New German touring car championship: ADAC Procar

[FIRE]

Next year the DMSB-PM (German touring car championship, different classes for example Super2000) will be renamed to Procar. Last year there were attemps to start a German GT championship under the name Procar. The last few years the DMSB-PM had very small grids and poor TV coverage.

In the new championship there are several classes (like in the current DMSB-PM):

• Super2000
• 2L Group-N
• 1.6L (like Super1600 rally cars?)
• Alternative fuels (i.e. diesel)
• Hybrids

From: www.racing1.de:

Aus DMSB Produktionswagen-Meisterschaft wird Procar
Neuer Name, neues Glück – Nach nur zwei Jahren bekommt die 2004 aus der DTC hervorgegangenen DMSB Produktionswagen-Meisterschaft einen neuen Namen. Ab 2006 heißt sie ADAC-Procar.
...
So sollen die Fans in der Procar-Serie Fahrzeuge aus der Tourenwagen-Weltmeisterschaft ebenso bewundern können, wie Zweiliter-Produktionswagen in Gruppe-N-Spezifikation. Auch Flitzer mit 1600 ccm Hubraum gehen in ihrer eigenen Wertung an den Start. Und auch Renntourenwagen mit alternativen Antriebskonzepten wie etwa Diesel oder Hybridfahrzeuge sollen startberechtigt sein.
...
Die Top Ten-Termine:
13.-17.5.: Motorsport Arena Oschersleben
27.-28.5.: Sachsenring
15.-17.6.: Nürburgring
15.-16.7.: Assen
5.-6.8.: Nürburgring
26.-27.8.: Hockenheimring
16.-17.9.: EuroSpeedway Lausitz
30.9.-1.10.: Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

Full article in German
Article translated with Babelfish

[Kicking-back]

Club level, I assume?

[Marcel ten Caat]

It's the former German Touringcar Championship, Part of the one-time famous Top 10 series.

Several drivers did both DPM (2005 name) and WTCC this year.

[Hazard]

Unfortunately the S2000 grid size was miniscule. Schlappi won the championship in one of the ex-WSR MG's (which ran with a penalty since they weren't really S2000 spec, else there would have been 5 cars!).

I think the only team that competed in both was RS-Line with the old shape Focus for Ploderl and Diefenbacher.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by FIRE

[*]1.6L (like Super1600 rally cars?)

I guess that's DMSB-PM Division 2 (Lupo, Fiesta, Saxo...). Those have nothing to do with S1600 rally cars. They seem to be very close to road going ones.

[Hazard]

Of course, if DTM is about to collapse, the DMSB could really capitalise with this series.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Of course, if DTM is about to collapse, the DMSB could really capitalise with this series.

In STCC are some Audi A4's. Abt do you listen?

[Marcel ten Caat]

Here are some pics of the 2005 series. Just check Deutsche Produktionswagen Meisterschaft 2005

[FIRE]

We have to wait and see if Procar will be a succes but in practice it is only the renamed DMSB-PM (also called DPM) championship and the latter wasn't a succes. Maybe if DTM comes to an end it will give Procar a small boost. But the fact there are so many classes suspects the organisers aren't confident in attracting a full grid of Super2000 cars.

Possible entries if DTM collapses:
[whishful thinking]
Abt - Audi A4's from STCC or SEAT Leon
Phoenix - Opel Astra's from BTCC or Chevrolet Lacetti
Mucke - Mercedes C-Class from STCC
[/whishful thinking]

[Hazard]

The hypothetical Astra's would have to run to the same handicap as the MG's did, as they're not S2000 spec.

V8 Star teams still around and unemployed anywhere? They could link it in to the Nurburgring 24hr race somehow too for extra kicks.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Hazard

The hypothetical Astra's would have to run to the same handicap as the MG's did, as they're not S2000 spec.

Indeed
Championship winner Schlappi was very dominant with his MG this season (winning 11 out 16 races).


Swiss team Rikli Motorsport will almost certain enter an own build Honda Accord (S2000 specs) in this German touring car championship.
Source: www.racing1.de

[cybersdorf]

Most DTM teams aren't "typical" touringcar teams anymore, I see them progressing to FIA-GT or LMS rather than WTCC or this Procar.

