Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft
Category	Sportscar & touring car racing
Country	West Germany
Inaugural season	1972
Folded	1985

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (translated as German Racing Championship) or simply DRM as it was known, was a touring car and Sportscar racing series. It is regarded as a predecessor of the current DTM as Germany's top national series.

History

The DRM began in 1972 as a Group 2 touring car and Group 4 GT racing series for cars like (BMW 2002) and (BMW Coupé), in addition to the Deutsche Rundstrecken-Meisterschaft [de] (German circuit racing saloon car championship). In these years, the same or similar cars were also entered in the European Touring Car Championship.

Races were run separately as big Division 1 (for 2 to 4 liter) and small Division 2 (under 2 liter) in a sprint format.

In 1977, Group 5 cars were admitted into the series, making the series better supported with Gr.5 cars than the World Championship of Makes they were intended for. These fast and spectacular turbocharged cars with wide fenders and wings had many fans. Especially the Porsche 935 outpowered F1 cars. During common testing sessions at Circuit Paul Ricard, 935 passed them on the long Mistral straight.

Klaus Ludwig's 1981 Group 5 Zakspeed Ford Capri at the Auto & Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany

In 1979, the Rennsport Trophäe (Racing Trophy) was introduced for the cheaper original series protagonists, the Group 2 and 4 cars. It consisted of combined races with the DRM until 1981.

In 1982, following the FIA rule changes, new Group C sportscars (along with existing Group 6) replaced the Group 5 machinery at the renamed International Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft. Meanwhile, the Rennsport Trophäe held separate races and events in 1982 and 1983, except for the 1982 ADAC Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

In 1984, with just three races held, organisers used three WEC (World Endurance Championship) races as additional IDRM point races. Also, the Rennsport Trophäe was replaced by the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, run with Group A cars.

1985 was the final year of the now called DSM (Deutsche Sportwagen Meisterschaft), with just one race was held at Norisring, the rest of them held in conjunction with the popular Interserie. This meant CanAm entered from the latter series, as it had always been, had to be counted for points

The series would be replaced by the Group C-only Supercup in 1986. At that time, the less expensive DTM had taken over as Germany's most important racing series.

Since 2005 the AvD the AvD organizes a "Revival Deutsche Rennsportmeisterschaft" race at his great "Oldtimer Grand Prix".

Champions

Season	Champion	Team	Car
1972	Hans-Joachim Stuck	Zakspeed Racing	Ford Capri RS
1973	Dieter Glemser	Zakspeed Racing	Ford Escort
1974	Dieter Glemser	Zakspeed Racing	Ford Escort
1975	Hans Heyer	Zakspeed Racing	Ford Escort
1976	Hans Heyer	Zakspeed Racing	Ford Escort
1977	Rolf Stommelen	Georg Loos	Porsche 935
1978	Harald Ertl	Schnitzer Motorsport	BMW 320i Turbo
1979	Klaus Ludwig	Kremer Racing	Porsche 935 K3
1980	Hans Heyer	Lancia Corse	Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Turbo
1981	Klaus Ludwig	Zakspeed Racing	Ford Capri Turbo
1982	Bob Wollek	Joest Racing	Porsche 936
1983	Bob Wollek	Joest Racing	Porsche 956
1984	Stefan Bellof	Brun Motorsport	Porsche 956B
1985	Jochen Mass	Joest Racing	Porsche 956