Group 6 (motorsport)

FIA classification for sports car racing From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Group 6 was the official designation applied by the FIA to two motor racing classifications, the Prototype-Sports Car category from 1966 to 1971 and the Two-Seater Racing Cars class from 1976 to 1982.

Group 6 Prototype-Sports Cars (1966 to 1971)

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
Porsche won the 1969 International Championship for Makes with the Group 6 Porsche 908

The original Group 6 was introduced for the 1966 racing season, at the same time as a new Group 4 Sports Car category. Whilst Group 4 specified that competing cars must be one of at least fifty examples built, Group 6 had no minimum production requirement. Nor did it have a maximum engine capacity limit although there were weight, dimensional and other restrictions placed on the Group 6 cars.[1] The Prototypes and Sports Cars categories each had their own international championships to fight for but many of the major international endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans would count as qualifying rounds for both championships.

1968 saw a three-litre engine capacity limit imposed on the Group 6 category and the dual championship format was replaced by a single International Championship for Makes open to both Group 6 and Group 4 cars. The Le Mans 24 Hour retained its place as a championship round. For 1969 the FIA relaxed a number of Group 6 regulations relating to weight, spare wheel, windscreen height and luggage space requirements.[1]

For 1972 the Group 6 Prototype-Sports Car class was redesignated and renamed to become the Group 5 Sports Car category.[2] The International Championship of Makes became the World Championship of Makes and the first chapter of Group 6 history was brought to a close by the FIA.

Group 6 cars had been eligible to compete in 24 Hours of Le Mans each year from 1966 to 1971; however, the category had produced the outright winning car only in 1966 and 1967.

Group 6 Two-Seater Racing Cars (1976 to 1982)

Summarize
Perspective
Thumb
Porsche won the 1976 World Sportscar Championship with the Group 6 Porsche 936. The type also won the Le Mans 24 Hour in 1976, '77 & '81 and was runner up in '78 & '80, while in '79 a Group 5 Porsche 935 won.

In 1976, the FIA reintroduced the Group 6 classification, now officially called “Two- Seater Racing Cars”.[3]

Various production-based categories, spearheaded by a new Group 5 for “Special Production Cars”, were now to contest the World Championship of Makes whilst the Group 6 cars were awarded their own title, the World Championship for Sports Cars. Three engine capacity limits were applied to Group 6 cars for the 1976 and 1977 championships:[4]

  • 5000cc for cars fitted with engines using a production car block [4]
  • 3000cc for cars fitted with naturally aspirated racing engines [4]
  • 2140cc for cars fitted with turbocharged racing engines [4] (capacity equivalence factor of 1.4)

After two years of small fields and little in the way of manufacturer support the championship was downgraded to become the European Sports Car Championship for 1978 but even that title was to be abandoned after the first year.[5] From 1979 the FIA decreed that Group 6 cars could compete in the World Championship of Makes qualifying rounds but continued to allow only production-based cars to score championship points for their manufacturer.[6]

1981 saw the series expanded with an official Drivers’ title awarded by the FIA for the first time and drivers of Group 6 cars were eligible to compete for this.[7] Group 6 was then effectively replaced by the new Group C Sports Car class for 1982 but the FIA granted a concession which allowed the Group 6 cars to compete in the 1982 World Endurance Championship alongside the new cars. As in 1981, drivers of Group 6 cars were eligible to score points in the Drivers’ championship but the relevant manufacturers could not score points towards the Makes title.[8] For the 1982 World Endurance Championship, the engine capacity maximum for Group 6 cars was set at 3000cc.[9]

Throughout the seven years of the second era of Group 6 racing cars being eligible to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, starting from 1976, the category had produced the outright winning car in all years except 1979, when in heavy rain several 911-based Group 5 Porsche 935 were on top, and in the final 1982, when the new Group C Porsche 956 started its dominance. Before that, the 917s won two out of three, and the 936 won three out of six, with Renault in 1978 and Rondeau in 1980 scoring wins for France.

