The Japanese touring car championship is suspended until 2013

Bad news for a return that was eagerly awaited, under the same promoter who runs the destinies of the WTCC, Marcello Lotti; the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC), which had planned a kind of resurrection for 2012, has been suspended until 2013 because of the earthquake that devastated the Asian nation earlier this year.

The JTCC CEO, Masao Mizuno, explained that for the reasons mentioned it was not possible to organise the championship, although he promised exhibition races next year. Marcello Lotti and the WTCC had not only ties in sponsorship matters with the JTCC, but the Japanese category was going to adopt the same FIA regulations, in line with the new FIA Super 2000 rules.

The JTCC emerged in the 1960s, almost at the same time as many European touring car categories. Although in recent years it has not had continuity, the WTCC’s visit to Okayama revived plans for a resurgence possible for 2012.

The original JTCC plan was a calendar made up of 6 races, with one of them to be held in Macau alongside the WTCC. However, there had been talk of the absence of factory teams in the JTCC; the only Japanese manufacturer that has a representative team in any Eastern touring car category is Nissan, with a factory team of Nissan Tiidas in the Chinese Touring Car Championship. At one point it was speculated that Toyota could field an Auris S2000 in the JTCC (as well as a similar car adapted for rally), although all of this has come to nothing with the suspension of the series.

Via | WTCC