ADAC GT Masters
Encyclopedia
The ADAC GT Masters is a grand tourer
-based auto racing
series founded by the international Stéphane Ratel Organisation
(SRO) and supported by the German ADAC
automotive club. Similar to an earlier ADAC GT Cup series in the 1990s, the new GT Masters ran their first season in 2007. Although the series is based in Germany, select events are run elsewhere in Europe.
championship similar to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft
(DTM). The series initially used two divisions, with the upper class running a variety of sports cars, and the smaller class for small coupes. Following dwindling support for the top division, the two classes were combined in 1995. By 1997, the series continued to dwindle, as the series was running only small coupes instead of high powered sports cars. The championship was officially cancelled after the 1997 season as most teams turned to the VLN
championship.
, also created by the SRO. The ADAC GT Masters is a "PRO-AM" Championship in which a professional Driver shares a car with am amateur driver. The exact criteria for what determines an amateur driver and professional driver is laid out by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA). Drivers run in pairs, with each race requiring the team to make a pit stop and swap drivers.
The cars that run in the ADAC GT Masters are also regulated by the FIA. Only cars which have been approved are allowed to compete. Of the cars that are currently approved, all are artificially performance balanced in such a way that the performance of each type of car is as close to equal as possible. This makes the skills of the driver paramount. Current vehicles run in the championship include Chevrolet Corvette Z06
-Rs, Dodge Viper
Competition Coupes, Porsche 997 GT3
Cups, Ferrari F430
GT3s, Lamborghini Gallardo
GT3s, Audi R8 LMS
, BMW Alpina B6 GT3 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.
Each event consists of two races, with a duration of 60 minutes. The drivers must make a pit stop during each race and switch drivers, with the drivers also swapping their driving order from one race to another. In the first race usually the amateur driver drives the start, this leaves the professional driver to drive the start in the second race of each round.
The ADAC GT Masters currently runs on mostly German circuits, such as the Nürburgring
, Hockenheimring
, and Sachsenring
, although they also run an event at Assen
in the Netherlands.
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
-based auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
series founded by the international Stéphane Ratel Organisation
Stéphane Ratel Organisation
The Stéphane Ratel Organisation is a motorsports organization founded by French driver Stéphane Ratel in 1995. Currently based out of London, the company is involved in the promotion, support, and organization of various national and international auto racing series around the world...
(SRO) and supported by the German ADAC
ADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
automotive club. Similar to an earlier ADAC GT Cup series in the 1990s, the new GT Masters ran their first season in 2007. Although the series is based in Germany, select events are run elsewhere in Europe.
ADAC GT Cup
The original ADAC GT Cup was created in 1993, as a national grand tourerGrand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
championship similar to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft
Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft was a touring car racing series held from 1984 to 1996. Originally based in Germany, it held additional rounds elsewhere in Europe and later worldwide....
(DTM). The series initially used two divisions, with the upper class running a variety of sports cars, and the smaller class for small coupes. Following dwindling support for the top division, the two classes were combined in 1995. By 1997, the series continued to dwindle, as the series was running only small coupes instead of high powered sports cars. The championship was officially cancelled after the 1997 season as most teams turned to the VLN
VLN
The VLN, properly the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring is an organisation of motorsport clubs of which each hosts one event of a ten-race series held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the "VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring"...
championship.
Competition
The ADAC GT Masters uses a similar formula to the one used in the FIA GT3 European ChampionshipFIA GT3 European Championship
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
, also created by the SRO. The ADAC GT Masters is a "PRO-AM" Championship in which a professional Driver shares a car with am amateur driver. The exact criteria for what determines an amateur driver and professional driver is laid out by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA). Drivers run in pairs, with each race requiring the team to make a pit stop and swap drivers.
