Speed Limits: During practice and the race there is a 60kph speed limit enforced in the pits to ensure maximum safety for team members. In practice, a driver car be fined up to $10,000 for exceeding this - $20,000 in the case of a second offense. In the race, a driver will be punished with a time penalty.
Tyres: Apart from treaded tyres, drivers are limited to using no more than 29 slick tyres throughout the entire duration of the event. For all qualifying sessions (excluding free practice and warm-up), and the start of the first race, drivers are allowed to use only five tyres. If a clerk of the course declares a wet race or a wet practice, the number of tyres is free.
Safety: Drivers are not alloed to drive against the direction of traffic unless it is absolutely necessary to move a car from a dangerous position. If a car stalls and then is push-started again, it is excluded from the event.
Working On The Cars: Repairs to the car by mechanics can only take place in the paddock, pit or on the starting grid. Once a car has returned to its pit after the first race, it can be worked on immediately for the second race.
Practice and Qualifying: On the Friday before the race, there are two 60 minute free practice sessions, whilst first qualifying, which lasts 45 minutes, takes place in the late afternoon. On the Saturday morning there is another free practice session of 45 minutes, whilst later that afternoon top qualifying takes place. The Top ten drivers from Friday's qualifying session go through to Group A top qualifying, which decides the leading positions on the grid. The remaining drivers will decide the final grid positions during Group B top qualifying. Top qualifying consists of individual runs for drivers to set their best time, with the slowest driver in each group going first, followed by the next slowest and so forth. If a driver from the top ten group fails to set a time, he will merely be dropped to tenth on the grid. In the event of another driver not setting a time, their place on the grid will be decided by whoever was quickest in first qualifying. If a driver from Group B fails to set a time, he will be relegated to the back of the grid. Any driver whose qualifying time exceeds 110% of the best qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in top qualifying or the race, except in exceptional circumstances. Drivers will only be allowed to take part in top qualifying or the race if they have completed one full practice lap (i.e. crossing the start-finish line twice).
Starting Procedure: The pit lane will be opened 45 minutes before the start of the race. The mechanics are allowed to push cars to their starting positions during this time. The pit lane will close again 10 minutes before the start of the race. Anyone still in the pits after the closure will start the race from the pitlane after the field has passed on the first racing lap. In the second race, which takes place between 30 and 40 minutes after the chequered flag from the first race, the starting procedure is similar. The pit lane will open 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the event. The pit lane will be closed 10 minutes before the start of the race. Any car still in the pits can only start after the field has passed them. The countdown to a race will be shown with a ten minute board, a five minute board, a three minute board, a one minute board, a 30 second board and then the green flag, which signals the drivers can begin their warm-up lap where they must keep in their grid formation. If a car fails to move away from the grid on this starting lap, a mechanic can try and start it with an external battery, but if that fails it cannot be push started. If it does get going, it must stay in its current position and cannot take up its original place on the grid.
The Start: There is a rolling start at each round, meaning that the cars are moving when the lights switch from red to green indicating that the race is underway. The pole position car must be travelling at between 70kph and 90kph when the lights go green - any divergence from this and the driver could suffer a stop and go penalty. If there is a problem, the lights remain red and the pace car will come out again and the race distance will be reduced by two laps. Starts will only be delayed in adverse weather conditions.
Races: Each ITC event features two rounds of the championship. The race distance for each, excluding the formation lap, is the least number of laps which exceed a distance of 100km.
Stopping The Race: In the event of a race or practice session being stopped, the procedure will be to show a red flag at the start/finish line and at all marshals' posts around the circuit. In a race, the race positions will be taken from the lap before the red flag. If less than two laps have taken place, the race will be restarted, with the full race distance. If more than two laps have been completed, but less than 75% of the race has taken place - and the race can be restarted - the race will be decided on aggregate times with a new shortened race following. If more than 75% of the race has been covered, the race will be deemed to be completed. If the stewards decide that they do not need to stop the race, then they cab bring the safety car out to control the speed of the remaining cars whilst all dangers are removed.
