Last weekend in Hockenheim, the directors of ITR announced that they had reached an agreement with Grand-Am to create a new North American series featuring the spectacular cars of the DTM.
This series will be launched in 2013, one year after the implementation of new technical regulation of the DTM, which will give birth to a new breed of race cars.
As Grand-Am -- NASCAR arm in road racing -- already stage an event in Montreal during the weekend of the NASCAR Nationwide series, can we assume that the new "US DTM" will also compete at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?
"It's much too early to talk about it," said Normand Prieur, manager of communications at Octane Management, promoter of the NAPA 200 event.
"First of all, we need to renew our contract with International Speedway Corporation. The 2011 edition will be the last of our original contract with them. We must sit down and discuss the terms of the next contract, "added Prieur.
In their press release issued last weekend, ITR mention that the “US DTM” would race at Rolex Series events as well as rounds of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide meetings. It is therefore quite logical that the DTM would race in Montreal, since there are so few road racing events on the three major NASCAR schedules.
"Montreal has an undeniable international prestige and our Nationwide Series race has become a major event. It would be logical to see this series run at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. But we're not there yet,” Prieur added.
Could this mean that Canadian driver Bruno Spengler would come here to race in the American DTM series? That’s very hard to predict. One thing is certain: Spengler is under contract with Mercedes-Benz and the German automaker has the final word on where the Canadian is to race.
If Norbert Haug believes that Mercedes is to sell more cars in North America because of the presence of Spengler in the series, then the young man from Montebello, Quebec is set to return here in North America.
This series will be launched in 2013, one year after the implementation of new technical regulation of the DTM, which will give birth to a new breed of race cars.
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| Bruno Spengler, Mercedes AMG C-Class DTM. (Photo: Rene Fagnan/Auto123.com) |
As Grand-Am -- NASCAR arm in road racing -- already stage an event in Montreal during the weekend of the NASCAR Nationwide series, can we assume that the new "US DTM" will also compete at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?
"It's much too early to talk about it," said Normand Prieur, manager of communications at Octane Management, promoter of the NAPA 200 event.
"First of all, we need to renew our contract with International Speedway Corporation. The 2011 edition will be the last of our original contract with them. We must sit down and discuss the terms of the next contract, "added Prieur.
In their press release issued last weekend, ITR mention that the “US DTM” would race at Rolex Series events as well as rounds of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide meetings. It is therefore quite logical that the DTM would race in Montreal, since there are so few road racing events on the three major NASCAR schedules.
"Montreal has an undeniable international prestige and our Nationwide Series race has become a major event. It would be logical to see this series run at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. But we're not there yet,” Prieur added.
Could this mean that Canadian driver Bruno Spengler would come here to race in the American DTM series? That’s very hard to predict. One thing is certain: Spengler is under contract with Mercedes-Benz and the German automaker has the final word on where the Canadian is to race.
If Norbert Haug believes that Mercedes is to sell more cars in North America because of the presence of Spengler in the series, then the young man from Montebello, Quebec is set to return here in North America.