The cars that run in the ADAC GT Masters are also regulated by the FIA. Only cars which have been approved are allowed to compete. Of the cars that are currently approved, all are artificially performance balanced in such a way that the performance of each type of car is as close to equal as possible. This makes the skills of the driver paramount. Current vehicles run in the championship include Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Chevrolet Corvette Z06 refers to three different models of the Chevrolet Corvette:* Chevrolet Corvette C2 Z06 * Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 * Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06...
-Rs, Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
Competition Coupes, Porsche 997 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
Cups, Ferrari F430
Ferrari F430
The Ferrari F430 is a sports car that was produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show...
GT3s, Lamborghini Gallardo
Lamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production...
GT3s, Audi R8 LMS
Audi R8 Le Mans Concept
The Audi R8 V12 TDI , was unveiled as a diesel engined concept car based on the Audi R8 , was presented at the 2008 North American International Auto Show on 13 January, and the Geneva Motor Show in March...
, BMW Alpina B6 GT3 and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.
Each event consists of two races, with a duration of 60 minutes. The drivers must make a pit stop during each race and switch drivers, with the drivers also swapping their driving order from one race to another. In the first race usually the amateur driver drives the start, this leaves the professional driver to drive the start in the second race of each round.
The ADAC GT Masters currently runs on mostly German circuits, such as the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, Hockenheimring
Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...
, and Sachsenring
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring racing circuit is located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship.- History :...
, although they also run an event at Assen
TT Circuit Assen
The TT Circuit Assen is a motorsport race track built in 1955 and located in Assen, Netherlands. Host of the Dutch TT race, it is considered "The Cathedral" of motorcycling by the fans...
in the Netherlands.
Champions
| Season | Champion | Team Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 |  Christopher HaaseChristopher Haase Christopher Haase is a German racing driver. He became the FIA GT3 European Champion in 2009, racing for Lamborghini and Reiter Engineering, and raced in GT1 for the first time in 2010.... |
Reiter Engineering Reiter Engineering Reiter Engineering GmbH & Co Kg is a German racing team founded in 1994. The company is named after engineer and founder Hans Reiter. In 2000, Reiter entered a Lamborghini in the FIA GT Championship with its own Diablo GT built by the team... |
| 2008 | Tim Bergmeister |
Team Flatex-Reiter Reiter Engineering Reiter Engineering GmbH & Co Kg is a German racing team founded in 1994. The company is named after engineer and founder Hans Reiter. In 2000, Reiter entered a Lamborghini in the FIA GT Championship with its own Diablo GT built by the team... |
| 2009 | Christian Abt Christian Abt Christian Abt is a race car driver born in Kempten, Germany, into a family of amateur race drivers and car dealers.His elder brother Hans-Jürgen Abt runs the Abt Sportsline Audi racing teams as well as their tuning company for Audi and Volkswagen.Christian Abt started his career in motocross and... |
Callaway Competition |
| 2010 |  Peter KoxPeter Kox Peter Kox is a racecar driver from the NetherlandsKox began racing in karts in 1978, winning five titles until 1982. In 1983 he moved to automobiles, winning the Marlboro Formula Ford Challenge and was second and third in the Benelux and Dutch Formula Ford 2000 Championships, respectively, the... Albert von Thurn und Taxis |
Abt Sportsline Abt Sportsline Abt Sportsline is a motor racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany. Abt mainly deals with Audi, and the related primary Volkswagen Group brands - Volkswagen, Škoda, and SEAT.-History:... |
| 2011 |  Dino Lunardi Alexandros MargaritisAlexandros Margaritis Alexandros Margaritis is a racing driver who is best known for competing in the German-based Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters touring car championship. Prior to that, his career had focused on formula single seater racing in Europe... |
Reiter Engineering Reiter Engineering Reiter Engineering GmbH & Co Kg is a German racing team founded in 1994. The company is named after engineer and founder Hans Reiter. In 2000, Reiter entered a Lamborghini in the FIA GT Championship with its own Diablo GT built by the team... |
External links
- ADAC GT Masters (German)
- World Sports Racing Prototypes - ADAC GT Cup and ADAC GT Masters results
- Reiter Engineering (German / English)