Finnish Racing Championship returns to Estonian Grand Prix this August. The newly-jointed series consisting of last year’s Rata SM series in addition to FRC series is set to bring out the entire roster of the Finnish racing scene, including the brand-new categories FRC GT Open and BMW 9X. The Feltcar Estonian Grand Prix is held in 10th to 11th of August in Porsche Ring, Pärnu.
Held at the Porsche Ring circuit just outside of the historic town of Pärnu, the 3,2 kilometres long circuit has been a stable of Finnish racing series’ calendars with only the pandemic providing a brief stop. The picturesque town of Pärnu will be acting as the home of the event, providing entertainment and sights for the travellers. The world-famous beaches on the waterfront are known for most, but the town also has a deep history with the oldest building in the old town dating back to the 15th century. The town of Pärnu is also known for its high-quality spas, beautiful nature, budding restaurant scene, and interesting museums.
On the Finnish national championship level, the familiar categories of last year make a return. The biggest grids among these belong to the Legends-category, as seen in the King of the North-event in Bikernieki last fall. The highly competitive category is set for three races during the Estonian Grand Prix weekend, and as seen last year, the fight for victory is set to be resolved between at least 10-15 different drivers, with winners often being decided in the last corner of the last lap.
Exceedingly familiar category for Estonian and Baltic racing fans is BMW Xtreme Race, with the race-prepared BMW E36 325s making their return to Porsche Ring. Alongside them is the BMW Baltic 325 Cup category, a fan-favorite in the Baltic region. The dynamic between the older E36s and newer E90s should bring out interesting racing for the fans!
Another new category is the FRC GT Open class. The open category is divided between four subcategories, 1-4, that include the possibility to race anything from full-fledged GT3 and GT3 Cup cars of present and past homologations to TCR-category cars, Sport and Super 2000 cars, as well as cars built for national regulations, such as BMW M3s, Honda Civics, spaceframe Opel Mantas, and wildly-winged V8-engined BMW 140s as seen previously. The aim of the category is to bring together the most creative and powerful machinery and to give the drivers equal possibility to race against cars of similar performance with the car they already have in their garages. Expect tight battles in all four classes!
Stock 1600cc cars, known as V1600, are set to return as well. Another category that’s extremely popular in Finland not only in racing but in rallycross, rally, and ice racing as well. The battle on the top is as fierce as ever. For 2024, a new subcategory of V1600 CUP for the cars with lower level of performance was established. The CUP category is for all not including Mini One, Kia Ceed, and Toyota Auris.
On the muscle-car side, FRC brings out the powerful rumble of V8 Thunder cars. These space-frame muscle cars all have the LS3 V8 engine in front, a 4-speed manual in the middle, and drive in the rear. Providing a real challenge for the drivers and exciting competition for the spectators, these cars are also eligible for the FRC GT Open classes.
Finally, FRC is set to bring endurance racing to the Estonian Grand Prix as FRC GT Open 4H event is set to be driven on Sunday. Contested with all the same classes of cars as in the FRC GT Open sprint races, the teams of 2-6 drivers set out for the honors of being the fastest car for the whole four hours around the fantastic and flowy Porsche Ring circuit. With the high level of competition from the Finnish drivers, the competitors are looking for new challengers from the Baltic states among others.
Estonian Grand Prix will also consist of the superbly popular Formula Historic category, bringing to life the spectacular single-seaters of the yesteryear. Action on two wheels is also on the schedule, as Estonian Superbikes will be competing in the event, as per the tradition of the famous Estonian Grand Prix held first time in 1933 for motorcycles and for cars the following year.
Registration of Entries (also via Estonian GP promoter)