Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft [DRM]

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 Rundstreckenmeisterschaft (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.
In 1982, following the FIA rule changes, new Group C sportscars (along with existing Group 6) replaced the Group 5 machinery. By now only one division ran alongside the Rennsport Trophäe, now known as International Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft. This IDRM would have the swansong season the following year, replaced by Group A based Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft the following season.

In 1984, with just three races held, organisers used three WEC (World Endurance Championship) races as additional IDRM point races.
1985 was its final year, 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 had 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".

The Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976, as the factory racing version of the Porsche 911 turbo prepared for FIA-Group 5 rules. It was an evolution of the Porsche Carrera RSR 2.1 turbo prototype, the second place overall finisher in the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Beginning with the 1977 season, Porsche offered the 935 to customers entering the World Championship for Makes, in the IMSA GT championship and in the German Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM).
 
The 935 went on to win the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans overall, and other major endurance races, including Sebring, Daytona, and the 1000 km Nürburgring. Of the 370 races it was entered, it won 123.

The Group 5 version of the BMW 320, introduced in 1977 as a replacement to the already obsolete BMW 3.0 CSL and became nicknamed as the Flying Brick in reference to the blocky bodyshape, was powered by a Formula Two engine that was tuned to 300 bhp (220 kW) by BMW Motorsport.

Other than the main factory team and McLaren who ran the IMSA operation in the US, the car was notably used by the BMW Junior Team, who had the likes of Manfred Winkelhock, Eddie Cheever, and Marc Surer as drivers.

They would help to win the 1977 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft and would later go into Formula One.
The car was also used to win the Macau Guia Race in 1981 and 1982.

In the late 1970s, Zakspeed was the official Ford team in the German Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM) series, a predecessor of the current DTM.

The company constructed and entered an FIA Group 2 Escort and the Group 5 Capri, based on the MKIII production model. During this period, the Zakspeed team achieved a number of victories including the overall championship in 1981 with driver Klaus Ludwig.

In the early 1980s, Zakspeed also prepared a Mustang for Ford USA’s Special Vehicle Operations to race in the domestic IMSA Camel GT series. The Mustang chassis was based on the Group 5 Capri.

The Toyota Celica LB Turbo was a Group 5 Special Production racecar version of the 3-door liftback first generation Toyota Celica 2000 GT built by Schnitzer via Toyota Deutschland to compete in Division 1 of the DRM.

It competed in the German series in 1977 and 1978. Plagued by reliability problems, it managed to finish twice and win a non-championship race. At the end of its European career, it went on to compete in Japan.

Throughout its competitive seasons, it was the only non-German car to compete in the top division of the German series.

In the late 1970s, Zakspeed was the official Ford team in the German Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM) series, a predecessor of the current DTM.

The company constructed and entered an Ford Escort Mk II RS Turbo Gr5  and the Group 5 Capri, based on the MKIII production model. During this period, the Zakspeed team achieved a number of victories including the overall championship in 1981 with driver Klaus Ludwig