DTM at Oschesleben, 2007

DTM at Oschesleben, 2007

We still have two years to wait until we'll see DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) racing in the U.S., but we can start getting more familiar with the series now so we're ready to hit the ground running when it finally does come Stateside.

This season, Audi is gearing up for the 2011 DTM championship, which will include Mercedes and, next year, for the first time in 18 years, BMW. The competition is getting fiercer, and with the inclusion of U.S. racing looming on the horizon, this season counts more than ever.

Audi is prepared for the challenge, however, with Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Schneider, and Oliver Jarvis all set to tear up the track and defend the brand's honor in wheel-to-wheel competition. If you haven't been watching the series on TV, DTM provides some of the most aggressive, close-contact, and exciting road racing around.

The machines aren't bad, either: V-8-powered GT cars massively modified and purpose-built for racing, with widened tracks and enough canards, wings, and splitters to look like a Ginsu factory blew up.

The DTM season kicks off in just seven weeks at the Hockenheimring.

As for us, DTM will arrive with satellite teams run by the German marques, though U.S.-based racers from Grand-Am and NASCAR are already looking at potential rides for the series. Two more years of watching, absorbing, and anticipating. We can't wait.