Sports on ESPN

Touring Car-racing has long been popular amongst British motor-sports fans and TV viewers alike. There seems an eternal fascination in cars which look much like everyday road-going saloons that are able to rub up against and occasionally nudge each other, in a way which would be impossibly dangerous amongst open-wheeled racers.

The world’s top series is based in Germany but features a hugely strong series of British connections. The man widely expected to be Britain’s next F1 star, for instance – rapid Scotsman Paul Di Resta – is one of the DTM’s star-turns, along with McLaren test driver Gary Paffett and square-jawed sometime TV pundit, David Coutlhard.

The cars involved are the fastest and most spectacular of their types in the world. Flame-spitting Opels, Mercedes and Audis run on Grand Prix-style slick tyres, at speeds of up to 180 mph. At F1-familiar circuits such as Spa, Hockenheim and the Nurburgring, that’s a guaranteed recipe for action-packed entertainment.

Starring such well-known former F1 drivers as Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher, the DTM seems to specialise in ultra-competitive, side-by-side racing. And this tyre-smoking action can only be seen live in the UK on ESPN.