TCR Brazil Touring Car Championship
| File:TCR Brasil.jpg | |
| Category | Touring cars |
|---|---|
| Country | Argentina Argentina BrazilBrazil UruguayUruguay |
| Inaugural season | 2023 |
| Drivers | 14 |
| Teams | 7 |
| Constructors | 6 |
| Tyre suppliers | K Kumho |
| Drivers' champion | Brazil Pedro Cardoso |
| Teams' champion | Brazil BRB Banco Brasília by PMO Racing |
| File:Motorsport current event.svg Current season | |
The TCR Brazil Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series based in Brazil first held in 2023, which uses the TCR Touring Car regulations.
Announced in 2020, TCR South America held its first season the following year. Since then, the series has alternated races in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. During this period, the grid has expanded, reaching 21 cars in 2023.
With its inaugural six-round schedule coinciding with the third edition of TCR South America, the national TCR Brazil championship, led by Mauricio Slaviero, the executive who headed Stock Car, began in 2023. It took years before it headed to Europe with the mission of developing the world's first all-electric touring car class, the ETCR.[1]
TCR Brazil promises to consolidate the success of TCR South America, whose evolution from the first season to the current one is evident. The "Liberators of the Americas of asphalt" has unveiled a 19-car grid in 2022, with seven different manufacturers represented. The media package is attractive, with races broadcast live on Disney Channels throughout the region, in addition to regular coverage on major motorsports portals.[2]
The competition promises even more in the coming months, as Toyota is in the final stages of developing its Toyota Corolla TCR. Toyota Gazoo Racing of Argentina is leading the development of the model, which will be able to compete on all TCR event tracks around the world.[3]
History
[edit | edit source]The acronym TCR stands for Touring Car Racing, an international concept of production-based touring cars adapted for competition, created by Marcello Lotti in 2014.[4]
In Brazil, the national championship was organized under the promotion of Vicar Eventos Ltda, sanctioned by the Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo (CBA).[5]
The technical and sporting regulations were locally adapted but followed the international TCR franchise standards.
Beginning of the Championship in Brazil
The inaugural TCR Brazil Banco BRB season took place in 2023.
- The first race was held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos).
- The championship featured five rounds, some of them shared with the continental TCR South America series.[a][6]
- Brazilian driver Galid Osman became the first-ever TCR Brazil champion, narrowly defeating Argentine driver Ignacio Montenegro by just one point.[7]
Evolution and Structure
The Brazilian championship follows the international TCR model: production-based touring cars from various manufacturers, using Balance of Performance (BoP) rules to equalize performance among different models.
In 2024–2025, the series evolved further — the 2025 season was confirmed to include only races held in Brazil, without international rounds.
Historical Highlights
- 2023: Galid Osman was crowned the first champion.
- The W2 ProGP team, running the Cupra León TCR, won the inaugural teams’ title.
- The championship quickly became a key part of Brazilian motorsport, establishing itself as a premier touring car series that attracts both experienced and young drivers.
Importance for Brazilian Motorsport
- TCR Brazil serves as a development ladder for Brazilian touring car drivers, offering a path from junior categories to international TCR competitions.
- Since it follows the same global TCR regulations, it allows teams and drivers to easily compete in South American and worldwide TCR championships using the same cars.
- The diversity of brands and modern technology raises both the technical and competitive level of the Brazilian touring car scene.
Challenges and Prospects
- Being a relatively new series (since 2023), it is still growing in terms of grid size, sponsorship, and fan recognition.
- Maintaining the technical balance (BoP) among various car brands and ensuring sustainable costs for teams are ongoing challenges.
- The outlook is promising: with more national rounds and increasing visibility, the championship is set to become a major platform for Brazilian drivers and teams.
Conclusion
TCR Brazil marks an important step in the modernization of touring car racing in Brazil.
With its international regulations, professional competition level, and connection to the South American scene, it has already delivered intense battles and a historic first champion in Galid Osman.
As the years progress, the series is expected to expand — featuring more cars, teams, brands, and fans — helping to elevate Brazilian touring car racing to new heights.
Champions
[edit | edit source]| Drivers' Champions | Teams' Champions | Info | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Driver | Team | Car | Team | Car | # |
| 2023 | Brazil Galid Osman | Brazil W2 ProGP | sinmarco Cupra León Competición TCR | Brazil W2 ProGP | sinmarco Cupra León Competición TCR | [8] |
| 2024 | Brazil Pedro Cardoso | Brazil BRB by PMO Racing | Peugeot Peugeot 308 TCR | Argentina PMO Racing | Peugeot Peugeot 308 TCR | [9] |
| 2025 | Brazil Nelson Piquet Jr. | Argentina Honda YPF Racing | sinmarco Honda Civic Type R TCR (FL5) | Argentina Honda YPF Racing | sinmarco Honda Civic Type R TCR (FL5) | [10] |
Circuits
[edit | edit source]- Bold denotes a circuit is used in the 2025 season.
| Number | Circuits | Rounds | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil Autódromo José Carlos Pace | 4[b] | 2023–present |
| 2 | Brazil Autódromo Velo Città | 3 | 2023–present |
| 3 | Brazil Autódromo Internacional de Cascavel | 2 | 2023–2024 |
| 4 | Uruguay Autódromo Eduardo Prudêncio Cabrera | 1 | 2023 |
| Brazil Velopark | 1 | 2023 | |
| Argentina Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez | 1 | 2024 | |
| Brazil Circuito dos Cristais | 1 | 2025 | |
| Brazil Autódromo Internacional de Mato Grosso | 1 | 2025 |
Television coverage
[edit | edit source]The Races of the TCR South America are broadcast on Cable Television including: ESPN, Fox Sports, Movistar+, CBS Sports y NBC Sports.
Coverage in Brazil
[edit | edit source]| Transmission[11] | |
|---|---|
| BandSports | Narration: Márcio Pozzan |
| Narration: Eduardo Veríssimo | |
| Comments: Duda Pompermayer | |
| Comments: Rafael Pasqualotto | |
| Transmission | |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Narration: Alexandre Eiras |
| Narration: Thiago Fabris | |
| Comments: Ivar Castagnetti | |
| Comments: Henrique Gava | |
Other countries
[edit | edit source]- Colombia Colombia: RCN Televisión y RCN HD2
- Portugal Portugal: Sport TV
- United Kingdom Reino Unido: BT Sport
- Canada Canadá: Sportsnet
- Spain España: Movistar+
- Mercosur Hispanoamérica: ESPN y Star+
- Germany Germany: Motorsport Television Deutschland on YouTube
Streaming links
[edit | edit source]| Internet (Global) |
|---|
| YouTube |
| Motorsport.tv |
| Zoome |
| Catve.com |
| Auto Videos |
| Twitch |
Rule sets
[edit | edit source]Different sets of regulations do apply:
- Contemporary touring car racing: Class 1 · Group A · Group F · Group G · Group H · Group N · Group S · Group SE · Group SP · Next Generation Touring Car · Super 2000 · TCR Touring Car · Group Rally4 · Group Rally5
- Historic touring car racing: Group 1 · Group 2 · Group 3 · Group 4 · Group 5 · Group B · Supertouring
See also
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]References
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