The organising body of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, ITR, has confirmed plans to launch a new North American version of the series in conjunction with the organisers of NASCAR and GRAND-AM.
The DTM has been trying to expand its presence in both North America and Japan for a number of years and the latest announcement its a further step in the series’ plans for international expansion.
A series for cars racing to the DTM specifications is planned to begin in 2016. It will complement the deal announced last October with the organisers of the Japanese Super GT Championship.
“The opportunity arises in the future to race the Audi RS 5 DTM not only in Europe, but also in Asia and North America in premium championships,” said Audi’s Wolfgang Dürheimer, Member of the Board for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “As a globally active company, this is exciting and interesting for Audi.”
Scott Keogh, President of Audi of America, is excited at the possibility of an increased involvement of Audi in US motorsport.
“We are currently looking for options that will allow the four rings to be more visible again on the race tracks throughout the USA,” said Keogh. “It’s fantastic news that there could soon be a US DTM. The Audi RS models are very popular in America. I’m convinced that our customers will be delighted to see the Audi RS 5 DTM in action.”
The development of international partnerships is believed to have been a key requirement for BMW rejoining the series at the beginning of 2012.