2016 Dash Cup season

The 2016 Dash Cup season is the 17th season of the European-based auto racing series Dash Cup.

After attempting to transition it into a worldwide touring car event in 2015, a major decline in both TV ratings and overall profits led to the Pirelli Series returning to the use of stock cars and being renamed to the Pirelli Stock Series. Cassandra Collins will return as the defending series champion.

However, Dash Cup will continue to run multiple championships after the Aspira Juniors Series proved to be a success after its debut the previous summer, with drivers such as Matilda Dillinger and defending champion Dan Johnson receiving major exposure during that season. With the Pirelli Series' return to stock cars, the Oval Stock Series was discontinued after its only season in 2015, in which Perrie Forrester won the championship.

Dash Cup Pirelli Stock Series
The renovated Dash Cup Pirelli Stock Series is the main series that Dash Cup will sanction in the 2016 season. This series will use bodies similar to those used in the TM Master Cup Series that were last used in 2011, allowing more manufacturers to enter competition.

After visiting only one oval racetrack in 2015, the first races confirmed to the 2016 calendar were three oval dates, with Dash Cup CEO Dean Thompson hoping to "add another three" oval dates by the time the official schedule was released. Sure enough, the season schedule will see the return of Toddring, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Eurospeedway Lausitz, Calder Park Thunderdome, and New York Autoring, which will once again host the season finale. In addition, Mallory Park is retained from the previous season, and Daytona International Speedway will host its first official Dash Cup points event.

Despite the major changes, the series will maintain its current support from Pirelli, who agreed to extend its title sponsorship through at least 2020 over the off-season.

Team Chart

 * An asterisk detonates a rookie.

Dash Cup Aspira Juniors Series
The wildly successful Aspira Juniors Series returns for 2016 with a revised Aspira JR provided by Matthews Performance.

Dash Cup Tourers Championship Series
After the Touring bodies were abolished from the main series after 2015, Dash Cup CEO Dean Thompson elected to run a short series where teams can enter their old Touring cars. However, due to low car counts and a disastrous opening race at the Toddring, the division was quickly shuttered.

Team Chart

 * An asterisk detonates a rookie.