Only one month ago, the negotiations between Grand-Am and ITR, rights holder and promoter of the German Touringcar Masters (DTM), seemed to be dead. The thoughts of a DTM spin-off beyond the big pond were regarded as wishful thinking.
Two weeks ago suddenly a date for a press conference in New York was announced and some information leaked. The target is to start the series, which originally was scheduled to start in 2013 at the beginning of the negotiations, in 2015 or 2016 at latest.
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BMW Motorsport
For the surrounding factors, IMSA, like in the United Sports Car Racing Series, product of the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series merger, will become the sporting gouvernance, while the races will be organised by Grand-Am around NASCAR and USCR events, keeping the 75min Race format. Unlike earlier rumor the Series will be working on a stand-alone base and not become an additional class in the USRC.
In addition to the six German and Japanese manufacturers - Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and Toyota - which are already involved, the new cooperation quite obviously also offers a new and extraordinary field of activity for the American premium manufacturers such as Cadillac, Lincoln or Dodge SRT within the framework of future motorsport programs. Now, we have to inform and thrill them together with our new partner GRAND-AM/IMSA and encourage them to get involved. - Hans-Werner Aufrecht, ITR Chairman said to
DTM.de.
In order to "inform and thrill them [...] and encourage them" the ITR offers a behind the curtain view for American representatives at the Hockenheimring season opener of DTM, May 5th.
BMW was the only manufacturer directly present at the press conference. Last summer, they were critizising ITR for their foraign policies, as announced deals with Grand-Am and SuperGT haven't been signed, well haven't been signed yet from today's perspective one must say. For the Bavarian company, entering the cars internationally was a requirement for entering the new DTM.
1998/99 BMW was already involved in the cration of the initial new DTM rules, but entered the FIA European Touring Car Championship instead, leaving DTM to factory entries of Opel and Mercedes and privately entered Abt Audis. A privat Volvo team was set to start but was not permitted by Volvo itself.
Later Abt's effort was upgraded to a factory program and British MG was set to enter the German based series but went bankrupt before. Just one year after the introduction of sedans GM brand Opel pulled out. The VW brand Audi and Mercedes-Benz remained in the series. With both companies also involved in the F3 Euroseries, DTM became an alternative step on the way to Formula 1 and Paul Di Resta, Markus Winkelhock or Christijan Albers prooved, it was possible. With the new technical rules BMW entered DTM. Honda, Nissan and Toyota are building cars as per DTM rules for the 2014 SuperGT season.