Post Race Celebration and Scrutineering: As the drivers celebrate their success on the podium and talk to the press in the post-race media conference, their cars will have been left in parc-ferme for a full technical examination. No team member is allowed to touch the car, to add or remove any material or substance or to make any technical changes. These rules also apply to cars which have not crossed the finishing line.
Handicap Weights: A lot of the excitement of Class 1 racing has been thanks to the handicap weights system, which penalises drivers who are consistently faster over the season. Handicap weights are added to cars which finish in the top five places in each race, as long as championship points are awarded. If only half points are awarded, if for example a race is abandoned before 75% of the race distance has been covered, the handicap weights will be divided in two. Weights added as follows:-
For the driver that finishes in 1st place +15kg
For the driver that finishes in 2nd place +12kg
For the driver that finishes in 3rd place +9kg
For the driver that finishes in 4th place +6kg
For the driver that finishes in 5th place +3kg
The maximum handicap weight is 50kg. The weights are attributed to drivers only, so if he swaps teams, the weight follows him. Weight is deducted if a driver finishes out of the top six places or retires. If he only competes in practice or top qualifying and does not take part in the race, he will not be allowed to reduce his weight for the following event. Weights are deducted as follows:-
For the driver that finishes in 7th place -3kg
For the driver that finishes in 8th place -6kg
For the driver that finishes in 9th place -9kg
For the driver that finishes in 10th place -12kg
For the driver that finishes in 11th place -15kg
It is therefore possible for a driver to reduce his weight handicap by 30kg per event. To prevent drivers from missing races in a bid to lose their weight penalties, any driver who misses two successive events will return to the championship with the maximum possible weight penalty allowed for the make of car.
Championship: There are two titles up for grabs. The drivers' championship which goes to the driver with the most points won throughout the season, and the manufacturers' title, which is awarded to the manufacturer who scores the most points in the season. The points-scoring system is as follows:-
1st 20 points
2nd 15 points
3rd 12 points
4th 10 points
5th 8 points
6th 6 points
7th 4 points
8th 3 points
9th 2 points
10th 1 point
If less than ten drivers start a race, no drivers will be awarded points for the drivers' championship. The championship winning driver must be present at the annual FIA Prize Giving Ceremony. If he fails to attend he could face a fine of $50,000.
Eligibility: The ITC cars, which end up looking quite different from their road-going counterparts, must come from a range of 25,000 base models that each manufacturer must produce in 12 consecutive months. The exact model that is used in the ITC, however, must be made in at least 2,500 units and exceed 4.3 metres in length. This rule is designed to prevent manufacturers entering outlandish and exotic machines.
Engines and Fuel: The 2,500cc purpose-built racing engine, which must be based on a production engine from the cars' manufacturer (although not necessarily from the same model), cannot exceed six cylinders or have more than four valves per cylinder. Revs are limited to 12,500rpm. The engines can only be powered by FIA-prescribed fuel. This is unleaded Super Plus petrol and no further chemicals or additives can be added to this to enhance its performance. To ensure compliance with the regulations, fuel samples can be taken at any point during the weekend, and this means that there must always be three litres of fuel left in the tank - even after the weekend's racing has come to an end. Refuelling is banned during qualifying, the warm-up, top qualifying, both races and the pit-stop between the two races. Fuel can, however, be drained from a car in the pits if it has retired from the first race and is being prepared for the second event.
Minimum Weights: Both two and four wheel drive cars in the ITC must weigh at least 1040kg, excluding the driver, any television camera and handicap weight, but including all consumable materials and liquids - such as fuel. The cars are checked frequently throughout the weekend by technical scrutineers, usually when cars are entering the pit-lane, and failure to obey the required weight check is deemed a serious breach of the regulations.
Transmission: The gearbox, which can be a Formula One style semi-automatic, must not only be situated in the same place as the unit on the original road-going vehicle, but it must have no more than six forward gears.
Suspension Systems: The suspensio, of which the wheelbase and front-overhang must be the same as the road-going version, can be made from any metallic material. If the 2,500 models that the Class 1 car is based on feature non-metallic suspension parts, however, then this can be used for the racing suspension.
