From 30th April to 03rd May, DTM is going flat out, for the motor-racing enthusiasts, by providing them a very special event as season opener. The race meeting at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg will not only represent the debut of the new racing format for the 2015 season, featuring two championship rounds per race weekend but in addition, the DTM support programme also will comprise another spectacular highlight: a championship round of the spectacular race series ‘FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy’ (World RX). Following successful negotiations between WRX promoter IMG and DTM rights holder and promoter ITR, the FIA World Motor Sport Council opted for adding the Hockenheim DTM meeting to the World Rallycross Championship calendar.
The spectacular compact cars contesting the World Rallycross Championship definitely should turn the Hockenheim stadium into a boiling pot. Extra for them, a rallycross circuit will be built in the unique stadium area, featuring fast tarmac sectors, spectacular of-road sections and even jumps. And the fans on the grandstands will have the chance of witnessing every single metre of the action-packed RX heats. The rallycross vehicles will be raced by both RX specialists and world-famous racing drivers, with Mattias Ekström for instance, one of the DTM stars, having contested several 2014 World Championship rounds. And while doing so, he had to battle it out with world-renowned drivers such as Jacques Villeneuve, Ken Block or rally specialist Petter Solberg.
ITR Chairman Hans-Werner Aufrecht is delighted about the signing of the deal for this multi-year partnership: “Whatever we do, we always do it allowing for the interests of the fans we want to provide a unique experience, at the circuit. In consideration of this fact, the FIA World Rallycross Championship suits us perfectly: the DTM high-tech touring cars and the rugged compact World RX racers represent two different, fascinating motor-sport facets. I am convinced that the motor-racing enthusiasts will love this combination.”
Marin Anayi, World RX CEO for IMG Motorsport, also is very pleased about the successful coup. “For us, being a partner of the 2015 DTM season kick-off represents a big honour. We all were truly impressed by the professionalism ITR displays while organising DTM. Now we just can’t wait for demonstrating the German crowds that World RX provides a really extraordinary motor-racing experience. And there is a natural connection between the two series: Mattias Ekström races in both championships and World RX driver Anton Marklund also contests the new Audi Sport TT Cup. We were just thrilled by the opportunity to build a rallycross circuit at one of the most famous motorsport-venues of the world. Now we have got the chance of presenting the World RX and our sport in front of a completely new audience. We are delighted about the idea to enhance this partnership with ITR and look forward to the future cooperation.”