European Touring Car Championship (ETCC)

The European Touring Car Challenge, as it was originally known, was started in 1963 by Willy Stenger, who created the series at the behest of the FIA. Cars competed under FIA Group 2 Improved Touring Car regulations which allowed a variety of touring cars of different sizes and engine displacements to race together.

Following the 1973 oil crisis the '74-'75 seasons had few entrants. It was only in 1977 that the situation was normalised with the return of factory teams. Rules allowed Group 2 and Group 1B "National" cars to compete together.

International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop and Bill France - racing debuted in 1971. It was originally aimed at two of FIA's stock car categories running at two different classes, the GT (Group 3 and 4) and Touring (Group 1 and 2) cars. The first race was held at Virginia International Raceway; it was an unexpected hit with both the drivers and a handful of spectators who attended.

For the following year, IMSA founder John Bishop brought in sponsor R. J. Reynolds and in 1975, introduced a new category called All American Grand Touring (AAGT). In 1977, the series would go through a series of major changes. IMSA permitted turbocharged cars for the first time as well as introducing a new category called GTX for cars based on the Group 5 rules.

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM)

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (translated as German Racing Championship) or simply DRM as it was known, was a Touring car and Sportscar racing series. It is the predecessor of the current DTM as Germany's top national series.

The DRM began in 1972 as a Group 2 touring car and Group 4 GT racing series. In these years, the same or similar cars were also entered in the European Touring Car Championship. Races were run separately as big Division 1 (for 2 to 4 liter) and small Division 2 (under 2 liter) in a sprint format.

In 1977, Group 5 cars were admitted into the series, making the series better supported with Gr.5 cars than the World Championship of Makes they were intended for. These fast and spectacular turbocharged cars with wide fenders and wings had many fans. Especially the Porsche 935 Turbo outpowered F1 cars. During common testing sessions at Circuit Paul Ricard, 935 passed them on the long Mistral straight. In 1979, the Rennsport Trophae (Racing Trophy) was introduced for the cheaper original series protagonists, the Group 2 and 4 cars. It consisted of combined races with the DRM until 1981.