FIA Autocross

An autocross (also auto-cross, abbreviated AX) is an auto race in the Sprint style for both open, so-called autocross - seater ( Special Cross vehicles = prototypes in the buggy format) as well as closed touring cars and production cars ( the majority of all car models ) on a relatively small and the audience most well manageable racetrack.

According to the World Automobile Sport FIA Highness the circular routes for this type of car sport must be temporary or permanent, having a total length between 600 and 2000 meters, and only through loose track surface ( soil, sand, gravel, etc.) have. The launch site (English Starting Grid ) can, however, be asphalted or concreted - and in this case the track in Germany may then also be used exceptionally for Rallycross. Moreover, it must be driven in Germany on courses with asphalt or concrete passages or fully sealed road surface autocross. In several European countries every year ten to twelve championship rounds of the FIA ​​European Championship will be held for autocross drivers. In Germany the DMSB is responsible for the official German Championship this racing sport. Numerous, mostly regional, independent of the DMSB and thus royalty-free events, this powerful sport also spread throughout the Federal Republic of Germany. In contrast to the congeneric Autocross Rallycross is held on permanent racing with changing pad ( mostly asphalt and gravel ) and only closed vehicles.

History

The exact birth of the autocross sport does not seem to be detectable today. Pretty sure, however, that the first race of this type were organized in the late 1940s in the UK. Some British sources refer to a certain Bert Westwood ( a founding member of the British Trial and Rally Drivers' Association) as " autocross Daddy", said to have been with the East Anglia Motor Club responsible for the first AX competitions. However, other informants name the Hagley and District Light Car Club, said to have carried out in 1947 near the road between Stourbridge and Bridgnorth, the first such event. A Dr. G. E. Pinkerton, then a member of the Sporting Owner Drivers ' Club, for its part, points out, however, that real autocross is driven only since 1952. After a letter to the editor in the magazine Autosport one wants to have tried it made ​​proposals for a new form of racing on a grass runway on the site of the London Gliding Club at Dunstable Downs for the first time. After the test meeting was very successful, autocross have then developed relatively quickly to its final form.

The first official autocross competition on the European mainland was held in Großhöflein in Austria in 1968. The well-known Austrian rally driver Walter Roser at that time was the overall winner of the race, on a Renault Alpine A110. A participant in this premiere race was future Formula 1 World Champion Jochen Rindt. Only a few months later, on 16 March 1969 the first autocross of Germany was extended in the Hessian Schlüchtern.

Until the mid -1970s, there was no uniform European regulations for this sport - only to January 1, 1976 lifted the car racing FIA such and at the same time the European Cup as the first pan-European championship series for the Division 3 of baptism. The debut of the new championship was held on the Austrian Britaxring ( now called the North Ring) Fuglau with horn instead. In 1981, this race series finally got officially the status of a FIA European Championship awarded.

In 1979, a European Cup for the touring car class, Division 1, created. The first winner of this trophy was in the same year, the Austrian Siegfried Pfeiffer on Porsche 911 Also this class was upgraded in 1981 to the official European Championship.

In the first years of the European Cup or the European Championship, there were no restrictions on engine capacity, so that even buggies with eight-cylinder Chevrolet Camaro engines with a displacement up to 7500 cc were used. It was not until 1984, the engine capacity was limited to 3500 cc, 2001 but this was extended again to 4000 cc. Goods in the premier class for years 6 - or 8-cylinder naturally aspirated engines, mainly from Porsche, Tatra or Renault, Standard, so also increased 4- cylinder turbocharged or supercharged engines are used since the late nineties, which is in the majority of manufacturers deals with Ford Cosworth or VW / Audi. To give even the weak displacement vehicles chances of success, evolved from the earlier peace and Freundschaftscup to the original pilots were only allowed to start from the former Eastern bloc, however, in 1987 the Inter -Cup for Buggies ³ to 1600 cm. As Danube Cup and European Cup held in the 1980s and 1990s, this class finally got the 2001 FIA European Championship title awarded and has since been referred to as the Division 3A.

All-wheel drive, for most car sports that are operated on loose surfaces, a must in the European Cup and then in the Autocross Championship was initially not an issue, but attended a rules - breakdown of the FIA ​​in 1985 for his approval. This drive began then to enforce more and more, but also significantly increased the cost of production of the vehicles. Today, a successful participation in the Autocross Championship is hardly imaginable without all-wheel drive. As the first car Crosser, which began a four wheel drive vehicle, the Briton Howard Parkin applies. From April 1961 until the 1970s into the Cannonball called Open Special Parkin was almost unbeatable and secured his driver in more than 60 races, the fastest time (FTD = Fastest Time of the Day).

The most successful pilot in the autocross history of German Willi Roesel, who brought it to no less than seven European titles in series and a total of 42 individual victories between 1979 and 1985 - followed by the Czech Jaroslav Hosek with only one European title, but at least 31 championship round victories. Other successful German car Crosser Helmut Wild ( four European title ), Peter Mücke, Rolf Volland and Bernd Stubbe (three European title ) and Walter Bäuerle, Dennis Engel, Peter Derber and Adolf Heinz ( two European title ). Switzerland also can with Jürg Felix refer to a two -time European champions for this discipline. The current European champion the so-called elite class, Division 3, comes from Germany and is called Bernd Stubbe.

Classifications for the Autocross Championship FIA

• Division 1: Touring cars ( Special Touring Car Group A )
• Division 3: Special Crosser to 4000 cc ( single-seat autocross vehicles with two-wheel or four-wheel drive )
• Division 3A: Special Crosser to 1600 cc ( single-seat autocross vehicles with two-wheel or four-wheel drive )

Class divisions for the German Autocross Championship DMSB

• Class 1: Series Touring Cars up to 1400 cc (these vehicles must largely match series, only 2 WD allowed)
• Class 2: Series Touring Cars over 1400 cc see above
• Class 3: Super Tourenwagen these vehicles have many freedoms and feature all-wheel drive
• Class 4: Special Cross vehicles to 650 cc 2 WD (Cross - Kart)
• Class 5: Special Cross vehicles up to 1600 cc - Engine exempted (2WD - 4WD)
• Class 6: Special Cross vehicles over 1600 cc - see above

• Grades 7 - 8 - 9 are reserved for juniors ( relatively small, single with standard Citroën 2CV engines and motorcycle engines, for the young offspring )

Class divisions for the German Autocross Championship of DRCV

• Class 0: long distance
• Class 1: Series Touring Cars up to 1400 cc
• Class 2: Series Touring Cars up to 1800 cc
• Class 3: Series Touring Cars over 1800 cc
• Class 4: Special Touring Cars up to 1800 cc (only front-wheel drive )
• Class 5: Super Touring Car to 1600 cc ( up to 1800 cc limited up to and including 2012)
• Class 6: Super Touring Cars over 1600 cc
• Class 7: Special Cross vehicles up to 1600 cc ( without all-wheel drive, 2 - valve and carburetor technology)
• Class 8: Special Cross vehicles ³ to 1600 cm
• Class 9: Special Cross vehicles over 1600 cc
• Class 10: Special Cross vehicles up to 1150 cc ( without all-wheel drive )
• Class 11: Youth class over 14 years (Series Touring Cars up to 1400 cc )
• Class 12: Junior class from 16 years (Series Touring Cars up to 1400 cc )