Hungaroring replaces Zolder on revised ETCR calendar
The organisers of the new PURE ETCR series have announced a change to the 2021 calendar, with the planned event at Zolder being replaced by one at the Hungaroring.
Zolder has been due to host the second meeting of the inaugural season in early July as part of the Zolder 24 Hours race weekend, but logistical issues have instead forced organisers to withdraw from the event.
“The plan all along had been to race as part of the Zolder 24 Hours weekend, which was absolutely fine when we set our calendar out in Februray,” series director Xavier Gavory said.
“However, since then, pre-season testing has shown that – as an all-new series using new technology – we need to have as much flexibility as possible with both the track schedule and the paddock environment.
“The team at Zolder have been incredibly accommodating to our requests, but with the plans for the 24 Hours already at an advanced stage, it’s just too complicated for them to allow us to do everything we need. Therefore we’ve had to make the tough decision to find an alternative venue and event that suits our needs a bit better.
“Zolder is a great circuit and we retain an excellent working relationship with the people there. It’s hugely unfortunate we couldn’t find a way of remaining as part of the July 2-4 event, and I would like to thank the team there for all they did to try and accommodate us.”
Instead, ETCR will join the World Touring Car Cup for a packed weekend of action in Hungary in late August, with the new event becoming the penultimate meeting of the season before the series leaves Europe to head for the finale in South Korea.
“As Eurosport Events, we’ve promoted series that have raced at the Hungaroring since 2011, so we have a fantastic relationship with the management team there,” Gavory added. “As promoter of both WTCR and PURE ETCR, it becomes easier to adapt the event format and the paddock so that both series get exactly what they need.
“Hungarian race fans are some of the most passionate in the world, especially for touring cars. PURE ETCR will give them a totally different sporting experience, with our revolutionary racing format and the knockout competition. Touring car fans love to see non-stop, wheel-to-wheel action and with PURE ETCR, that’s exactly what they’ll get.”
PURE ETCR 2021 calendar
June 18-20 – Vallelunga, Italy
July 9-11 – Motorland Aragón, Spain
August 6-8 – Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix, Denmark*
August 21-22 – Hungaroring, Hungary
October 15-17 – Inje Speedium, South Korea
*Pending circuit homologation
