New C-Coupe DTM Revealed

The new for 2012 DTM (German Touring Car Masters) rules package has spawned a new class of racers for the most popular Touring Car race series in the world.


Today at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Daimler Board Chairman Dr. Dieter Zetsche, and Petronas Mercedes GP drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg unveiled the new C-Coupe based racer.

Resplendent in AMG Driving Academy colors the new racer looks all set to take on the new Audi DTM Coupe and newly returning to the series BMW, at the first race at Hockenheim next April.

AMG Mercedes driver DiResta is 2010 DTM Champion, AMG drivers 2nd and 3rd

The 2010 DTM season has ended at the Shanghai Circuit in China and AMG Driving Academy sponsored driver Paul DiResta is the Driver's Champion. AMG Mercedes drivers rounded out the top three with Gary Paffett nipping season long points leader Bruno Spengler in this final race. The top placing Audi driver was defending Champion Timo Scheider in 4th. AMG Mercedes had already clinched the DTM Manufacturer's crown at the penultimate round of the series in Adria.

The final race was won by Paffett in his Salzgitter HWA AMG C-Class, the 9th AMG Mercedes win of the 11 race season, with DiResta's second place enough to earn him the crown worn by such legendary AMG drivers before him as Bernd Schneider and Klaus Ludwig. The DTM Driver's title has not been won by an AMG Mercedes driver since Schneider in 2006.

The Holiday dinner table back in Scotland will be plenty festive as DiResta's cousin Dario Franchitti won the 2010 Indy 500 and was crowned the Izod Indy Car Series Champion for the second year in a row.

DiResta is now rumored to be headed to Formula One where he has been reserve driver for the Force India Mercedes team. This would open up the best seat in the DTM in the crack HWA Team for 2011.

The 2011 season will again see the specification of the cars frozen at 2009 designs ahead of an all new DTM formula for 2012 when BMW rejoins the series and DTM prepares for their style of racing to be exported around the world including to the US for 2013.

Here are the final standings for the 2010 DTM Driver's Championship and the Shanghai race- round 11.

1. Gary Paffett Salzgitter HWA AMG C-Class
2. Paul DiResta AMG Driving Academy HWA C-Class
3.Timo Schieder Abt Sportline Audi A4
4.Martin Tomczyk Abt Sportline Audi A4
5. Miguel Molina Abt Rookie Team Audi A4

2011 DTM Driver's Standings

1. Paul Di Resta
2. Gary Paffett
3. Bruno Spengler
4. Timo Scheider
5.Mattias Eckstrom

Big racing weekend for AMG.

AMG C-Class driver Paul DiResta made it 3 in a row in the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) with a convincing win over Audi's Timo Scheider at Hockenheim. This win puts DiResta in the lead of the Driver's Championship over HWA team mate Bruno Spengler who failed to finish. The DTM Manufacturer's Championship is virtually assured for AMG Mercedes, as is the Driver's Championship as the Audi drivers and Teams are now mathematically eliminated with only 2 races remaining in the 2010 DTM season. In future DTM news, old rival BMW has confirmed that they will be joining AMG Mercedes and Audi in the new look 2012 DTM. Some old battles will be resumed between the major high performance German brands.

While the AMG C-Class drivers were having things their own way over at Hockenheim across the country at the Nurburgring in the VLN Endurance series, the SLS AMG GT3 scored its maiden victory in only its second outing. The 4 hour race was won by SLS GT3 test driver Tomas Jager and Christopher Haase in a Black Falcon Racing entered SLS AMG GT3. Another SLS AMG GT3 entered by Mamerow Racing with Bernd Schneider and Chris Mamerow qualified on pole but was eliminated in a crash while running second. A new era in AMG customer racing has started. The SLS GT3's will run one more VLN race this year before an all out attack on the major European endurance racing series' in 2011 with a number of customer team entered cars. Three SLS GT3's are expected at the Dubai 24 Hour Race on January 14-15, 2011.

DTM Hockenheim:
1. Paul DiResta- AMG Driving Academy HWA AMG C-Class DTM
2. Timo Scheider- Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
3.Mike Rockenfeller- Phoenix Racing Audi A4 DTM
4.Gary Paffett Salzgitter HWA AMG C-Class DTM
5.Martin Tomczyk- Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
6.Oliver Jarvis- Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
7.Susie Stoddart- TV Spiel Film Persson Motorsport AMG C-Class DTM
8.Jamie Green- Junge Stern Persson Motorsport AMG C-Class DTM

VLN Nurburgring:
1. Tomas Jager/Christopher Hasse Black Falcon Racing SLS GT3

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AMG Achieves Third Top 3 Sweep

AMG Mercedes Teams in the DTM (German Touring Masters) Championship achieved their 3rd top 3 sweep of the finishing order in the 2010 series as Canadian Bruno Spengler drove his Daimler Bank sponsored C-Class DTM AMG to his second win of the year at the famous Nurburgring. In doing so he extends his lead in the season Drivers points chase over 2nd place AMG driver Jamie Green.

