ADAC GT Masters sets out its stall for 2017

• Seven race weekends in the 2017 season - Opener at Oschersleben
• Plans for a repeat of the Motorsport Festival Lausitzring
• Prize money totalling EUR500,000
• SPORT1 to show all races live on free-to-air TV

Hockenheim: Seven weekends, live broadcasts of all 14 races on SPORT1, EUR500,000 in prize money and a Motorsport Festival - these are the key points to emerge from the planning for the 2017 ADAC GT Masters. The calendar for the Super Sports Car League as it enters its eleventh season will comprise seven race weekends hosted by venues in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. As has now become traditional, the season gets underway at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and stages its grand finale at the Hockenheimring. After the successful debut of the Motorsport Festival Lausitzring this year, a repeat of this joint event with the DTM is planned. EUR500,000 in prize money is to be made available for the 2017 season.

All five permanent racetracks in Germany - Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Hockenheimring, Sachsenring, Nürburgring and Lausitzring - will once again feature on the itinerary. The series will also be hosted by two venues outside Germany - the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands. The season opener at Oschersleben is scheduled for the end of April; the dates of the seven rounds have to be firmed up.

The sporting regulations will remain essentially the same for the 2017 season, with only minor adjustments being made. SPORT1 will once again be showing all 14 races live and in their entirety on free-to-air TV.

Teams that sign up early for the 2017 ADAC GT Masters can benefit from attractive incentives. Registration for the 2017 season starts as early as October 2016.

"What we experienced this year, including the nail-biting climax to the title chase, has been worthy of an anniversary season," said ADAC Sports President Hermann Tomczyk. "The new generation of supercars has thrilled the fans coming through the turnstiles or watching the races live on TV. With our new Junior classification, we have made the series especially attractive for younger drivers. In the coming season, we will be focusing on continuity and will change the basic concept only in detail. With prize money of EUR500,000 and the comprehensive broadcasting package which we have negotiated with our TV partner SPORT1, we probably have the most attractive platform for GT racing in Europe. We look forward to a season that will be every bit as exciting as this year. "

ADAC CEO Lars Soutschka: "We can now look back on ten successful years of ADAC GT Masters racing. When we first organised the ADAC GT Masters in 2007, little did we realise how well established the series would become. Our concept of an open and fan-friendly paddock at family-friendly admission prices has proved to be very popular. Consequently, we will stick with this winning formula for 2017. On the basis of the key points we have just announced, drivers and teams can begin to plan with certainty for the forthcoming season. Seven race weekends on racetracks in Germany and neighbouring countries as well as attractive prize money are the ingredients for the continued success of the ADAC GT Masters."