Editing Touring car racing (section)

==Characteristics==
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[[File:Robert Huff 2009 WTCC Pau.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Chevrolet Cruze]] touring car]]

Touring car racing started in the mid twentieth century as a long-format style of competition that took place on public roads between numerous towns. The cars were crewed by a driver and, because of their unreliability, a mechanic who carried tools and spares. The legacy of these beginnings can still be seen in modern touring and GT cars{{dash}}the driver sits offset from the centreline of the car and there is space for a second seat (although they are rarely fitted any more).

While rules vary from country to country and series to series, most series require that the competitors start with a standard [[Vehicle frame#Unibody|car body]], but virtually every other component may be allowed to be heavily modified for racing, including engines, suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. Aerodynamic aids are sometimes added to the front and rear of the cars. Regulations are usually designed to limit costs by banning some of the more exotic technologies available (for instance, many series insist on a ''control tire'' that all competitors must use) and keep the racing close (sometimes by [[ballast weight]] where winning a race requires the winner's car to be heavier for subsequent races).

Touring cars share some similarity with American [[stock car racing]]. Touring cars are, at least notionally, derived from production cars as most stock car racing outside of [[NASCAR]], including [[production car racing|street stock]] and [[late model]] racing, continue to be. NASCAR circuits have since moved to a custom platform independent of production cars, unlike touring car circuits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nascar.about.com/od/cars/f/caroftomorrow.htm |title=What is the NASCAR Car Of Tomorrow? |publisher=Nascar.about.com |date=4 April 2008 |access-date=20 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220034039/http://nascar.about.com/od/cars/f/caroftomorrow.htm |archive-date=20 February 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/may-1973/28/saloon-car-racing-usa |title= Saloon car racing USA |last= D.S. |first= F |work= [[Motor Sport magazine]] |date= May 1973 |access-date= 22 April 2021}}</ref> Touring car racing is also referred to as ''saloon car racing''.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.autosport.com/historics/news/new-series-launched-celebrating-btcc-legends-5284006/5284006/ |title= New series launched celebrating BTCC legends |work= [[Autosport]] |date= 19 February 2019 |access-date= 22 April 2021 |last= Lawrence |first= Paul |url-access=limited}}</ref>