DTM DOA?

I just watched my first DTM race. It was the April season opener at Hockenheim and aired at an ungodly hour last night/this morning on SPEED. I've always been fascinated by this sedan series and I'm glad I got to watch it. I'll follow it all season (even though I know the results already) and give it a shot, but so far, I am not impressed. Below are some random observations and opinions.

Pro: Driver diversity. The drivers are really diverse, in terms of age/experience, nationality, and gender (yes, gender). Young upstarts race alongside elder statesmen like Mika Hakkinen. There are Germans, Brits, a Canadian, a Swede, a Finn, a Dane, a Greek, a Frenchman, an Austrian, and a Belgian. There are two women (Stoddart and Ickx). This has to be one of the most diverse fields in motorsports.

Con: Poor car diversity. Although there is a mix of 2005 through 2007 models, there are only two makes: Audi and Benz. In order for this series to be truly interesting, and truly German, Opel and BMW have to be in it.

Con: Poor turn-out. I have not seen the financials behind the series, but the half empty stands did not forebode well. Granted, Hockenheim can hold a lot of people, but this was the series opener-- in Germany-- at Hockenheim.

Con: Poor liveries. This is a pretty superficial complaint. I'm not asking DTM to paint a huge Tide logo on the hoods of their cars. But aside from the Red Bull Audi, I was not able to identify any other car or brand/sponsor. The cars all have black and/or silver backgrounds with small fonted words and even smaller logos. How are you supposed to root for your car when you can't even pick it out?

I will give DTM a chance by watching every race this season. But I'm not holding my breath. Now I'm going to go watch the V8 Supercars race from Adelaide. Now that looks interesting.

CKY