BPR Global GT Series
The BPR Global GT Series (sometimes referred to as the BPR Global GT Endurance Series or simply abbreviated as BPR) was a
History
Following the demise of the
The series began in 1994 with an eight race schedule, including visits to
In 1995 the series would expand to twelve rounds and the amount of manufacturer interest was increased as new supercars such as the McLaren F1 GTR, Ferrari F40 GTE, and Jaguar XJ220 would appear, as well as lower class competitors like the Porsche 911 GT2 and De Tomaso Pantera. By 1996, manufacturer involvement had driven out most of the smaller cup cars, leading to the series slimming down to a mere two classes.
The manufacturer interest in the series reached a high point when Porsche launched their 911 GT1, a homologated supercar that was intended first as a racing car. Due to the amount manufacturer involvement, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) decided that the series would be best managed by themselves, leading to the series being reformed into the FIA GT Championship, where it continued till 2009. Stéphane Ratel would remain in charge of the series commercial rights.
Although the BPR series was technically dead, some of its organizers would move onto other series. In France, Patrick Peter would create a new series in association with the French FFSA motorsport organization, known as the FFSA GT Championship. Cars would be less powerful than those seen in the other years of BPR, retaining the initial four class format, although this would be abandoned in later years.
Stéphane Ratel would create the
In 2006, the SRO announced the launch of the GT90's Revival Series, a historic racing series intended to see classic cars from the BPR series return to the track.
Regulations
Unlike the World Sportscar Championship, which used custom built racing cars, the BPR series would use production sportscars which were modified into racing cars. Manufacturers would be required to have built a certain number of production cars for sale, with the number of homologation vehicles set by the class in which the car wished to participate. Initially four classes were used (GT1 through GT4) before being changed to two classes in 1996 (GT1 and GT2). The upper classes allowed deeper modifications from the production vehicles, including the use of exotic materials and non-production parts.
Teams were required to have two drivers per car, with each driver being required to drive a minimum amount in order to score points. Some teams could run three if they wished, although this was mostly used for amateur teams.
Champions
Although multiple classes raced in the early years of BPR, only a single overall championship was rewarded.
Driver Champion(s) | Team Champion | |
---|---|---|
1994 | No Championships Awarded | |
1995 | Thomas Bscher John Nielsen |
David Price Racing McLaren F1 GTR |
1996 | Ray Bellm James Weaver |
GTC Competition McLaren F1 GTR |
See also
- FIA GT Championship
- World Sportscar Championship
- Scud Race/Sega Super GT – Arcade Game featuring BPR Global GT Series competitors.