Since 1984, the three letters DTM have been standing for top-class touring-car racing. Over the course of more than 30 years of DTM history, the series experienced ups and downs, with the competitors celebrating countless race wins and titles. Numerous famous names are closely connected with DTM, such as Bernd Schneider, Volker Strycek, Hans-Joachim ‘Strietzel’ Stuck, Manuel Reuter, Klaus Ludwig, Johnny Cecotto or Frank Biela. This year, some of the stars of those DTM days are going to make a comeback on the racetrack. In the support programme of the DTM race meetings at the Norisring (30th June to 02nd July) and the Nürburgring (08th to 10th September), the ‘Tourenwagen-Classics’ resurrect the 1980s and 1990s. And as early as during the DTM season kick-off at Hockenheim, an exhibition in the paddock featuring the historic touring cars will get the visitors into the perfect mood for the two events.
« DTM always has been and still is state-of-the-art in touring-car racing, » underlines DTM board member Florian Zitzlsperger. « At the same time we can look back on an impressive period in motor-racing history – and we want to jointly celebrate this history with the « Tourenwagen-Classics, this year. With the ‘Tourenwagen-Classics’ races in the support programme of the tradition-rich events at the Norisring and the Nürburgring we are building a bridge from the beginnings of the long and great DTM history to the present days of the series. And we chose the two events wisely: on the Saturday of the Nuremberg race weekend DTM is going to contest its 40th Norisring race and the Nürburgring is celebrating its 90th anniversary, this year. »
A perfect reason for bringing drivers, teams and vehicles of those days and the 2017 DTM aces and vehicles together to offer them the opportunity to exchange stories and experiences. In both race meetings, the stars of yesteryear and today extensively will be presented in the DTM Fan Village – with autographing sessions, interviews and petrol-head conversations for the fans and the current DTM fraternity.
The ‘Tourenwagen Classics’ are a series for historical touring cars that made its debut in 2016. It takes the historic touring-car racers back to the racetrack, thus allowing them to fulfil their purpose in ‘life’: motor racing.
Altogether, 42 drivers and their touring cars can be found on the 2017 entry list, among them Alexander Burgstaller, Christian Danner, Altfried Heger, Marc Hessel, Volker Schneider, Volker Strycek and Kurt Thiim – both contemporary witnesses and drivers in the ‘Old DTM’ that was held from 1984 to 1996.
The distance of the ‘Tourenwagen-Classics’ adds up to 40 minutes and the races include an obligatory two-minute pit-stop, allowing for a driver swap. A free practice session is followed by two 20-minute qualifying sessions where the drivers battle it out for the grid positions.
Tickets for the race meetings at the Norisring, the Nürburgring and all the other DTM events of the 2017 season can be purchased at the official website of the series, DTM.com.
Press release DTM
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