BMW Motorsport News – Issue 13/15.

Whether in the DTM, the United SportsCar Championship, or countless other championships: week after week BMW teams and drivers around the world do battle for points, victories and titles. Away from the track too, members of the large BMW Motorsport family around the world are also creating headlines. The “BMW Motorsport News” allows us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.

24h Nürburgring: BMW wins qualifying race.

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert won the qualifying race for the 24 Hours Nürburgring (DE). Dominik Baumann (AT), Claudia Hürtgen (DE), Jens Klingmann (DE) and Martin Tomczyk (DE) in the number 20 BMW Z4 GT3 were the first to cross the line after six hours. The other three BMW Z4 GT3s finished in fifth, sixth and seventh. The TKS-Motorsport team won the BMW M235i Racing Cup. The BMW M235i Racing media car driven by BMW Motorsport Junior Victor Bouveng (SE), Harald Grohs (DE) and motorsport journalist Bernd Ostmann (DE) also celebrated a successful race and finished 25th overall. It was Bouveng's first appearance as a BMW Motorsport Junior.

Three questions for ... Victor Bouveng.

Victor, how was your first race as a BMW Motorsport Junior?

Victor Bouveng: "It was a fantastic experience. I get on with the team really well and felt welcome right from the start. I'm proud to be part of the BMW Motorsport Junior Programme."

Is it something special to drive the BMW M235i Racing media car alongside journalists and a successful BMW driver like Harald Grohs?

Bouveng: "We have a great relationship and were able to spend a lot of time together away from the car and get to know each other a bit. I think we will be a great team at the 24-hour race. At any rate, this qualifying race went very well."

Are you looking forward to getting to know the other BMW Motorsport Juniors better?

Bouveng: "Very much so. We met each other at the shoot-out, but we were only really focusing on what we were doing back then and didn't really have time to get to know each other. No doubt that will change in the coming months. But it will also be difficult since the guys are all fantastic racing drivers. I'm really looking forward to our welcome event in Munich. No doubt we will get the opportunity to spend a bit more time together there."

ELMS: Season start for Marc VDS Racing Team – TDS Racing wins.

The 2015 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) kicked off with the first four-hour race at Silverstone Circuit (GB) on Saturday. The season started very well for TDS Racing as its number 59 BMW Z4 GT3 driven by Frank Perera (FR), Dino Lunardi (FR) and Eric Dermont (FR) started from pole in the GTC class and took the top step of the podium in the race. Meanwhile the Marc VDS Racing Team’s number 52 BMW Z4 GTE driven by BMW works driver Andy Priaulx (GB), BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn (FI) and Henry Hassid (FR) qualified fourth in the LMGTE class and finished the race in the same position after 109 laps. The GTE car's race was compromised on the very first lap when starting driver Hassid’s quick reflexes meant he was able to avoid an accident as cars spun in front of him in turn one. Another incident, when he spun through no fault of his own, dropped him further down the field and so the car was seventh when he handed over to Krohn. The Finn made it back to fourth, despite also being spun round by another competitor. Priaulx drove the car home to finish in this position after his stint in the final hour of the race. "We needed to finish, but we don’t want to just finish races, we want to be on the podium," said Priaulx. "The incidents didn’t help us, and I think we could’ve had a very good chance of a podium without them."

Blancpain Endurance Series: Season opener in Monza with eight BMW Z4 GT3s.

The Blancpain Endurance Series season started with the three-hour race in Monza (IT) on Sunday. A total of eight BMW Z4 GT3s competed on the high-speed circuit against the best competition in European GT racing. Since the BMW Z4 GT3 was unable to play to its strengths on the track's long straights, the BMW Sports Trophy Team didn't fare too well and missed out on the top ten positions in their classes. Overall victory went to Lamborghini.