Dash Cup

Dash Cup is a Europe-based auto racing sanctioning body established in 1999. Since its first season, a 7-round championship, it has developed into two distinct series, with more than a dozen feature events spanning four continents and several countries.

Dash Cup has been noted as one of the most diverse and progressive racing series in history, with an assortment of drivers from many nations and with various levels of experience having found success. The series has also seen a large number of female drivers participate in recent seasons, with four of them having scored championships as of the end of 2015. It is currently one of the world's fastest-growing auto racing organizations in terms of participation as well as popularity.

Its premier race is the Spa GP, which has been held every year since the series's debut season. Until 2012, it was held as the championship finale.

Jean-Pierre Beaufort currently holds the distiction of having won the most championships of any driver with four, which he scored consecutively from 2004 through 2007. As of the end of 2015, Cassandra Collins holds the record for the most race victories with 21 (20 PSS and 1 OSS). Collins is also the youngest driver to win a Pirelli Series championship, winning the 2015 title at the age of 18.

History
The first season of Dash Cup was contested in 1999, and consisted of seven race weekends. Englishman Todd Benetar would win the championship, which was decided on the final lap of the inaugural Spa GP when a sudden rainstorm caused his points rival Dean Thompson to spin off of the track from the lead, giving the race victory to Frank Smith and the title to Benetar.

From 1999 through 2001, a three-race format was used for every race weekend - excluding the Spa GP - in which the starting order of Race 1 was determined by a qualifying session, the starting order for Race 2 was determined by the results of Race 1, and the starting order for Race 3 was determined by the results of Race 2, with the order of the lead-lap finishers being inverted.

The 2011 season was never run, due to sponsors dropping support and leaving no funding for the races with the exception of the Spa GP. However, before 2012, Dubai-based FutureTechnologies, Inc. struck a deal to support Dash Cup, leading to a longer schedule and the introduction of several international races.

Through 2012, the only two manufacturers to field cars in Dash Cup were Spiedel, with its Wasp model, and STS Motor Company with its Arrow. It was announced after the 2012 season that Spiedel would no longer offer manufacturer support. However, Dash Cup officials lifted chassis restrictions, bringing several new manufacturers into the series, including Calton-Morel, Xenos, Lycoia, SMC, and others.

For 2015, it was announced that Dash Cup would introduce multiple divisions of racing for the first time in its history. The original Dash Cup became the Dash Cup Pirelli Super Touring Series, adopted the use of touring cars, and ran entirely on road courses with the exception of Mallory Park. The new Dash Cup Oval Stock Series became the second series that Dash Cup would sanction, and used the 2014 spec cars. The Oval Stock Series raced only within Europe, and, as told by the name, the schedule consisted entirely of ovals. Midway through the year, the Dash Cup Aspira Juniors Series was introduced as a championship for drivers of age 14-16, and exclusively uses Matthews Aspira chassis.

As a result of declining television ratings and profits, the Pirelli Super Touring Series returned to the use of stock car chassis and was renamed to the Dash Cup Pirelli Stock Series in 2016, and the Oval Stock Series was discontinued. In 2016, the Pirelli Stock Series is scheduled to hold races in Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and the United States of America.

Pirelli Stock Series Champions
For current season, please see: 2016 Dash Cup season.

Aspira Juniors Series Champions
For current season, please see: 2016 Dash Cup season.