List of Group 6 Cars

More information Brand, Chassis ...
Brand Chassis Image Debut Applications Notes
Alfa Romeo 33SC12 Thumb 1976 2nd Generation
T33/2 Thumb 1967 1st Generation
Tipo 33 Thumb 1966 1st Generation Later versions would compete in Groups 4, and 5.
Alpine A210 Thumb 1967 1st Generation
A220 1968 1st Generation
A442 Thumb 1975 1st Generation
M65 Thumb 1966 1st Generation
Chaparral 2D Thumb 1966 1st Generation
2F Thumb 1967 1st Generation
Chevron B19 Thumb 1971 1st Generation
B26 Thumb 1973 2nd Generation
B31 Thumb 1975 2nd Generation
B36 Thumb 1976 2nd Generation
Ferrari 312 P Thumb 1969 1st Generation
312 PB Thumb 1971 1st Generation Would later be reassigned to Group 5.
Fiat Abarth 1000SP Thumb 1968 1st Generation
Hesketh 308LM
Howmet TX Thumb 1968 1st Generation
Lancia LC1 Thumb 1982 2nd Generation
Lola T210 Thumb 1970 1st Generation
T212 Thumb 1970 1st Generation
T294 1974 2nd Generation
T296 Thumb 1976 2nd Generation
T297 Thumb 1977 2nd Generation
T298 Thumb 1979 2nd Generation
T600 Thumb 1981 2nd Generation
March 75S 1975 2nd Generation
76S 1976 2nd Generation
77S 1977 2nd Generation
Matra MS620 1966 1st Generation
MS650 Thumb 1969 1st Generation
MS660 Thumb 1970 1st Generation
Mirage M2 1968 1st Generation
M3 1969 1st Generation
M9 1978 2nd Generation
M10 1979 2nd Generation
Osella PA3 Thumb 1975 2nd Generation
PA4 Thumb 1976 2nd Generation
PA5 Thumb 1977 2nd Generation
PA6 Thumb 1978 2nd Generation
PA7 Thumb 1979 2nd Generation
PA8 Thumb 1980 2nd Generation
PA9 Thumb 1981 2nd Generation
Porsche 908 Thumb 1966 1st Generation A later version would compete in Group 5.
908/02 Thumb 1969 1st Generation
908/03 Thumb 1970 1st Generation
936 Thumb 1976 2nd Generation
Rondeau Inaltéra GTP Thumb 1976 2nd Generation
M378 Thumb 1978 2nd Generation
M379 Thumb 1979 2nd Generation
Sauber C5 Thumb 1975 2nd Generation
Close

Groups 1-9

More information Categories, Source: ...
Categories and Groups of Appendix J 1954 - 1965
Categories 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
I. Touring A. Touring
II. Sports II. Grand Touring B. Grand Touring
- C. Sports
Group 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
Group 1 Normal series production
Group 2 "Grand Touring" series prod Modified series prod Modified series prod
Group 3 Special series production Grand Touring Cars
Group 4 Series production Normal GT series prod Sports Car
Group 5 International Modified GT series prod -
Group 6 - GT specials -
Source:[10][11]
Close
More information Categories, Source: Note: Special may be replaced with Competition in some official documents. ...
Categories and Groups of Appendix J 1966 - 1981 (Production requirement)
Categories 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
A. Production
B. Special B. Experimental Competition B. Racing Cars
C. Racing Cars -
Group 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Group 1 Series Touring (5000)
Group 2 Touring (1000) Special Touring (1000)
Group 3 Grand Touring (500) Series Grand Touring (1000)
Group 4 Sportscars (50/25) Special Grand Touring (500) Grand Touring (400)
Group 5 Special Touring Cars Sports cars (50) Sports cars Special cars derived from Groups 1-4
Group 6 Prototype sportscars - Two-seater racecars
Group 7 Two-seater racecars International formula
Group 8 Formula racing cars International formula Formula libre racing cars
Group 9 Formula libre racing cars -
Source:[10][11]
Note: Special may be replaced with Competition in some official documents.
Close

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.