Rob Gravett in the DTM

[Herbert]

I`m looking for some information about Rob Gravett's one-off DTM weekend in the DTM at the Nüburgring in 1990. How come that a Ford driver who fought for the BTCC title was allowed to race for AMG-Mercedes in the DTM?

[andy_b]

i dont think Gravett was a Ford Works driver until a later point when he briefly drove the Mondeo.

Therefore, one could do what he wanted.

[Jesper OH]

He was sponsored by "Ford Services" (whatever that was!? - Motorcraft?) in his 1990 BTCC winning season, but not a works driver. I think that Gravetts one-off drive was for the MS (Mass/Schons) team and that he didn't feature particularily well in the races, and by that any future DTM-dreams were burried.

Jesper

[GBRM]

I think Rob was only "contracted" to Ford when he raced the Sierra Sapphire but he certainly wasn't in 1990 and therefore could race anything.
Also, even if a works driver he could still ask for permission to race for another company and if the contracted company felt it would be beneficial for them in a different market-place then it does happen sometimes.

[KA]

Originally Posted by Jesper OH

He was sponsored by "Ford Services" (whatever that was!? - Motorcraft?) in his 1990 BTCC winning season, but not a works driver. I think that Gravetts one-off drive was for the MS (Mass/Schons) team and that he didn't feature particularily well in the races, and by that any future DTM-dreams were burried.

Jesper

Ford Credit? It certainly didn't involve Gravett having any kind of works driver status- they came on board mid-season when the team were struggling to find sponsors- the Gravett/Trakstar cars started the season with very limited sponsorship apart from a series of one-off deals after 1989 sponsors Cartel/NEC backed out

A couple of Brands Hatch pics posted in the RS500 thread show the difference:
http://tentenths.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1202077794
http://tentenths.com/forum/attachmen...0&d=1202077794

[T-Man]

Gravett drove one of the AMG Junior Team Evo 2's, starting number was 64. Team mate was Fritz Kreutzpointner. The car Gravett drove was run throughout most of the season by Thomas Winkelhock, and on occasion by Wendlinger (Norisring, Diepholz, in a 3rd car in the last raceat Hockenheim) and Schumacher (season final at Hockenheim).


He qualified 18th and finished 16th and 17th in the two races.


Sadly the DTM yearbook doesn't say anything about the reasons for Gravett's drive.

Actually he is in the picture in which all drivers came together.

Funny thing is that they used tape and Dunlop stickers to cover all his BTCC sponsors.

[ReWind]

AUTOSPORT (Sept 6, 1990, p. 11) reported this:

The British Touring Car Championship points leader was asked on Wednesday to join the AMG team for the weekend, replacing Karl Wendlinger who was away conducting Formula 3000 testing.
Gravett's time to acclimatise to the Mercedes 2.5-16 Evolution II was limited by bad weather, but he managed to qualify 19th fastest. "It was my first time in a non-turbocharged car for three years, and my first time in a left-hand drive car, on a circuit I'd not seen before," related Gravett.
"Also, it took a while to get used to the Dunlop crossplies after the Yokohama radials I use on my Trakstar Sierra. But the racing was terrific and really competitive." Gravett finished 16th and then 17th, slowing as his engine started to smoke.