TM Europe
TM Europe is a TM-sanctioned series that runs only at the European TM Master Cup series races (plus two additional events late in the year) and acts as a support event. The series was created in 2007 in order to give European drivers a chance at preparing for the Karjala Grand Prix and for possible careers in other categories. It has also become somewhat of a haven for hobbyist drivers, resulting in a wide disparity in the talent level.
The TM Europe technical regulations have been fairly loose; through 2013, any car that had formerly competed in the TM Master Cup series was allowed to compete. As a result, there were some cars in the field that are several years old. The oldest competing car was a 2004 Inglesby. In 2014, the series adopted the Omecha M14 spec chassis, to keep costs low while phasing out these outdated cars.
A typical grid size for a TM Europe race ranges from 20 to 30 cars. There are currently 18 full-time entries, most notable among those being Equipe D1, Finntech and Trevor Carrington Racing.
Several of the Karjala one-off drivers originated from TM Europe, including Nils Tolonen and Mika Tervo. Tolonen is, currently, the only two-time TM Europe champion. Some drivers have landed full-time rides in the Master Cup series, including 2012 champion Mélanie Clévenot
Despite its similarity to the Dash Cup series, not many drivers have competed in both series.
2012 schedule[edit | edit source]
TM Europe held Master Cup support races for the first six races of the schedule, and the final two rounds were stand-alone events.
Track list[edit | edit source]
- Brands Hatch, England
- Circuit Thierry Sicotte, France
- Göteborgs Motorbana, Sweden
- Karjala Raceway, Finland
- Vnukovo International Airport, Russia
- Launch Energy Motorpark, Wales
- Estoril Circuit, Portugal
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy