Category Endurance racing Inaugural season 2009 Official website www.ChumpCar.com | Country United States
Canada Drivers Amateur Racers | |
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The ChumpCar World Series is a series of automotive endurance races held on paved road race courses across North America. The races range in length from 6 to 38 hours. The name is a parody of Champ Car, a defunct open wheel professional racing series. Races are sanctioned throughout the United States, as well as in Canada and Mexico.
Contents
The series is similar in some ways to the 24 Hours of LeMons, another low-cost endurance racing series. The series has a different overall philosophy, however, placing more emphasis on racing and less on decorations, costumes, and themes. ChumpCar's slogan is "Real Racing, Real Tracks, Real Cheap Cars", and its stated mission, as stated on its website, is to be "It's all about racing. It's all about tearing down those high-dollar roadblocks that, in the past, have restricted people with a passion for cars and racing from getting fully engaged and involved in motorsports. It's about enjoyment, friends and bringing road racing back to where it was fifty years ago - when racing was fun, cheap and nobody cared whether you had Snap-On tools or a mix-match of hand-me-downs in your toolbox." Competitors generally refer to themselves as Chumps.
History
ChumpCar World Series founder John Condren was the owner of Altamont Raceway Park in California when the first 24 Hours of LeMons events were held at the track. Condren entered a team in the early LeMons races, but was dissatisfied with the party atmosphere and tongue-in-cheek mockery that continues to characterize the LeMons series. After finding that other racers were interested in cheap endurance racing and shared his dissatisfaction with LeMons, Condren formed the ChumpCar World Series and organized the first ChumpCar race in October 2009 at Portland International Raceway. In the first full year of the series, ChumpCar hosted 9 events across the United States at tracks that included Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Portland International Raceway, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, and Putnam Park, among others.
ChumpCar races resembled LeMons races in the beginning, as many LeMons teams participated in lavishly decorated cars and costumes. Likewise, many of the rules in ChumpCar mirrored those in LeMons to allow teams to easily switch between the two race series. Over time, ChumpCar's rules evolved to form a more coherent, distinct series unlike any other in North America. ChumpCar's popularity grew, and as of 2013 the series schedules over 40 events across North America at some of the best-known road racing venues on the continent, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Sonoma Raceway (Sears Point), Road America, Virginia International Raceway, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and Daytona International Speedway.
Notable ChumpCar competitors include NASCAR Sprint Cup champion driver Tony Stewart, well known NASCAR teams Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, and Ars Technica contributing writer Jonathan Gitlin.
In July 2014, ChumpCar reformed as a membership driven club, and 501(c)7 tax exempt organization. Robert Mink is now the CEO and Board Chair.
In 2015, Chumpcar Canada was split off as a separate entity, although there is still close coordination between the US and Canadian organizations.
Preparation and rules
To enter an event, competitors are required to select a vehicle from the list of cars at the end of the rule book. Vehicles are listed with point values based on the stock vehicle's performance potential assigned to each model year. The table contains a large variety of makes and models to choose from. If the point value of the vehicle is less than 500, additional points may be spent on performance parts, as long as the total point calculation of vehicle plus performance parts does not exceed 500. This point calculation excludes required safety equipment, as well as maintenance and replacement of wear items with OEM or OEM-equivalent parts. No credit is given toward the point calculation of the vehicle for selling removed parts. Vehicles with a point calculation in excess of 500 are allowed to compete with penalty laps subtracted from their total. While the assessed vehicle point goal is 500, typical actual build costs can run anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 to prep a car. Most of this budget is safety related such as brakes, roll cage, tires, racing seat, fire suppression system, and fuel cell.
The races run for a fixed length of time. The team that completes the most laps net of penalty laps is the winner.
The event organizers impose a complete set of safety rules that typically are on par with other road racing sanctioning bodies, including the Sports Car Club of America and National Auto Sport Association.
Tires are restricted to a UTQG treadwear rating of 180 or greater. Previous to July 2013, this value was 190. The change was made to allow for additional options in tire selection.
Race format
Events are held at major road racing tracks across the US and Canada, along with a street race in Mexico. The most common event format is a two-race weekend, with one seven-hour race each on Saturday and Sunday. However, a variety of other formats are used, with lengths ranging from six hours to 38 hours. Starts are most commonly a random start, without qualifying for position. Teams are scored and ranked by the number of laps completed during the time allotted for the race net of penalty laps.
Teams are required to include at least two drivers (more for longer events). Each driver is required to complete at least one hour in the car. No stint is allowed to exceed two hours, with a minimum one hour rest. Pit stops where fuel is added to the car are required to be at least five minutes in length to ensure safe refueling.
Awards
The top three finishers on laps in each race are recognized with a trophy and a credit toward future participation in the series. Drivers were awarded script known as "ChumpChange". However, as of 2016, script was no longer handed out, due to counterfeiting. Additional awards may be given for notably good (or bad) driving, especially dedicated repair work, or good overall spirit. Overall spirit is specially recognized by the Spirit of ChumpCar award, given to the team in the race that the organizers feel best exemplifies the competitive spirit of the series.
There is no points title in each season of the series, but podium finishers and selected other teams in each race qualify for regional championships held near the end of the season. The regional championships (officially, Chumpionships) allow open entry, but only the qualified teams race for trophies in these races, with the winner claiming the title of Regional Chumpion.