Rundstrecken Challenge Nürburgring

The Rundstrecken Challenge Nürburgring (RCN) (circuit racing challenge Nürburgring) or BMW Driving Experience Challenge, previously known as Castrol-HAUGG-Cup (CHC), is a motorsport event series. Being run since the early 1960s mainly on the Nürburgring, it is regarded as Germany's oldest touring car racing series. Unlike in regular races for position, the event that is similar to rallying on a closed race circuit, with time challenge laps and co-drivers on board.

For many years, the series was sponsored by Castrol and HAUGG (a company owned by a race driver, providing car parts like radiators). For 2007, the sponsorship arrangements were changed, putting less emphasis on these two companies.

The event is officially styled by the FIA/DMSB as a Leistungsprüfung 200km (LP200, performance test over 200 km). This means that the RCN is not a race for positions among cars that are started at once from a grid (like VLN endurance races), but a time trial, with cars being started one by one, about 5 seconds apart. This reduces the risks of collisions, as there is no benefit for a racer to defend his or her position.

Most RCN events are held on the Nürburgring, mainly on the 20.832 km long Nordschleife version, on Saturday afternoon following a Gleichmäßigkeitsprüfung (GLP) run by the same organizing club. One or two additional events are held on the Grand Prix track, or on the combined tracks as used in VLN or at the 24h. Since 2003, some events were held on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. As season highlight in front of thousands of spectators, the RCN usually runs on the Thursday before a 24 Hours Nürburgring race, which is a holiday, either Ascension Day or Corpus Christi (feast). The track versions used during that event include various sections of the Grand Prix track. In 2005, the CHC was run on 4 different track versions, three of them at the Nürburgring.

On the Nordschleife, 15 laps of 20.832 km have to be run, for 312 km overall (longer than an F1 race). Due to being an amateur event without practise, the first (warm up) lap, the last (cool down) and two laps in between for a pit stop are not timed, unless a generous maximum time is exceeded. Of the remaining 11 laps, 9 are run at full speed (like a special stage in rallying), with each second counting as one penalty point. Two laps have to be done at a given time similar to a liaison stage in rallying. If the tolerance of +/- 2 seconds is exceeded, each second counts tenfold, so some discipline and precision is required. In wet conditions, these laps can decide the winners, as they can add a significant amount of penalty points to the tally.

The entry fee is about 400 Euro. As in rallying, a co-driver can be on board, a quite unique possibility to take a passenger within a circuit racing contest. Also, those two drivers can share a drive, which reduces costs for amateurs.

Championship points are awarded according to amateur rules, depending on the number of entrants in the same class. There are also an entry level "Light" classes with fewer laps, focusing on regularity, and a separate championship.

2006 Calendar

For this season, no event on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps could be arranged due to construction work there. On the other hand, the Nordschleife is used 7 times, and the GP track only once. During the 24h race weekend, parts of the GP track are connected to the 20.8 km Nordschleife for a 25.3 km track.

Date Organizers Track in connection with GLP?
01.04.2006 VG Castrol-Haugg-Cup Nordschleife no
29.04.2006 Scuderia Augustusburg Brühl Nordschleife yes
15.06.2006 (24h weekend) MC Roetgen
Scuderia Augustusburg
Nordschleife & GP 25.3 km version no
15.07.2006 MIG 7 Nordschleife yes
05.08.2006 SFG Schönau Nordschleife yes
02.09.2006 MC Roetgen Nordschleife yes
07.10.2006 BMC Wuppertal Nordschleife yes
22.10.2006 Automobil-Club Altkreis Schwelm Grand Prix track (no, GLP on 21st)

Champions

Jahr Team/Car Team/Car
2008 RCN: Hans-Rolf Salzer (Alpenrod) BMW M3 MLT: Holger Träger/Karl-Heinz Zammert (Bochum/Düsseldorf) VW Golf GTi
2007 RCN: Ludger Henrich/Jürgen Schulten (Schmitten/Hamminkeln) Honda Civic Type-R MLT: Gerhard Diel (Wermelskirchen) Opel Astra GSi
2006 RCN: Hans-Rolf Salzer (Alpenrod) BMW M3 MLT: Holger Träger/Karl-Heinz Zammert (Bochum/Düsseldorf) VW Golf GTi
2005 RCN: Ludger Henrich/Jürgen Schulten (Schmitten/Hamminkeln) Opel Corsa Sport MLT: Christof Degener/Dirk Kehrberg (Hattingen/Bochum) VW Golf GTi
2004 RCN: Jörg Weber (Kehrig) Ford Escort RS2000 MLT: Holger Träger (Bochum) VW Golf GTi
2003 RCN: Ulrich Ehret (Buchen) BMW 318iS MLT: Christof Degener (Hattingen) VW Golf GTi
2002 RCN: Thomas Imig/Petra Dams (Mönchengladbach/Düsseldorf) VW Golf GTi Light: Jörg Kosmalla/Kerstin Kosmalla (Köln) Opel Corsa
2001 Maic Winter (Dingden) Opel Astra GSi
2000 Jürgen Schulten (Hamminkeln) Opel Astra/Opel Calibra
1999 Frank-Dieter Lohmann (Freudenberg) Ford Escort Cosworth
1998 RCN: Mark-Oliver Burghardt/Jens Kolodzey (Duisburg) Opel Manta 16V MLT: Jochen Kaiser/Oliver Koppitz (Hürth) Opel Calibra 16V
1997 RCN: Mark-Oliver Burghardt/Jens Kolodzey (Duisburg) Opel Manta 16V MLT: Thorsten Birawsky/Marco Birawsky (Plochingen) Ford Capri
1996 RCN: Mark-Oliver Burghardt/Jens Kolodzey (Duisburg) Opel Manta 16V Nat.: Carsten Burmeister/Oliver Heise (Krummesee) Opel Astra GSi
1995 Int.: Walter Schneider (Herschbroich) VW Golf GTi Nat.: Günter Kalsdorf/Günter Deus (Wülfrath/Wuppertal) Toyota Celica
1994 Int.: Robert Güntzel (Herscheid) VW Golf GTi Nat.: Wilfried Thal/Horst Wippersteg (Wülfrath) Porsche 911 Carrera
1993 Int.: Franz Claer (Eschweiler) Suzuki Swift Nat.: Mathias Bungard (Eitorf) VW Golf GTi
1992 Int.: Walter Schneider (Herschbroich) VW Golf GTi Nat.: Günter Kalsdorf/Silvia Bechem (Wülfrath) Toyota Celica
1991 Int.: Walter Schneider (Herschbroich) VW Golf GTi Nat. Herbert Schilling/Erich Löhrer (Bornheim) Audi 80
1990 Int.: Walter Schneider (Herschbroich) VW Golf GTi Nat. Herbert Schilling/Erich Löhrer (Bornheim) Audi 80

External links

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