The season that revitalised a sleeping giant
On the 20th anniversary of the resumption of hostilities in the DTM, Autosport revisits a classic season that brought a staple of German motorsport back to life with a bang and set in motion the careers of some notable names
"The star of something big" - evidently a reference to Mercedes' three-pointed star for those car badge buffs out there - was the headline on Autosport's report as the DTM roared back into life at Hockenheim 20 years ago today.
Mercedes driver Bernd Schneider dominated both races from pole, but to dwell on that fact would be to miss the point on a truly significant weekend for motorsport in Germany as the three-year wait for a return of big banger tin-tops - following the demise of the International Touring Car Championship in 1996 - was finally ended. The raucous response of the 56,000-strong crowd told its own story.
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