BMW Motorsport News – Issue 21/14.
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: Sixth place for BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert.
Claudia Hürtgen (DE), Dominik Baumann (AT), Jens Klingmann (DE) and Martin Tomczyk (DE) were the best-placed BMW drivers at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE), coming home sixth in the #20 BMW Z4 GT3. The #28 BMW Z4 GT3 also finished in the top ten, crossing the line eighth for the Walkenhorst Motorsport team.
Three questions for … BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt.
Mr. Marquardt, how would you sum up the 42nd staging of the Nürburgring 24 Hours?
Jens Marquardt: “This race in the Eifel Mountains was a real emotional roller coaster ride. We experienced drama, the likes of which is far from a rarity on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. Unfortunately there was to be no happy ending for us at the 42nd staging of this classic. After numerous incidents, our BMW Sports Trophy teams were not able to do any better than sixth place with the number 20 car. I would obviously have liked to see BMW drivers on the podium, but it was not meant to be in this ruthless race. Congratulations to the Walkenhorst Motorsport team, who finished eighth with its BMW Z4 GT3. And, obviously, congratulations to Ernst Moser and his victorious Phoenix team.”
The 24-hours could hardly have been more exciting again in 2014…
Marquardt: “Too right. The three-way battle for the lead, which lasted for hours and featured three different manufacturers, was absolutely enthralling. For the entire 24 hours there was no time for a breather, with incidents repeatedly shaking things up. As well as the reliability of the cars, it is also important, where possible, to get through the entire race without any incidents in order to be successful in a marathon like this. We were able to demonstrate the reliability, but were involved in too many incidents.”
Are you happy with the debut of the BMW M235i Racing at this race?
Marquardt: “Definitely. The BMW M235i Racing cut a fine figure on its first outing at a 24-hour race. Of the 15 cars that started, ten reached the finish. The Adrenalin Motorsport team won the Cup2 class and finished 29th overall – a great result. The BMW M235i Racing demonstrated its stability and allowed our customer teams to clock consistently quick lap times. I believe it was a really successful debut for our new entry-level model at this race.”
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FIA WTCC: Engstler claims two wins in Spa-Francorchamps.
Franz Engstler (DE) claimed a further two class victories with his BMW 320 TC in Spa-Francorchamps to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Trophy in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Engstler came home ahead of SEAT driver John Filippi (FR) in race one. Pasquale di Sabatino (IT) finished fourth in the second BMW 320 TC. Di Sabatino then finished runner-up in race two.
French GT Tour: Eighth place for Pierre Hirschi and Thomas Nicolle.
The third race weekend of the French GT Tour also took place in Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. Pierre Hirschi (CH) and Thomas Nicolle (FR) finished eighth in a BMW Z4 GT3 fielded by the Classic & Modern Racing team in race two. Tony Samon (FR) and Laurent Cazenave (FR) came home 13th in the BMW Z4 GT3 belonging to GSE by DKR Engineering. Both cars failed to finish the opening race.
24h Nürburgring: Adorf bakes potato pancakes for a good cause.
BMW works driver Dirk Adorf (DE) baked potato pancakes for a good cause ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Adorf and VLN driver Dieter Weidenbrück (DE) visited the “Campingplatz am Brünnchen” campsite on the Wednesday before the event, where they cooked for the fans. Profits from the promotion went to a children’s hospital and are also to be used to finance a driving licence for severely disabled Sascha Bückemeyer (DE). “As well as the good causes, this promotion also brought the fans, drivers and marshals together,” said Adorf. “After all, racing on the Nordschleife can only work if we all stick together.”
Junior programme: BMW and Dunlop promote young engineers.
Dunlop – official tyre partner of the BMW M235i Racing Cup – will provide four young tyre engineers for the BMW Motorsport Junior programme. The young engineers from the Development department in Hanau will take part in various race events within the framework of the BMW M235i Racing Cup, along with the four BMW Motorsport Juniors. First up are the tests in Spa-Francorchamps at the end of June, at which all four junior racing drivers and the four engineers will be present. Participation in three VLN races is also planned for 2014.