[Eddy V]

I agree with this Cybersdorf, it would mean a step (or two) back for them if they did Procar. After all, they work on a higher level with DTM.
I doubt if the "new" Procar will be much better than 2005. Somehow the money isn't going around in Germany.

[Alfa Fan]

DTMs problem is its not really sure what it is.

Its not really touring cars, but then its not sportscars either.

[cybersdorf]

Procar's problem is exactly that: what is it? What does it want to be, and what can it be? The idea of a German S2000 series hasn't worked out, now it is given the name of the stillborn German GT project. Why not make it a more production-based series again, like the old DTC used to be? As long as the DTM exists there is no way anything similar can compete in Germany.

DTM is perceived as a touringcar series by the public, so there is no use trying to out-touringcar it. V8STAR had to learn this the hard way. Plus, the teams that are interested in DPM/Procar have viable alternatives in the VLN (endurance racing on the 'Ring, probably more bang for the buck), or if they want to spend less money there are regional series. Procar doesn't give them the return on their investment anymore that they used to get some 5 or 6 years ago, with regard to media exposure or popularity.

I don't see any hybrids coming out to race yet, so the diesels seem the most interesting class to me. Diesel engines are very popular in Germany, and diesels are already raced in VLN endurance, so the experience is there. This class could save the championship's neck at least mid-term.

Originally Posted by Eddy V

I doubt if the "new" Procar will be much better than 2005. Somehow the money isn't going around in Germany.

The money is going around too many championships.

[Valker]

Diesels were racing in DPM in 2005 too. Div.3 cars were former Alfa147 JTD cup + 1 Golf TDI at Oschersleben final.

So only new things will be 2-litre Gr.N and a new name?

In 2004 Schubert team had 3 (or 4?) cars in German S2000 series. In 2005 only one. Their other cars were in VLN.

I think there were also other S2000 cars in VLN so I don't know what's the problem with DPM but it doesn't seem to interest teams.

[cybersdorf]

Originally Posted by Valker

I think there were also other S2000 cars in VLN so I don't know what's the problem with DPM but it doesn't seem to interest teams.

Not enough value for money.

[Eddy V]

It started going downhill after the tv deal changed for the worse 2 years ago. Last year they had almost no tv coverage and that is what did it.

No deal yet for 2006.

[FIRE]

Entries Procar 2006
Maurer Motorsport - Chevrolet Lacetti
Maurer Motorsport - Chevrolet Lacetti
Rikli Motorsport - Honda Accord
Rikli Motorsport - Honda Accord
Team Geipel - Toyota Corolla (former car from Danish DTC)
Team Geipel - Toyota Corolla (former car from Danish DTC)

[flor]

impressive

[cybersdorf]

They could let it run as a sub-class in the Radical series.

[Marcel ten Caat]

Fleper Motorsport will run a Honda Civic Type-R in the ADAC Procar

Originally Posted by Teamchef Johannes Fleper

Für ausgewählte Einsätze ihres Stammpiloten und amtierenden Cup-Champions Norbert Bermes (Willich) in der neuen „ADAC PROCAR"-Serie rüstet sie ihr Type-R-Testcar aus der Vorsaison entsprechend um und wird parallel zu den Langstreckenrennen auf der Nürburgring Nordschleife mit dem Sprint-Zirkus zu Veranstaltungen in Deutschland, Österreich und den Niederlanden touren.

[Eddy V]

Originally Posted by cybersdorf

They could let it run as a sub-class in the Radical series.

Oh good, then there are 12 cars.

[Marcel ten Caat]

Can I remind you guys that in 2005 the average number of Division 1 cars (S2000 cars) was 6 a race?
The same number of cars confirmed at this time of the year with no word yet about TW-Racing, RS Line, Schubert or Vogel it looks better IMHO.

DPM 1,2 and 3 combined had a grid of 25 cars in Assen 2005.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Stranger

Can I remind you guys that in 2005 the average number of Division 1 cars (S2000 cars) was 6 a race?
The same number of cars confirmed at this time of the year with no word yet about TW-Racing, RS Line, Schubert or Vogel it looks better IMHO.

DPM 1,2 and 3 combined had a grid of 25 cars in Assen 2005.

It's still early so give them indeed some time.