User:Donnie Park/International Scale Touring Car

International Scale Touring Car (ISTC) is a class, designated by International Federation of Model Auto Racing (IFMAR), for 1:10 scale electric radio-controlled touring cars. Unlike its elder on-road counterparts which had been based on sports prototypes, it is based specifically on road going saloon cars like its full sized counterpart that could be found in touring car racing. Introduced by Tamiya in 1991, a number of manufacturers began to introduce similar cars and as a result, races began to take place in parking lots and the industry began to enjoy an industry renaissance in the mid-1990s it enjoyed in the 1970s, therefore parking lot racing in North America then became a synonym for electric 1:10 on-road car racing as 1:8 radio-controlled pan cars, the oldest competition class, did decades before, since then it went on to become the most popular on-road class, so much that a nitro powered version was introduced to the market. Although competition grade cars can achieve 55mph, one car reached 71 mph during a professional racing competition in 2010.

The class gained recognition by IFMAR in 1998 but became part of the official world championship in 2000.

The class is considered by model manufacturer Yokomo as "the most competitive category in electric racing".

History
On-road cars that been available on the market were pan-cars, so-called because they utilized a flat pan chassis, rear beam axle, and basic front suspension. Whilst inexpensive as the chassis was made of fibre-reinforced plastic or aluminum, they were limited to smooth dirt free surfaces whilst consumers drove them on parking lots, an area unsuited to as its foam tires collected dust from the surface, making them difficult to drive. By the early 1990s, the market faced a decline with circuits closing down.

Tamiya is credited for creating the touring car class in 1991 when they adapted the Manta Ray's ' off-road chassis to a Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO body with short suspension arms and realistic narrower wheels to create a realistic look they were famous for, likes its real counterpart, it utilized a 4WD system, thus the DF-01 was redesignated as a '. The Skyline was the second model in the TA-01 line up to be utilized for on-road driving, it was designed to be driven on parking lots as it's rubber tires were designed to handle bumps and it's drivesystem was designed for high speed stability.

The earliest reported racing for 1:10 touring cars was a race hosted by HobbyTown USA in Irvine, California for the November 1993 issue of Radio Controlled Car Action. The article reported on-road racing with touring cars and Formula One as an alternative to other existing classes which is also attractive to newcomers with liberal regulations In North America and Japan, its popularity in the 1990s led to a rise of races taking place on parking lots after a period of decline years previously.

A number of manufacturers followed Tamiya's example by releasing models based on road going cars that were seen in touring car racing, HPI Racing introduced the RS4 in 1995, that was designed specifically for racing and many manufacturers, such as Kyosho (TF) and Associated (TC), offered racing specific touring car racers into the market. In 1996, Schumacher introduced the SST which utilized a saddle battery pack mounted to it's carbon fiber chassis, this was significant as it brought competition touring cars to a new level.

since then it had became the most popular class in on-road racing. The class gained recognition by IFMAR in 1996 as a demonstration race with the F1 class as a Manufacturer's Showcase event supporting the 1:12 On-Road Worlds. It was thereafter introduced as a non-championship World Cup race to support the official 1:12 scale and 1:10 scale pan car world championships. Briton David Spashett completed a hat-trick of his two championship titles in his home country by winning the touring car class with a Losi Street Weapon, which was a modified version of the XX-4 buggy.

Following the positive response to the World Cup race, the three voting blocs (EFRA, ROAR and FEMCA) unanimously voted to include the class as part of the official world championship round in 2000 between the 1:12 and PRO 10 events, won by Atsushi Hara.

By then, it became the dominant on-road class which forced Serpent, at the time a producer solely of nitro powered on-road pan cars, to respond with the Impulse, the first nitro powered touring car specialized for professional racetrack driving, leading to other manufacturers to integrate into the new category.

Characteristics
ISTC are characterized by its four-wheel drive system, either belt or shaft drive but 2WD versions are available on the market as also front-wheel drive and independent double wishbone suspension on all corners

compared to pan-cars, it has a higher center of gravity like its full-sized counterpart

Less expensive versions use plastic tub chassis like its off-road counterpart

Withbody, they resemble production cars strongly to pan car with saloon car body down to its wheels.

competition regulations require the

An entry level cars with brushed stock motor are capable of achieving around 15mph without hop-up parts wheras a competition grade touring car are designed to reach 55mph to an expert driver, but at the 2009/10, Atsushi Hara reached 115 km/h on the back straight of the MACH Circuit with a Hot Bodies TCX powered by a GM Racing 4.5T brushless motor. That resulted in a chicane being installed at the entry portion of the entry for the 2012 IFMAR ISTC World Championship in order to reduce speed.

Regardless to its parking lot origins, cars are raced on asphalt or needle carpets, but have yet to be raced on the latter in a world championship event.

Bodyshells of cars approved for competition use are required to be no wider than 200mm but 190mm is widely used and representative of those of FIA Class II touring cars which is based on mid-size car or D-segment cars with its low-profile tires, small spoilers per IFMAR regulations, because of this, regulation require door shutlines to be visible on all production bodies.

A purpose built racecar for professional competition use can cost 1000

Regulations
min max Wheelbase 250,00 270,00 Width (without body shell) 170,00 190,00 Width (with body shell) 175,00 195,00 Length (overall, with body shell fitted) 410,00 460,00 Height (to top of roof – ready to race) 125.00 175,00 Chassis on 15,00mm block Ground clearance (ready to race) 5,00 - Wing width (including endplates and supports) 125,00 190,00 Wing chord (including any flaps or extensions 20,00 40,00 Wing endplate (when separate) - 40 x 20 Flap or gurney tab extension above plane of wing - 3,00 Rear bumber "cut-line" from track surface 45,00 Chassis on 15,00mm block Wheel diameter (excluding tyre bead) 47,00 50,00 Wheel width (including tyre bead) 24,00 26,00 Tyre width (across sidewalls when fitted to wheel) 24,00 28,00 Tyre diameter (when mounted on wheels) 63,00 67,00

http://www.aarcmcc.org/docs/AARCMCC%20IC%201_10th%20200mm%20Touring%20Car%20Technical%20Rules%20201301.pdf http://www.jmrca.jp/ifmar_world/2013/femca/femca2013-1.pdf http://www.brca.org/sites/www.brca.org/files/library_files/BRCAchairman/Handbook_2014%20%281%29.pdf

Significant championship

 * IFMAR ISTC World Championship (1998-)
 * EFRA European 1:10 Electric Touring Cars Championship
 * JMRCA All-Japan 1:10 Scale EP Touring Car Championship – Super Expert (2007-)
 * JMRCA All-Japan 1:10 Scale EP Touring Car Championship – Expert (1996-2006)
 * Deutsche Meisterschaften Elektro Glattbahn Tourenwagen 1:10 (1997-)


 * BRCA 1:10 Scale Electric Circuit Championship (-)
 * ROAR 1:10 Scale Electric On-Road Paved Sedan National Championship (-)

Major Non-championship events

 * DHI Cup
 * (2007/08-)
 * Tamiya World Championship
 * Tamiya Championship Series
 * Yokomo Challenge Cup
 * Reedy International Touring Car Race of Champions
 * Asian On-Road Championship
 * Thailand International Touring Car Championship
 * LRP Touring Car Masters
 * Snowbird Nationals
 * Schumacher BTCC
 * Snowbird Nationals
 * Schumacher BTCC