DTM and the New England Patriots celebrate touchdown at the Dekra Lausitzring

• “Motorsport meets American Football Day” with the record NFL winners
• DTM champion Güven and youngster Kalender show off their football skills
• German NFL legend impressed by taxi rides in a DTM race car

Munich. Motorsport meets American football: Before the NFL (National Football League) plays a regular season match at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 9th November, the DTM and the New England Patriots provided the perfect warm-up act on Thursday. DTM champion Ayhancan Güven (TR/Manthey EMA) and youngster Tom Kalender (Hamm/Sieg) from Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf met German NFL legends Sebastian Vollmer and Markus Kuhn, as well as three-time Super Bowl winner Lonie Paxton from the USA, at the “Motorsport meets American Football Day” at the Dekra Lausitzring. The programme featured various media activities and race taxi rides, highlighting the partnership with record NFL champions the Patriots.

The protagonists experienced a feast of horsepower at the Lausitzring: 17-year-old Kalender took the former NFL stars for a rapid ride in his Mercedes-AMG GT3. “Those were the first taxi rides of my career, and with such big names from the NFL. It was fun to chat to the guys. However, they were pretty quiet in the car,” said Kalender with a grin. As well as Kalender, former DTM driver Stefan Mücke was also in action at the wheel of the race taxi of DTM partner Dekra, while former Formula 1 racer Markus Winkelhock gave the football guests a real taste of the fascination of motorsport in the Schaeffler Innovation Taxi. “I have never been in a race car before, that was a unique experience,” said Vollmer. “As a former footballer, my first challenge was getting in. However, once in the seat it was mega. I definitely want to watch a DTM weekend live next year.”

“The day was a lot of fun. I always enjoy meeting and chatting to athletes from other sports. We tried out various challenges together and learned how to play American football,” said DTM champion Güven, who also feels right at home in a football shirt. The first DTM winner from Turkey teamed up with Vollmer to take on Kalender and Kuhn in a tyre change challenge. The football was also thrown around – in front of the imposing main stand at the Dekra Lausitzring, through Pirelli tyres and with some particularly impressive throws over the Dekra Bridge. Fans can look forward to many exciting joint campaigns with the DTM and the New England Patriots on social media over the coming months. “In the DTM and the New England Patriots, we are seeing the meeting of two premium brands that are perfect suited to each other. I found it really fascinating to see how the pit stops are performed, and to experience the forces involved,” said Kuhn.

The partnership between the DTM and the New England Patriots will also feature prominently within the framework of the first regular NFL game at the Berlin Olympic Stadium on 9th November. Kalender’s bright pink and red Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be on display in the New England Patriots fan zone in Berlin’s Uber Platz on Friday 7th November.1