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Le Mans / ALMS
GT: Schneider Sees GT3 Future In America
Five-time DTM champion and Mercedes driver hoping for mass launch of GT3 cars in America, targets return to Rolex 24 and Twelve Hours of Sebring...
DTM legend Bernd Schneider, center, aims to return to American racing at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, should it become legal in ALMS/GRAND-AM competition. (Photo: Erebus Racing)
When a man with five DTM titles, an International Touring Car Championship, Interserie Championship and a FIA GT title comes out of retirement, people take notice.
Bernd Schneider jumped back in the cockpit in 2012 to race in selected GT3 races and raced in Sydney - the Australian GT Championship finale with Erebus Racing and their chrome Mercedes SLS GT3.
Schneider dominated the weekend, taking pole by 1.7 seconds and winning on debut - by 17 seconds. His second race was even more impressive, winning by over 22 seconds.
Since he retired from DTM racing, Schneider has maintained his relationship with Mercedes (hence why he raced with Erebus) and kept a very close eye on sports car racing both in Europe and the U.S.
As such, he would like to see GT3 cars coming more accessible to American teams.
"The U.S. market was the only market where we don't have cars so far," Schneider said. "We will have to see what they will do for the future, particularly at Le Mans - to see if they will allow GT3 cars or not. I think the GT3 cars - they run with less budget than GT2 cars and the owners would like the opportunity to run in any championship. You have to find customers to bring the budget and it is easier to do this in a GT3 car, than a GT2 car."
With the SCCA World Challenge accepting GT3 cars for 2014, the minor player in the American sports car game may have taken the jump on the two (soon to be one) major players. With the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM merging for 2014, there may be opportunity for further growth.
Schneider believes that allowing GT3 cars would bring more drivers and teams to the races. As he mentioned, it is easier to find the budget for a GT3 car over a GT2. With more manufacturers racing in GT3, we may also see more factory drivers coming out to race.
Daytona and Sebring are both places Schneider would like to return to.
"I would love to race in the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours," he said. "I have done this many years ago in the Porsche 962 and I would love to do it again with Mercedes."
Schneider's relationship with Mercedes has been a long and fruitful one - one that came about due to one of the most significant signings in modern motorsport history but one that is largely forgotten.
In its own way too, the relationship between Schneider and Mercedes was one of the most successful relationships known in motorsport.
"After Zakspeed pulled out of F1, I got a chance to race in IMSA and the World Championship with Porsche in 1990 and 1991," he said. "I really enjoyed racing with those guys.
"Afterwards I replaced Michael Schumacher in DTM - no one talks of Michael racing in DTM in '91. When he got the offer to race in F1, I replaced him on a three race contract and then Norbert Haug contracted me to Mercedes Benz and I never was sad I took that position."
As Mercedes lost Schumacher, they gained Schneider and they went on to take seven titles together - five in DTM racing.
He was also part of the height of the FIA GT Championship with the Mercedes SLK GTR up against the massive GT Prototypes from Panoz, McLaren, Porsche and more.
He enjoyed success but the era also produced danger with the aero of the cars placing them at risk of getting airborne - which famously happened to his team-mate Mark Webber at Le Mans.
"At the end of ‘96 when ITC and DTM stopped we had no idea what we were going to do and Norbert Haug decided to go GT racing," he explained. "We quickly got a GT1 car going in a short time and I was impressed with what the guys did in a short time.
"We were on pole in our first race and won the Championship which was a proud moment.
"We were really prepared in 1999 for a strong run at Le Mans but then we had the issues with the cars. When it happened we were firstly thankful that the drivers were ok - you need a lot of luck for that to happen.
"We also recognized that this kind of car was dangerous and could flip. It wasn't just us, it was other manufacturers too that had the same problems and I think it was the right decision to stop these cars and it was the right decision in 2000 for Mercedes to go back to DTM."
Bernd Schneider jumped back in the cockpit in 2012 to race in selected GT3 races and raced in Sydney - the Australian GT Championship finale with Erebus Racing and their chrome Mercedes SLS GT3.
Schneider dominated the weekend, taking pole by 1.7 seconds and winning on debut - by 17 seconds. His second race was even more impressive, winning by over 22 seconds.
Since he retired from DTM racing, Schneider has maintained his relationship with Mercedes (hence why he raced with Erebus) and kept a very close eye on sports car racing both in Europe and the U.S.
As such, he would like to see GT3 cars coming more accessible to American teams.
"The U.S. market was the only market where we don't have cars so far," Schneider said. "We will have to see what they will do for the future, particularly at Le Mans - to see if they will allow GT3 cars or not. I think the GT3 cars - they run with less budget than GT2 cars and the owners would like the opportunity to run in any championship. You have to find customers to bring the budget and it is easier to do this in a GT3 car, than a GT2 car."
With the SCCA World Challenge accepting GT3 cars for 2014, the minor player in the American sports car game may have taken the jump on the two (soon to be one) major players. With the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM merging for 2014, there may be opportunity for further growth.
Schneider believes that allowing GT3 cars would bring more drivers and teams to the races. As he mentioned, it is easier to find the budget for a GT3 car over a GT2. With more manufacturers racing in GT3, we may also see more factory drivers coming out to race.
Daytona and Sebring are both places Schneider would like to return to.
"I would love to race in the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours," he said. "I have done this many years ago in the Porsche 962 and I would love to do it again with Mercedes."
Schneider's relationship with Mercedes has been a long and fruitful one - one that came about due to one of the most significant signings in modern motorsport history but one that is largely forgotten.
In its own way too, the relationship between Schneider and Mercedes was one of the most successful relationships known in motorsport.
"After Zakspeed pulled out of F1, I got a chance to race in IMSA and the World Championship with Porsche in 1990 and 1991," he said. "I really enjoyed racing with those guys.
"Afterwards I replaced Michael Schumacher in DTM - no one talks of Michael racing in DTM in '91. When he got the offer to race in F1, I replaced him on a three race contract and then Norbert Haug contracted me to Mercedes Benz and I never was sad I took that position."
As Mercedes lost Schumacher, they gained Schneider and they went on to take seven titles together - five in DTM racing.
He was also part of the height of the FIA GT Championship with the Mercedes SLK GTR up against the massive GT Prototypes from Panoz, McLaren, Porsche and more.
He enjoyed success but the era also produced danger with the aero of the cars placing them at risk of getting airborne - which famously happened to his team-mate Mark Webber at Le Mans.
"At the end of ‘96 when ITC and DTM stopped we had no idea what we were going to do and Norbert Haug decided to go GT racing," he explained. "We quickly got a GT1 car going in a short time and I was impressed with what the guys did in a short time.
"We were on pole in our first race and won the Championship which was a proud moment.
"We were really prepared in 1999 for a strong run at Le Mans but then we had the issues with the cars. When it happened we were firstly thankful that the drivers were ok - you need a lot of luck for that to happen.
"We also recognized that this kind of car was dangerous and could flip. It wasn't just us, it was other manufacturers too that had the same problems and I think it was the right decision to stop these cars and it was the right decision in 2000 for Mercedes to go back to DTM."
Monterey
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