The Championnat de France de Supertourisme ( en, French Supertouring Championship) was a
touring car racing
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not move ...
championship organised by the
Fédération Française du Sport Automobile
French Federation of Automobile Sport (french: Fédération Française du Sport Automobile, FFSA), founded in 1952, is one of the National Sports Associations affiliated to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), with the aim of orga ...
between 1976 and 2005.
The championship was contested on several circuits around France, with points awarded for driver classification. The winning driver was the one with the most points at the end of the season.
A national title was given in 1974, but a proper touring car championship only started in 1976. The cars were run to
Group 2 specification, and the championship was called the Championnat Français de Voiture de Tourisme (French Touring Car Championship). From 1982,
Group A
Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived vehicles intended for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles w ...
rules were adopted to replace the outgoing Group 2, but in 1983 the FFSA modified them to be loosely based on Group A, evolving into the 1987 and 1988 seasons, where
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportscar ...
type machines, called "Superproduction," were allowed to run alongside Group A, dominating the series.
The championship changed its name to Super Tourisme in 1989, when Group A cars were allowed technical evolutions to keep up with the faster Superproduction cars.
A major change happened in 1991, when the FFSA adopted a set of regulations similar to the
British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA
TOCA, formally trading as BARC (TOCA) Ltd, is an organiser of motorsport events in ...
, with a maximum engine displacement of 2000 cm
3. In 1993, these regulations were formally codified by the FIA as
Supertouring D2 Class. All works teams abandoned the championship at the end of 1995 but the series soldiered on with privateers. To make up the numbers, rally kitcars were allowed on the grid.
In 2001, Supertouring cars were replaced in the series by
silhouette cars. Despite the change of class, the series retained its name. The final season was held in 2005, when because of rising costs the championship was cancelled. Since then, the most prestigious French circuit championship has been the
FFSA GT Championship
The FFSA GT Championship (''Championnat de France FFSA GT'') is a French Grand Touring-style sports car racing series that began in 1997. It is the main event of the ''Championnat de France des Circuits'' (formerly called ''Super Série FFSA'' a ...
.
Circuits
; Supertouring era (1993–2001)
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Circuit d'Albi
The Circuit d'Albi is a motorsport race track located in the French town of Le Sequestre near Albi, about northeast of Toulouse. Built to replace the nearby '' Les Planques'' public road circuit, Albi has 70 years of history in motor-racing, ...
(1993–1997, 1999–2001)
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Circuit Bugatti
The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 Ho ...
(1993–1994, 1998–2001)
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Circuit de Charade
The Circuit de Charade, also known as Circuit Louis Rosier and Circuit Clermont-Ferrand, is a motorsport race track in Saint-Genès-Champanelle near Clermont-Ferrand in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. The circuit, buil ...
(1994–1996, 1998–1999)
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Circuit Dijon-Prenois (1993–1999)
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Circuit de Croix-en-Ternois (1993–1995, 1997, 2001)
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Circuit de Lédenon
Circuit de Lédenon is a motor racing circuit located next to the town of Lédenon, Gard, France, about northeast of Nîmes. It hosts FFSA GT Championship and French F4 Championship.
History
In 1970, two motor sport enthusiasts, Jean-Claude an ...
(1994, 1996–2001)
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Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry
Autodrome de Montlhéry (established 4 October 1924) is a motor racing circuit, officially called L’autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, owned by Utac, located south-west of the small town of Montlhéry about south of Paris.
History
Industrial ...
(1993–1996)
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Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some from Paris and from Lyon.
It staged the Formula One French Grand Prix from 1991 (succeeding Circuit Paul Ricard ...
(1993–1994, 1997–2001)
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Circuit Paul Armagnac
Circuit Paul Armagnac also known as Circuit de Nogaro is a motorsport race track located in the commune of Nogaro in the Gers department in southwestern France. The track is named in honor of Nogaro-born racing driver Paul Armagnac who died in ...
(1993–2001)
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Circuit de Pau-Ville (1993–2001)
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Circuit Paul Ricard
The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has ho ...
(1993–1995, 1997–1998)
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Circuit du Val de Vienne
Circuit du Val de Vienne is a motor racing circuit located in Le Vigeant, France. Opened in 1990, the circuit is operated by Les Deux Arbes, a group under the auspices of Jack Leconte and Jacques Nicolet
Jacques Nicolet (born 5 April 1956 i ...
(1993–2000)
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Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
(2000–2001)
Champions
References
External links
SuperTouring websiteSuperTouringRegister websiteSuperTouringCars website
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{{Super Touring championships
Touring car racing series
Supertouring Championship
1976 establishments in France
2005 disestablishments in France