BMW Motorsport Party and Sports Trophy

Winding up the season in Seefeld. Seefeld (AUT), 3rd December 2005.
Sounding the Alpenhorn and signing autographs in the afternoon,
partying and presenting awards in the evening: Saturday saw more than
500 guests celebrating the end of the 2005 season at the BMW Motorsport
Party in the Austrian town of Seefeld. BMW Board Member Professor
Burkhard Göschel and BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen paid
tribute to BMW's triumphs in the World Touring Car Championship and the
24-Hour Race on the Nürburgring, as well as title wins and
successes in numerous other championships during the presentation of
the highly endowed BMW Sports Trophy. At midday, the festivities were
mainly for the benefit of the Seefeld population. On the Innsbrucker
Strasse, demonstration tours were provided courtesy of the high-speed
BMW Motorsport fleet of Formula BMW, BMW 320i and BMW M3 GTR cars. The
ranks of racing drivers were busy signing autographs and, along with
Mario Theissen, testing their skills at blowing the Alpenhorn. A ride
in a horse-drawn carriage, in traditional Austrian costume, allowed the
squad - normally so conscientious about "drink-driving" - to
enjoy a Williams pear brandy as a symbolic farewell to partner
WilliamsF1. Taking part in the Seefeld activities were Formula One
drivers Nick Heidfeld, Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Antonio Pizzonia,
as well as World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx with his
fellow-competitors Dirk Müller and Jörg Müller. Junior
racing ace Sebastian Vettel and Germany's most successful female touring
car driver, Claudia Hürtgen, were also present. One of the fans'
very favourite BMW drivers, Alessandro Zanardi, was also in on the
action once again. In 2005, the "simpatico" Italian not only
celebrated a race win with his BMW 320i WTCC but also managed to claim
the title in the Italian Touring Car Championship. Hans-Joachim Stuck,
the "eminence grise" among BMW drivers, again assumed the
role of anchorman. Acting as hosts to the evening's programme in the
Seefeld World Championship Hall were the 2005 winner of the German
television prize Sebastian Hellmann (Premiere) and Mirjam Weichselbraun
(MTV and ORF). The film review of the year presented a roll call of
triumphs and shock-horror moments - all in keeping with the party
slogan of "Pure Adrenaline". Press contact: Jörg
Kottmeier, tel. +49 (0) 89 - 382 23401, joerg.kottmeier@bmw.de. Picture
material is available for downloading at www.press.bmw.com BMW
Sports Trophy 2005. Franz Engstler wins highly endowed trophy.
Seefeld (AUT), 3rd December 2005. The traditional, generously endowed
BMW Sports Trophy goes to a Bavarian in 2005. Franz Engstler (44) from
the Allgäu accumulated the highest total of points with a
commanding title victory in the Asian Touring Car Championship (ATCC)
and his results in the Campionato Italiano Superturismo and DMSB
Production Car Championship series, as well as the European Touring Car
Cup in Vallelunga. The former German Touring Car (DTM) driver secured
the winner's prize of 35,000 euros at the wheel of his BMW 320i. This
is the 40th time the BMW Sports Trophy has been awarded. A total purse
of 241,000 euros was distributed among the 21 most successful
international BMW privateer drivers at the award ceremony that formed
part of the BMW Motorsport Party in Seefeld, Austria. Based on the
Sports Trophy's coefficient system, Engstler received 610 points. The
runner-up was last year's winner Richard Göransson. In his BMW
320i, the Swede had succeeded in defending his title as Swedish Touring
Car Championship as well as winning the European Touring Car Cup. The
27-year-old driver from Örebro was awarded a prize of 25,000 euros
for his Sports Trophy tally of 495 points. Third place (20,000 euros)
was taken by another German who put in a successful performance in the
international arena: Marc Hennerici, also driving a BMW 320i, managed
to collect 485 points by winning the Independents' Trophy for private
entrants in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and taking a
class win in the 24-Hour Race on the Nürburgring. "Of the 21
privateer drivers who received the Sports Trophy prizes, eight came
away with a title," emphasised BMW Motorsport Director Mario
Theissen, and went on to explain: "All these accomplishments were
achieved without direct factory support, and that deserves special
respect. In a wide range of categories around the globe these drivers
and teams prevailed against other brands and different vehicle and
engine concepts. They are important ambassadors of the technical and
versatile performance potential of our cars." Press contact:
Jörg Kottmeier, tel. +49 (0) 89 - 382 23401,
joerg.kottmeier@bmw.de. All rankings in the BMW Sports Trophy 2005:
Driver Car Points; major successes or series 1. Franz Engstler (GER)
BMW 320i 610; 1st place Asian Touring Car Championship 2. Richard
Göransson (SWE) BMW 320i 495; 1st place Swedish TCC and ETCC 3.
Marc Hennerici (GER) BMW 320i 485; 1st place Privateer Drivers WTCC;
Class win 24 h Nürburgring 4. Thed Björk (SWE) BMW 320i 440;
Swedish TCC and ETCC 5. Claudia Hürtgen (GER) BMW 320i 430; 1st
place Long-Distance Championship Nürburgring; Class win 24 h, ETCC
6. Thorsten Schubert (GER) BMW 320i 370; 2nd place Long-Distance
Championship; Class win 24 h 7. Casper Elgaard (DKN) BMW 320i 290; 1st
place Danish TCC 8. Justin Marks (USA) BMW M3 GTR 285; Grand-AM Cup
Series 9. Will Turner (USA) BMW M3 GTR 275; Grand-Am Cup Series 10.
Carl Rosenblad (SWE) BMW 320i 270; WTCC 11. Jörg Weidinger (GER)
BMW M3 256; 1st place FIA European Hillclimb Championship 12. Donald
Salama (USA) BMW M3 GTR 225; Grand-Am Cup Series 13. Walter Meloni (ITA)
BMW M3 GTR 201; Endurance Touring Car Series, Campionato Italiana
Velocita Turismo 14. Vladimir Nechaev (RUS) BMW 320i 195; 1st place
Russian TCC 15. John Nielsen (DKN) BMW 320i 195; Danish TCC 16. Patrick
Belien (BEL) BMW M3 GTR 188; Belcar Jan Jakobs (BEL) BMW M3 GTR
188; Belcar 17. Stefano Gabellini (ITA) BMW M3 GTR 185; Endurance
Touring Car Series 18. Gianluca De Lorenzi (ITA) BMW 320i 175;
Campionato Italiano Superturismo 19. Alessandro Bernasconi (ITA) BMW
320i 170; 2nd place Campionato Italiano Turismo 20. Mario Josten (GER)
BMW M3 GTR 168; Belcar TCC = Touring Car Championship PCM = Production
Car Championship ETCC = European Touring Car Cup Vallelunga WTCC = FIA
World Touring Car Championship