Category | Sports car racing |
---|---|
Country | International |
Inaugural season | 1953 |
Folded | 1992 |
Classes | Multi class championship |
Last Drivers' champion | Yannick Dalmas Derek Warwick |
Last Teams' champion | Peugeot Talbot Sport |
The World Sportscar Championship was the world endurance racing series run for sports car racing, sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), from 1953 to 1992. The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance, and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid to a professional racing series where the world's largest automakers spent millions of dollars per year.
The official name of the series frequently changed throughout the years but was generally known as the World Sportscar Championship from its inception in 1953. Alongside the Formula One World Championship, it was one of the two major World Championships in circuit motor racing. The championship was revived in the 2012 season under the new name as the FIA World Endurance Championship.