Following Spengler across the line was AMG Driving Academy driver Paul DiResta (just a few hours later first cousin Dario Franchitti would win the Indy Car race at Mid-Ohio), in his C-Class DTM AMG.

In third was Salzgitter driver Gary Paffett in his C-Class DTM AMG. The highest finishing Audi was reigning Champion Timo Scheider in 4th. There were 7 AMG Mercedes drivers in the Top Ten. This win is the 156th for AMG Mercedes since entering the series in 1988.

Race Results:

1. Bruno Spengler Daimler Bank HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
2. Paul DiResta AMG Driving Academy HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
3. Gary Paffett Salzgitter HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
4. Timo Scheider Top Service Abt Sportline Audi A4
5.Jamie Green Junge Stern Persson Motorsports AMG Mercedes C-Class
6. Ralf Schumacher Laureus HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
7. Mattias Ekstrom Red Bull Abt Sportline Audi A4
8. Maro Engel GQ Mucke Motorsport AMG Mercedes C-Class
9. Mike Rockenfeller S-Line Phoenix Racing Audi A4
10. David Coulthard Deutsche Post Mucke Motorsport AMG Mercedes C-Class

Drivers Points Standings:

1. Bruno Spenlger 42
2.Jamie Green 26
3. Gary Paffett 25
4. Paul DiResta 25
5.Mattias Ekstrom 23

The next round is at the historic track on the sand dunes of the North Sea, Zandvoort in Holland on 8/22.

Discussions about the new DTM rules for 2012 continue with the Japan GT Series likely to adopt the DTM rules package for their series allowing DTM spec cars to race there and Japan GT spec cars to race in the DTM, as BMW returns to the series. There are also rumors of Opel evaluating a return to the series. Discussions are also ongoing with Grand American Road Racing in the US about the possibility of DTM spec cars running along side of their Daytona Prototypes in the Grand Am Rolex Sports car series.

For more information on AMG and Charlotte's Exclusive AMG Performance Center visit our website http://www.hendrickmotorsofcharlotte.com/.

AMG Mercedes Teams Score First Win of Season in German Touring Car Series

It couldn't have gone any better for the AMG Mercedes Teams at the opening race of the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) at Hockenheim this weekend. AMG Mercedes Teams scored the first win in the championship opening race since 2006 in style.

HWA-AMG Salzgitter C-Class driver Gary Paffett qualified on the pole and romped to his third victory at the circuit followed by Daimler Bank HWA AMG driver Bruno Spengler in second, Junge Stern Persson Motorsport AMG driver Jamie Green third, and AMG Driving Academy HWA driver Paul Di-Resta fourth. The highest finishing Audi was fifth.

AMG Mercedes Deutsche Bank Mucke Motorsport driver David Coulthard opened his DTM history with a solid 12th place finish.

The rules for the series have been frozen with no new cars being constructed for the 2010 season ahead of a new rules package for 2011.

AMG-HWA and Audi Abt Sportline Teams run 2009 spec cars all other Teams run 2008 spec cars.

The next race is May 2nd in Oscherslaben, Germany

1. Gary Paffett- Salzgitter HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
2. Bruno Spengler - Daimler Bank HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
3. Jamie Green- Junge Stern Persson Motorsport AMG Mercedes C-Class
4.Paul Di Resta -AMG Driving Academy HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
5.Mike Rockenfeller- Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi A4
6.Mattias Ekstrom- Audi Sport Team Abt Sportline Audi A4
7.Tim Scheider -Audi Sport Team Abt Sportline Audi A4
8. Miguel Molina- Audi Sport Team Abt Rookie Audi A4
9. Ralf Schumacher- Laureus HWA AMG Mercedes C-Class
10, Alexander Premat -Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi A4

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David Coulthard Joins Mercedes-Benz Touring Car Championship Team

As the 2010 season of the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) gets closer there's some big news to report.

The AMG Mercedes C-Class driver squad for 2010 will be joined by yet another former winner from Formula One- Scotsman David Coulthard.

The very popular and charismatic former McLaren Mercedes and Williams F1 driver won 13 Grand Prix in 246 starts, 12 of those wins in Mercedes powered McLarens, so it is a return to the family of sorts. He finished second in the World Driving Championship during his McLaren years. Coulthard retired from F1 in 2007 while still competitive in the Red Bull F1 Team. After a couple of years in the commentary booth he tried an AMG C-Class DTM in testing and was immediately comfortable. In the interim he has been a Mercedes-Benz Brand Ambassador driving historic Mercedes racers at various events around the world.
He joins returning ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher in the AMG Mercedes DTM line-up, which also includes current F1 Test Drivers Paul Di Resta (Force India) and Gary Paffett (McLaren). Other AMG Mercedes DTM drivers for 2010 should include Bruno Spengler, Susie Stoddard and Jamie Green.
The DTM season kicks off on April 25th at Hockenheim and can be followed at http://www.dtm.com/ or www,autosport.com. The televised races are usually carried by SPEED Channel later in the year check local listings.
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