Another high-level sporting event is coming to the PRD, hot on the heels of ATP’s announcement that professional tennis will make a stop in Shenzhen.

Guangzhou has now beaten Shanghai in the battle to host the 2014 DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) racing championship, a popular racing car series originally based in Germany.

Series promoter ITR chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht was quoted in an AutoSport report as saying

I’m delighted that we succeeded in finding the suiting area for a spectacular street circuit that will host the DTM race in September 2014. In our previous races in China we didn’t deliver on the top level, and therefore it’s about time for us to provide top motor racing in China.

Bernd Schneider, five-time DTM champion, said:

I had a first look at the planned track and it looks impressive. With a combination of fast parts and slow corners it should be challenging for the drivers when they race there in 2014. I think Guangzhou is the right place for the DTM to return to China.

Maggie Ip, the DTM chairman, said:

We wanted to race in Guangdong province because the people there have a good understanding of, and have developed a passion for, motorsports. Guangdong is also close to Hong Kong, and motorsports fans there will come to Guangzhou to experience DTM.

Drivers for Mercedes-Benz and Audi have won all bar one of the annual tournaments since the new DTM was established in 2001. BMW, meanwhile, won in 2012 with driver Mike Rockenfeller, whilst Opel have yet to be champions.

As mentioned, it will be a street course, so expect road closures when the event takes place sometime next year.

Photo credit: Quattroholic