BRDC C2 Championship
Encyclopedia
The BRDC C2 Championship (sometimes referred to as the British C2 Championship) was a short lived sports car racing
series which ran from 1988 to 1990. The series was for Group C
cars which fit into the smaller, less powerful, and cheaper C2 category. All races were run in Great Britain
. The British Racing Drivers' Club
ran the series during its lifetime.
series, the C2 Championship would serve to bring international sports car racing seen in the World Sportscar Championship
to Britain. By using the smaller C2 class only, the series was able to encourage more teams to enter not only due to the relatively low cost of the available cars, but also due to the lack of major automobile manufacturers to drive away competitors due to their dominance. This was also aided by the fact that there were already several British teams running C2 class cars on the international circuit.
Although only seven cars would attend the opening race at Silverstone Circuit
, the series was able to expand to sixteen competitors by the end of its first year. Tiga chassis dominated the season as Team Istel drivers Tim Harvey
and Chris Hodgetts
took the first drivers' championship.
For 1989, the series unfortunately suffered from entries as a maximum of only twelve cars were seen in some races. Tim Harvey
of Team Istel again took the Class A championship in a new Spice
chassis while Canadian Robbie Stirling took the Class B championship for Inside Line Racing.
1990 saw the series suffer even more as most races averaged nine competitors, some of which never even made it to the green flag. John Churchill would take the final championship for his own team as the series was cancelled soon after.
A national sports car series for Britain would not return until 1993 when the BRDC GT Championship was created. It would use production grand tourer
-style sports cars instead of custom built Group C
cars which had been phased out by 1992.
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....
series which ran from 1988 to 1990. The series was for Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
cars which fit into the smaller, less powerful, and cheaper C2 category. All races were run in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The British Racing Drivers' Club
British Racing Drivers' Club
The British Racing Drivers' Club is a membership body which represents the interests of professional racing drivers from the United Kingdom.-Early days:...
ran the series during its lifetime.
History
Meant as a replacement for the dwindling ThundersportsThundersports
Thundersports was a variety of sports car racing introduced by John Webb of Brands Hatch fame.Webb saw it as a replacement for the Aurora AFX Formula One championship as a spectacular class that could headline national-level meetings, and a partner for the Thundersaloons series for...
series, the C2 Championship would serve to bring international sports car racing seen in the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
to Britain. By using the smaller C2 class only, the series was able to encourage more teams to enter not only due to the relatively low cost of the available cars, but also due to the lack of major automobile manufacturers to drive away competitors due to their dominance. This was also aided by the fact that there were already several British teams running C2 class cars on the international circuit.
Although only seven cars would attend the opening race at Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, the series was able to expand to sixteen competitors by the end of its first year. Tiga chassis dominated the season as Team Istel drivers Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey is a racing driver from England. He was the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won the prestigious BTCC title in 1992, and was a frontrunner for most of the late 80s and early 90s...
and Chris Hodgetts
Chris Hodgetts
Chris Hodgetts is a British former racing driver.Hodgetts debuted in the British Touring Car Championship in 1980. His first overall podium place came in 1981 when he came second. He was consistent in the top five after that. He came fourth in 1983, fifth in 1984, second in 1985, before winning...
took the first drivers' championship.
For 1989, the series unfortunately suffered from entries as a maximum of only twelve cars were seen in some races. Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey is a racing driver from England. He was the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won the prestigious BTCC title in 1992, and was a frontrunner for most of the late 80s and early 90s...
of Team Istel again took the Class A championship in a new Spice
Spice Engineering
Spice Engineering was a British racing team founded by driver Gordon Spice with his brother Derek Spice in the early 1980s, later becoming a successful sports car constructor in 1986...
chassis while Canadian Robbie Stirling took the Class B championship for Inside Line Racing.
1990 saw the series suffer even more as most races averaged nine competitors, some of which never even made it to the green flag. John Churchill would take the final championship for his own team as the series was cancelled soon after.
A national sports car series for Britain would not return until 1993 when the BRDC GT Championship was created. It would use production 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....
-style sports cars instead of custom built Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
cars which had been phased out by 1992.
External links
- World Sports Prototype Racing - BRDC C2 Championship results