT Sport Organización. It is a spin-off of the Spanish GT Championship
Spanish GT Championship
The Spanish GT Championship is a Spanish auto racing series founded in 1999 and organised by the GT Sport Organización. The series runs multiple classes of grand tourer cars in events around Spain and Portugal...
, and uses a similar format, except its races are held internationally.
Format
The series consists of events in various European countries which feature two races over a weekend. In its first year, the races had an identical format to the Spanish GT Championship, with two 200 km races, the first held on Saturday and the second the following Sunday. Three of the six rounds were joint events for the Open and the Spanish GT Championship.In 2007, the first race, known as Pro-Am, covers approximately 200 km distance, while the second race is 150 km and known as GT Open. The only exception is the Open GT Barcelona, which is a single 300 km race. Since its inception, a few races have been a part of the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
support package.
Regulations
Each race consists of a field of grand touring-style cars broken into different classes based on power and weight. For 2006, two classes were used, known as GTA and GTB. GTA is equivalent to the GT2 class used in the FIA GT ChampionshipFIA 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...
, but it also allows non-homologated cars provide they obey the FIA GT2 technical regulations. Most of the field is made up of Ferrari F430
Ferrari F430
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show...
GTs and Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
-RSRs. Non-homologated cars like the Mosler MT900
Mosler MT900
The MT900 is a sports car built in the United States and the United Kingdom by Mosler. Three submodels have also been produced. The MT900R was a racing version of the MT900. The basic car was updated as the MT900S for 2005, with the MT900S Photon being its racing variant. The original MT900 was...
R and the SEAT Cupra GT
SEAT Cupra GT
The SEAT Cupra GT is a GT race car made by SEAT and introduced in a world premiere first as a concept car on 24 April 2003 at the Barcelona Motor Show...
are also competitive.
The GTB class consists of cars usually from a manufacturer's one-make cup series, like the Ferrari F430
Ferrari F430
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show...
Challenge, the Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
Cup, and the Marcos Mantis
Marcos (automobile)
Marcos was a British sports car manufacturer. The name was a combination of founders Jem Marsh and Frank Costin.-History:Marcos was founded in Luton, in Bedfordshire, England, in 1959 by Jem Marsh and Frank Costin. Frank Costin had earlier worked on the De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers and...
. A GTS class was created to house the FIA GT3
FIA GT3 European Championship
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
class, consisting mainly of Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
Competition Coupes and Lamborghini Gallardo
Lamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production...
GT3s.
Champions
| Year | Overall | GTA | GTS | GTB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 |  Michele Bartyan |
Michele Bartyan |
Stefano Zonca Andrea Belicchi Andrea Belicchi Andrea Belicchi is an Italian racing driver. He has competed in such series as Italian Formula 3000, Formula Renault V6 Eurocup, Porsche Supercup and the Le Mans Series. He was the GTS class champion in 2006's International GT Open along with Stefano Zonca... |
Fabrizio Gini |
| 2007 |  Richard LietzRichard Lietz Richard Lietz is an Austrian racing driver. He has competed in such series as American Le Mans Series, Formula 3 Euro Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series. He is also a multiple race-winner in Porsche Supercup. Lietz was overall series champion in the 2007 International GT Open season with Swiss...  Joël CamathiasJoël Camathias Joël Camathias is a Swiss race car driver born in Lugano. In 2001 he raced in the International Formula 3000 championship and in 2002 in the European F3000 series. In 2003 he made 7 starts in the American Champ Car series for Dale Coyne Racing, his best finish a 9th in his debut at the Grand Prix... |
Andrea Montermini Andrea Montermini -Career:Montermini raced in Formula 3 in 1989, taking second place in the Monaco GP support race and 4th in the Italian F3 Championship. He then moved up to Formula 3000, racing for three season before finally taking second place in the 1992 season, winning three rounds while driving for the Il... Michele Maceratesi |
Riccardo Romagnoli Riccardo Romagnoli Riccardo Romagnoli is an Italian auto racing driver.-Career:In 2008 he competed in the FIA GT3 European Championship for La Torre Motorsport in a Dodge Viper.... |
Gianni Giudici Gianni Giudici Gianni Giudici is an Italian racing driver from Province of Milan, Abbiategrasso.-Career:1970-1992: Italian Touring Car Championship1993: Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft1994: Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft... |
| 2008 | Andrea Montermini Andrea Montermini -Career:Montermini raced in Formula 3 in 1989, taking second place in the Monaco GP support race and 4th in the Italian F3 Championship. He then moved up to Formula 3000, racing for three season before finally taking second place in the 1992 season, winning three rounds while driving for the Il... Michele Maceratesi |
Andrea Montermini Andrea Montermini -Career:Montermini raced in Formula 3 in 1989, taking second place in the Monaco GP support race and 4th in the Italian F3 Championship. He then moved up to Formula 3000, racing for three season before finally taking second place in the 1992 season, winning three rounds while driving for the Il... Michele Maceratesi |
Marco Cioci Andrea Pellizzato |
not held |
| Overall | Super GT | GTS | ||
| 2009 2009 International GT Open season The 2009 International GT Open season was the fourth season of the International GT Open. The season began on April 18 and ended on November 8, 2009. Joël Camathias and Marcel Fässler claimed both the Super GT title and the overall title, beating Autorlando Sport's Richard Lietz and Gianluca Roda... |
Joël Camathias Joël Camathias Joël Camathias is a Swiss race car driver born in Lugano. In 2001 he raced in the International Formula 3000 championship and in 2002 in the European F3000 series. In 2003 he made 7 starts in the American Champ Car series for Dale Coyne Racing, his best finish a 9th in his debut at the Grand Prix... Marcel Fässler |
Joël Camathias Joël Camathias Joël Camathias is a Swiss race car driver born in Lugano. In 2001 he raced in the International Formula 3000 championship and in 2002 in the European F3000 series. In 2003 he made 7 starts in the American Champ Car series for Dale Coyne Racing, his best finish a 9th in his debut at the Grand Prix... Marcel Fässler |
Philipp Peter Philipp Peter Philipp Peter is a race car driver from Austria.In 2003 he won the 12 Hours of Sebring in a Team Joest Audi R8 with teammates Marco Werner and Frank Biela...  Michal Broniszewski |
|
| 2010 2010 International GT Open season The 2010 International GT Open season was the fifth season of the International GT Open. The season commenced on April 17 at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia and finished on October 31, at Circuit de Catalunya after 16 races held at eight meetings.... |
 Álvaro BarbaÁlvaro Barba Álvaro Barba López is a Spanish racing driver and brother to fellow racer Marco Barba.-Formula Junior and Spanish Formula Three:...  Pierre KafferPierre Kaffer Pierre Kaffer is a race driver from Germany, currently living in Switzerland.-Career:... |
Álvaro Barba Álvaro Barba Álvaro Barba López is a Spanish racing driver and brother to fellow racer Marco Barba.-Formula Junior and Spanish Formula Three:... Pierre KafferPierre Kaffer Pierre Kaffer is a race driver from Germany, currently living in Switzerland.-Career:... |
Marco Frezza |
|