When motorsport fans in Germany (and elsewhere) hear the term 'DTM', their eyes light up: the touring car series has been the pinnacle of motorsport 'Made in Germany' since the 1980s. At the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix, which will take place at the Nürburgring from August 10 to 12, 2018, the legendary vehicles will celebrate a revival, because the "Touring Car Classics" is a racing series in which the automotive stars of yesteryear can be experienced just as much as some of the famous racing drivers from this era.
Like back then in front of full grandstands?
The grandstands are likely to be full again when the more than 30 expected cars from the golden years of DTM, ITC and STW storm towards the first corner: The BMW M3, Mercedes-Benz 190s and C-Classes as well as Alfa Romeo 155s, in which stars such as Klaus Ludwig, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ellen Lohr and Giancarlo Fisichella once sat, will evoke emotions and memories. Some of the protagonists who were behind the wheel back then will also be involved in the action. For example, Harald Grohs or Volker Strycek, who clinched the championship title in the first year of the DTM (1984). In the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix program, the Touring Car Classics with their cars built between 1984 and 1999 round off a whole series of races dedicated to touring car and GT racing that traditionally has strong roots in Germany. It can be seen from the post-war years onwards and fascinates visitors with its variety of makes and models.
The program at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix is full of highlights: Formula 1 and sports cars, Le Mans legends of the 50s and DRM cars can be seen as well as pre-war racing cars. But for many visitors, the vehicles from the DTM and related series are the real stars. They shook up touring car racing from 1984 onwards and produced many legends. They will be represented at the Nürburgring in the form of the Touring Car Classics, which will hold its fourth round here. The battle of the DTM cars from 1993 to 1996 will rage at the front, with the AMG Mercedes C-Class formerly driven by Montoya and Lohr and the Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI (ex Fisichella) on the grid. But there will also be a reunion with other Class 1 racing cars.
The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo and BMW M3 Evo 2 were driven by drivers such as Kurt Thiim and Johnny Cecotto, who are also regular guest entrants in the Touring Car Classics. As a result, quite a number of former DTM and STW drivers have already been confirmed to compete in the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix. One of them is Harald Grohs, who will be driving his BMW M3 E30: He won the inaugural race at Hockenheim in 1987 in this very car - a triumph that started the winning streak of this most successful touring car of all time. The M3 is one of the stars in the highly competitive Group A car class. Ex-DTM drivers Marc Hessel and Christian Menzel, for example, share another M3 in this class.
Also of great interest to touring car fans: the fourth class of the series, which includes the STW cars. Here there will be a reunion with the Opel Vectra in Paulaner design, which was built for Uwe Alzen. The first ever DTM champion, Volker Strycek, will be driving an STW Opel Astra. Vehicles that were only seen abroad in their day will also be on display for direct comparison - such as a 1996 Renault Laguna STW from the British BTCC.
Touring cars and GTs from many eras in action
In addition to the DTM, ITC and STW touring cars of the Touring Car Classics, visitors can look forward to several other starter fields with these attractive vehicles. The Revival German Racing Championship (DRM), for example, is naturally a crowd-puller, as the Ford Capri and Porsche 911 as well as the BMW 3.0 and BMW M1 from 1972 to 1981 are still impressive - and above all beautiful - vehicles today. The Gentlemen Drivers' races (GT cars from 1947 to 1965) and the AvD Touring Car and GT Trophy (1947 to 1975) go back even further. They are also reminiscent of great races in which the protagonists were BMW 1800 and 2002, Alfa Romeo 1750 and Giulia or Ford Escort. Following last year's great success, there will also be two special classifications in this race in 2018. The Generations Cup is reserved for family teams in which fathers/mothers share the car with their sons/daughters. In addition, the Alfa Romeo special classification attracts highly attractive vehicles.
However, the focus in this starting field should not only be on the top cars, as the small displacement classes in particular always feature likeable "racing midgets" with a big motorsport heart. For example, the "Porsche of the East": The multiple German rally champion Matthias Kahle will be driving a Skoda 130 RS in this race, which was a highly successful sports car in its time in Eastern Europe. Not to be forgotten at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix are, of course, the GT cars whose history is being continued right up to the present day. The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland will be a guest for the first time and will show that the latest version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup also stands for first-class sport.
Further information and tickets are available on the website.
