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Note: This is the Group 6 (racing) page draft.
The Group 6 racing class, referred to a set of regulations for cars competing in sportscar racing events regulated by the FIA. Regulations for Group 6 sports-prototypes were introduced in the class structure changes for the 1966 motor racing season and superseded by the Group C racing class in 1982.
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[edit] Eligibility requirements
In Appendix J of the FIA International Sporting Code, there were categories and groups defined for Touring cars, Grand Touring cars and Sports cars.[1][2]
- Category A: Production cars (numbers between brackets are required minimum production in 12 consecutive months)
- Group 1: series-production touring cars (5,000)
- Group 2: special touring cars (1,000)
- Group 3: grand touring cars (500)
- Group 4: sports cars (25)
- Category B: special cars
- Group 5: special touring cars
- Group 6: prototype-sports cars
For sports-prototypes, unlike production touring cars and grand touring cars, there was no minimum production run to be constructed over a 12 month period. However, all the cars in categories A and B, including prototypes, needed to meet minimum requirements for ground-clearance, passenger accommodation, mudguards to cover the wheels, doors that give free access to the seats, minimum lighting equipment and other equipment normally required for vehicles using public roads.
[edit] Racing
In the 1960s, the term Group 6 was not often used in sports car racing and prototypes were usually referred to simply as prototypes, rather than Group 6. In 1968, prototypes racing in the World Championship for Makes, were limited to engines of 3.0 L. While prototypes like the Porsche 908 were successful in a number races, many major events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans were won by 5.0 L sports cars.
Note: This next bit needs rewrite as group structure changed for 72 season.
In 1972, the 3.0 L Group 6 cars became the top class in the World Sportscar Championship and series was dominated by the Ferrari 312PB, winning every race except for Le Mans. The Matra MS670 would win Le Mans from 1972-1974 and the series from 1973-1974.[3]
Other championship winners included the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT12 and Porsche 936. The Porsche 936 was notable for using a 2.1 L turbocharged engine, rather than a 3.0 L naturally aspirated engine and won at Le Mans in 1976, 1977 and 1981. The Renault Alpine A442 was a Le Mans winner in 1978, using a turbocharged 2.0 L V6 engine. Renault would go on to apply it's turbocharging experience to Formula One.
Due to the limited number of Group 6 prototypes entered in most races from 1972 to 1982, the races would often run classes for Group 3 and Group 4 Grand Touring cars, Group 2 Touring cars, and 2.0 L Sports prototypes that would run as a seperate class from the faster and more expensive 3.0L cars.
During the late 1970s, there were a number a series and races, that either admitted Group 5 Grand Touring cars, or ran Group 5 cars as the main class, instead of the Group 6 prototypes.
