Swiss Touring Car Championships

[ern]

According to Autosport there is a Super Touring Car Championship in Switzerland, does anybody know if they have a web site ?

[racingdick]

isn't that the one Vic Lee has apparently sent the ageing 406's to.??

[KA]

No, that's Sweden which has regs that accommodate both BTCC and ETCC cars.

Switzerland is still running even more-ageing Supertourers, with the grids probably bolstered by a wide range of other machinery- that certainly used to be the case a few years ago, 8 or 9 (often elderly...) Supertouring cars plus an amazing assortment of other variations on a touring car theme- it also threw up some unusual supertourers, like a Mitsubishi Lancer, as well as the usual assortment of Vectras, 405s and Toyota Carinas, all three of which seemed to be particularly popular over there.

The championship consists of races in Germany France and Italy (racing of course being banned in Switzerland) and hillclimbs 'at home'

The best source of information I know of is an annual titled Touring Car World which includes results and photos for most series worldwide- I don't know of any websites though

[kmchow]

According to the Annual Touring Car World, the last time this championship took place was '98. There were a total of 9 cars raced averaging 5.5 cars per a grid. The official ST championship is gone, but I'm not sure if the cars are still racing under some other series.

Bemani Motorsport, who ran the Toyota Carinas, were selling their cars the last time I checked. I ran into their website several years back.

What? Racing is banned in Switzerland? Man, that has got to be the silliest thing. What's the official reasoning?

[Muzza]

Hello, kmchow,

Racing was banned in Switzerland in 1955, in consequence of the accident with Pierre Levegh's Mercedes-Benz at Le Mans, that killed 88 people.

Afer Levegh's accident motor racing as a whole was severly questioned as a sport, and cries for ban took place in several countries, but no one nation went as far as the Swiss authorities did.

This was a very polemic matter, to the point that political parties dedicated to the defense of the right of drivers were founded (one of them is still a considerable force to be reckoned today).

Actually not all types of racing are forbidden in Switzerland: specifically, circuit racing in asphalted track open to public view is not allowed. Hence motocross, hillclimbing and rallying persists (the Rallye du Valais is particularly interesting).

For this very same odd reasons, Switzerland actually has one racing circuit: Lignières, in the Fribourg Canton - but to what the public has no access (it is used by a few gentleman drivers).

Nevertheless, there is a significant amount of passionate racing fans in Switzerland, and from time to time rumours about an end to the ban to (public, tarmac circuit) racing resurface - most recently a few months ago, on a move supported by Peter Sauber.

[kmchow]

It's not very clear, but there is mention of Bemani continuing to run their Carinas in some hill climb series? They've added a ST Vectra now as well.
http://www.gurnigelrennen.ch/html/karriere.html

[GTRMagic]

In the days of the WTCC, Bemani used to run a small fleet of Corollas in the Spa 24 hr races, and other continental European events....

[collector]

The Swiss Touring Car Championship is still on tour. The series is included in the "Schweizer Meisterschaften" which is for several other classes, called Interswiss, Gruppe E1/E2 etc.
In Dijon was the first round and there started 9 cars. Here you can see the results: http://www.equipebernoise.ch/d03feld-4-r1.htm
and here some photos: http://www.auto-rennsport-page.de/bi...int02_01_a.htm

[kmchow]

Hey, thanks for the update collector. Wow, 7 ST cars. That's a humble but still good showing!! Hmmm, I guess there's so many Vectras around b/c the Vectra was probably the most widely built/raced ST car of all time?

[kmchow]

I think it would be nice if the Touring Car World annual would continue to cover ST results, even if they race under an umbrella/catch all series. The Swiss and Formula Saloons series is managing to draw 10+ car grids.

[collector]

The fields of this series is sometimes very intersting. But you must have luck, because the could also race together with Groupe N cars. On good days there were 10 Supertouring Cars and cars like an old Groupe 5 Porsche 935 and BMW M1 at the start.

[touringlegend]

I assume that's the ex BTCC Mondeo in there with the Rapid Fit livery. Good to see they are still being put to valuable use.

It'd be interesting to know the cars in the Swiss series origins. Be far more fascinating knowing that such a car was driven by such a driver - could bring back some good memories!

[kmchow]

Definitely the Mitsu Lancer came from the '91 or '92 BTCC?

Perhaps, someone can contact Bemani directly and ask them about where they got their Carinas? I would bet the Carinas came from the BTCC?

http://www.bemani.ch/german/home_ge.htm

[ern]

I think you will find that the ex BTCC Mondeo was raced by the Crocket brothers in Formula Saloons last year, one of the Vectras and one of the Carinas were sold this year from within Switzerland.

Where have the Hondas come from and also the other Vectras ?

[FIRE]

Why is circuit racing not allowed and hillclimbing is no problem? In my opinion it is much more dangerous. And rallying is that allowed?

[collector]

I have got some books about Swiss Racing. I will search some information about the prohibition of circuit racing in them.