GRAND-AM: DTM And NASCAR For 2013?

[regnar]

Possibility of DTM running a sprint series in the US

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-dtm-and-nascar-for-2013/

 

[crooky369]

"With Sprint Cup holding just two road course races per year, questions remain on how and where the other four rounds would be held in conjunction with NASCAR's premier series. World Challenge used portions of the Legends track on Charlotte's front straight in 2007, with a temporary chicane added on the backstretch to slow the cars, but the challenge of altering the track to accommodate oval racing and road course racing on the same circuit each day proved to be too problematic. The empty grandstands during the Charlotte World Challenge race made it easy to end the experiment after one try"

Not sure how there going to get round this one...

 

[arvin charles]

So the DTM support races will be faster & more expensive than the cars featured in the main GA race?

Also, would NASCAR fans turn out for DTM as a supporting series? My experience in working Daytona events indicate that they won't...

 

[regnar]

So the DTM support races will be faster & more expensive than the cars featured in the main GA race?

Also, would NASCAR fans turn out for DTM as a supporting series? My experience in working Daytona events indicate that they won't...

Yes, Brumos is moving back into the GT class, most likely because of cost.

It would seem to make more sense for them to run on the Grand-Am courses then to follow the Sprint Cars.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Also, would NASCAR fans turn out for DTM as a supporting series? My experience in working Daytona events indicate that they won't...

I would.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Being discussed here:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=131461

 

[LSX]

Also, would NASCAR fans turn out for DTM as a supporting series? My experience in working Daytona events indicate that they won't...

I would as I already do. When there is a Grand-Am or ARCA race which is ran on the day of a Sprint Cup race, it's icing on the cake, you get your seats early, and get exposed to something different, usually at the same ticket price.

Speaking of, I was so surprised by the level of competition in the Continental Tire Series support race before the Rolex 24 this year, that I plan to attend that in 2011, and still up in the air if I plan to go to the actual Rolex itself. It really was a great race. I'd love to see a DTM race the morning of the Fresh From Florida 200, that would be an awesome day at the track.

I will admit though, it does seem average Nascar fans wont attend, either because it starts early, or late following the "main show". But a fair amount do. I remember in the 90's, when the "Paul Revere 250" was going to be ran at night after the Pespi 400... It started at 11pm, obviously attendance would be low, as only diehard race fans would bother, those with wives and children would have a hard time convincing them to stay. However, recently the 250 has been starting around 2pm, which is reasonable, if the July heat is not in full effect. The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 is just now starting to draw a crowd before the Bud Shootout, and that race has been ran for a LONG time. IMO it's all worth it, I don't get why people would not show up for something they've paid for, but it happens all the time.

AND... On another note, perhaps this is what VAG is trying to do talking with Nascar. Perhaps they don't want to run the sprint cup, but rather race an American version of DTM alongside the two France owned series?

 

[arvin charles]

Does Nascar still do the big show at Martinsville? The fans in those places are already having issues with Toyota, can you imagine what the reaction would be when BMW, Mercedes & Audi shows up?

 

[CAMikaze]

The fans in those places are already having issues with Toyota, can you imagine what the reaction would be when BMW, Mercedes & Audi shows up?

Two words - Not Pretty. And if memory serves, I believe there were foreign makes in NASCAR in the early years.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I heard rumors recently that Volkswagen might jump into the NASCAR mix by 2012.

 

[Pupik]

The fans in those places are already having issues with Toyota, can you imagine what the reaction would be when BMW, Mercedes & Audi shows up?

As long as there's crashing, debris, and cars that look nothing like their originals, I'd say they fit right in. They probably won't mind.

At least half the audience would probably still be interested for the same ticket price; you almost never get a full crowd for any supporting event(s) to a main race, so a full house can't be expected. Without many American drivers, though...you can't expect much of a following, except by those who enjoy all sorts of motor racing; there's plenty of those who enjoy an F1 race or sports-car event and a NASCAR race in the same weekend, at least in terms of TV.

 

[GTPorsche]

Coincidental that 2013 is the year that NASCAR is suppose to switch to "Pony Cars".

 

[albteman015]

Does Nascar still do the big show at Martinsville? The fans in those places are already having issues with Toyota, can you imagine what the reaction would be when BMW, Mercedes & Audi shows up?

Well hopefully the races are good and if we see some of this stuff, I think they wont mind the other manufacturers.

 

[McLaren]

All I will say is that the future looks bright for the DTM Series. First BMW's return in a couple years & now an expansion to the US.

 

[handfore]

I agree with you, looks like DTM is going to make it to the headlines and it will be here in 2013 and the same days as the nascar racing experience so i think it will be fun to watch both

 

[wfooshee]

I was thinking that DTM is not so much a support for NASCAR, and certainly not the Sprint Cup, but more for Grand Am and maybe the Nationwide road-circuit events.

I think it would be awesome to have the same cars here that run the DTM, and I hope it isn't a "lower" level series, i.e. different cars, different rules. OTOH, that may be what it takes to get them over here.

I'm sure Audi, BMW, and M-B would love to have that exposure over here, and production car racing like the Continental Tire series or AMLS GT racing isn't "headline" enough, nor do their cars fit well, there. They also understand that it's not in their interest to even try to go NASCAR racing, as their cars are not marketed in the Chevy/Ford/Dodge arena.

Still, I don't see how they can bring a "support" series in that's 63.7 times as sophisticated as the "main event."

That said, I've never quite understood the GrandAm DP car. They're fugly, they're slower than "real" sports cars like the LeMans series cars, and they have absolutely no international relevance. I used to go to the Daytona 24 Hours every year, but have not even followed it or watched it since the DP cars started. They're just so obnoxiously horrible.

Grand-Am's production racing is really good racing, but DP is lame and irrelevant. DTM can only be positive for the show, but I don't see it succeeding as a sideline.