motorsport
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The past and future of
Production Car racing
➲ Jan Maritz from Bridgestone (left) and Dick Sorensen from Supa Production Cars circa 2006...still very much part of the series
The idea of racing saloon-based race cars goes back to the years immediately after World War two, when
industry reverted to peacetime production and cars were brought within reach of Joe Average.
N
eedless to say, motorsport grew rapidly on the back
of this trend and here it was no exception. Various
South African production car championships - such as
Group 1 and Group N - have entertained enthusiasts for many
a decade, creating an environment where the man in the street
can identify strongly with the car on the track. Production Cars
as we know it today has been around with a largely unchanged
structure since 2006 (the year that Bridgestone became the
series sponsor), and continues to follow developments in the
automotive industry: in recent years we’ve seen the move
away from high-revving normally aspirated engines towards
smaller, forced-induction engines.
Class A currently caters for engines of up to 3.0-litre in
supercharged or turbocharged form, though larger capacity
normally-aspirated cars are still eligible. Class T is for
turbocharged cars of up to 2.0-litre capacity, and the current
two-tier structure represents a sustained period of stability for
South Africa’s most prestigious saloon car series.
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| Wheels in Action
➲ BMW and Audi have been the bedrock of Bridgestone Production Cars for
many a year
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2014/06/30 10:53 AM
august 2014