The Itaipava GT Brasil , is a sports car racing series currently is a sports car racing series based in the Brazil, organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO Latin America) and regulated by the Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo (CBA). The series uses extensive performance balancing and handicap weights to make cars artificially more equal.
| Category | Gran Turismo |
|---|---|
| Country |  Brasil |
| Inaugural season | 2007 |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion | GT3: Matheus Stumpf Valdeno BritoGT4:  Valter Rossete |
| Makes' champion | GT3: Ford GT GT4: Ferrari Challenge Maserati Trofeo |
| Teams' champion | GT3: AH Competições GT4: Crystal Racing Team |
| Official website | itaipvagtbrasil.com |
 Current season | |
History
Starting from 2007, the GT3 Brasil Championship has been held in Brazil, also organized by SRO, with several veteran drivers racing in some events, such as former Formula One champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet and former Brazilian Stock Car champions Chico Serra and Ingo Hoffmann. Differently from the European series, GT3 Brasil accepts professional drivers, in a system where drivers are graded from A (International Driver) to C (Fully Amateur).
In 2010 changed its sponsor and name to Itaipava GT Brasil and now has the GT3 and GT4 classes. The GT4 category was initially composed of only Maserati Trofeo, the course of the season reached the championship models Ferrari Challenge and Ginetta G50.
Vecicles
The following cars are currently in Itaipava GT Brasil[1]:
- Aston Martin Vantage
- Audi R8 LMS
- Corvette Z06.R
- Dodge Viper Competition Coupe
- Ferrari Challenge
- Ferrari F430
- Ferrari 458 Italia
- Ford GT
- Ginetta G50
- Lamborghini Gallardo LP560
- Lamborghini Gallardo LP600
- Maserati GranTurismo
- Maserati Trofeo
- Porsche 996
The Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, Lamborghini Gallardo LP500 and Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 were all dropped due to lack of participation.
Races
For each event in the Brasil season, two individual races are held. Each driver on the two car team qualifies the car individually, and then starts each of the two races from their respective starting position, with one driver starting the first race and the other driver starting the second race. Each race requires one pit stop, where the team must switch between the two drivers. All races are 50 minutes in length.
Champions
The following drivers have previously won the GT Brasil championships in their respective classes. The GT4 class was introduced in 2010.
| Year | Class | Champion | Car | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | GT3 | Dodge Viper Competition Coupe Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 |
CRT Brasil | |
| 2008 | GT3 | Dodge Viper Competition Coupe Ford GT |
A. Mattheis Motorsport | |
| 2009 | GT3 | Ferrari F430 | WB Motorsport | |
| 2010 | GT3 | Ford GT | AH Competições | |
| GT4 | Maserati Trofeo Ferrari Challenge |
Crystal Racing Team |
Similar series
On November 29, 2006, the German ADAC launched a race series known as GT Masters, which will be a national level series for FIA GT3 cars. Their initial season in 2007 will feature six races (all but one in Germany), serving as support races for the 24 Hours Nürburgring and Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. The series is the first national level version of FIA GT3.
The FIA GT3 European Championship was launched in 2006 as a way to expand manufacturer involvement in motorsports as well as to help amateur drivers across Europe. It attempts to combine multiple one-make series into a larger event with a race within a race, teams competing not only to beat others in their own manufacturer cup but also to win the overall race.
In the future, the FIA and SRO plan to not only expand the overall European championship, but also to help in the development of multiple one-make series across Europe, similar to the Ferrari Challenge and Porsche Supercup. Various other championships are also running now which allow GT3-spec cars to participate, notably British GT Championship, FFSA GT Championship, Belcar and Australian GT Championship.
In 2007 the SRO and FIA have launched a similar championship, known as the GT4 European Cup, which features the same concept of using serial production sports cars, but with smaller engine sizes, minimum modifications and restrictions on the professionalism of participating drivers.
Currently, the FIA GT1 World Championship acts as a senior series to this series. Drivers in GT1 drive are more experienced (and can be hired by the factory), drive more powerful cars, and the season is longer and visits more countries (including non-European countries). Because the GT1 Championship will allow GT3 cars and 2009-spec GT2 cars in 2012, the only difference in the car lineups will be the GT3 Championship still being restricted to GT3 cars. All GT3 races occur on the same weekend as a corresponding GT1 race, and the races occur at different times of the day (e.g. Paul Ricard hosts both a GT1 and a GT3 race on the same weekend). Some manufacturers like Aston Martin and Corvette race/have raced cars in both the GT1 and GT3 championships.
See also
References
External links
- GT Brasil official website in Portuguese