Aerodynamics: Although from the outside the cars' bodywork may look very different to their road-going counterparts, there are in fact strict rules which mean that teams cannot radically alter the design of the car. The bodywork must follow the general lines of the original bodyshell and must be made of the original body material, although it can be strengthened with other material, such as carbon fibre. The engine bonnet, the front wings, the boot cover, the bumpers, the rear doors and attachments at the side can be made of any material, but it's shape must be the same as the original above the centre of the wheel hub. The wheel arches are allowed to flare out to within 400mm of the centre of the wheel hub. Any aerodynamic devices are allowed to be attached to the front, side and rear of the car below the wheel-hub centre, as long as they are solid and do not protrude from the car's original shape by more than 100mm. A rear wing is allowed on the car, but it can be no larger than 200mm by 200mm when viewed from the side and must be made from the original road-going car material. It must also not be visible if the car is looked at directly from the front, without the wing mirrors attached. The overall width of the car must be no more than 103% of the original.
Cockpit Safety: For safety, as well as torsional rigidity, there must be a mandatory roll cage built into the car, which is padded in certain areas to protect the driver in the event of a crash. Carbon fibre crash-pads, similarly to protect the driver in the event of a side impact, are allowed in the doors. Inside the car, the furnishings have been stripped out to make way for the trappings of a high-tech racing car, but the dashboard must retain the original shape of the road-going car and the windows must wind up and down.
Wheels: The maximum width of the complete wheel (rim+tyre) must be no more than 10 inches.
Technology: The ITC embraces high-technology. All three manufacturers can therefore use semi-automatic gearboxes, active differential systems, traction control and ABS braking systems. The only piece of high-tech that is banned is active suspension, chiefly because of its high-costs.
Car Dimensions
Length/Width/Height: 4620/1728/1355mm
Wheelbase: 2540mm
Weight: 1060kg
Engine
Capacity: 2499cc
Cylinders: 6 in a 60 degree V formation
Max.power (bhp): 450 bhp at 11,700rpm
Max.torque (Nm): 300 Nm at 9,500rpm
Suspension and Transmission
Power assisted steering. Front and rear double wishbone suspension with
anti-roll bars adjustable from the driver's seat. Brembo ventilated brake
discs with four calipers, ABS by Bosch. Six speed semi-automatic gearbox with
steering wheel controls. Carbon-fibre clutch with three electronically
controlled differentials. Four wheel drive.
Car Dimensions
Length/Width/Height: 4673/1766/1285mm
Wheelbase: 2605mm
Weight: 1040kg
Engine
Capacity: 2498cc
Cylinders: 6 in a 75 degree V formation
Max.power (bhp): 500 bhp at 11,650rpm
Max.torque (Nm): 310 Nm at 9,000rpm
Suspension and Transmission
Hydraulically-assisted power steering. Front and rear double wishbone
suspension with springs, dampers and stabiliser bars activated by push rods
and rockers. Hydraulically assisted dual circuit braking system, internally
ventilated with Bosch 4-channel ABS. Six-speed sequential
gearbox. Carbon-fibre clutch with mechanically or electro-hydraulically
operated differential locks. Four wheel drive.
Car Dimensions
Length/Width/Height: 4666/1789/1280mm
Wheelbase: 2690mm
Weight: 1040kg
Engine
Capacity: 2499cc
Cylinders: 6 in a 90 degree V formation
Max.power (bhp): 500 bhp at 11,500rpm
Max.torque (Nm): 300 Nm at 9,000rpm
Suspension and Transmission
Power assisted steering. Front double wishbone suspension with
spring-supporting multi-stage dampers with CFRP stabiliser and individual
wheel rear suspension on multi-link independent rear axle with adjustable
stabiliser, both with adjustable spring collars for vehicle height adjustment
and springs operated by pull rods. Internally ventilated brake discs, ABS with
individual wheel control. Six speed semi-automatic gearbox with button
controls on steering wheel. Carbon fibre clutch with differential featuring
mechanical lock and acceleration skid control. Two wheel drive.