BMW Motorsport News – Issue 27/15.
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 Spa:
BMW claims 22nd overall victory at 24-hour classic.
BMW has added another chapter to its success story at
Spa-Francorchamps (BE): 50 years and one day after the first victory
at the 24-hour race, Nick Catsburg (NL), Markus Palttala (FI) and BMW
USCC driver Lucas Luhr (DE) of BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS secured
overall victory number 22 for the manufacturer at this endurance
classic. After 536 laps of the “Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps”, the
number 46 BMW Z4 GT3 overcame a drive-through penalty to take the
chequered flag first at the 67th running of the marathon in the
Ardennes. The victory means the BMW Z4 GT3 was triumphant on its last
major appearance at one of the most important endurance races in the
world. In an interview, Luhr revealed the key to success at the 24
Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Three questions for... Lucas Luhr.
Lucas, how would you sum up your emotions after this win?
Lucas Luhr: “I am obviously a bit more composed now,
but, to be honest, I was fighting back the tears after the finish.
Last year we came so close – and the disappointment was huge when we
came up just short. However, this time we came out on top in my second
attempt with BMW. The feeling of joy is immense. I obviously feel very
bad for our second car. A one-two would have been the icing on the
cake. It was obviously a great shame that the number 9 car was unable
to finish – as was the retirement of Alex Zanardi and Co. Despite
this, on the whole today has been a very good day for BMW.”
What was the key to this success?
Luhr: “The key was this morning, when the sun came out and the track temperature started to rise. Our car really came to life during this phase, and literally went like hell. We had had a few problems at the start, but it then got better from one stint to the next. We had to fight a bit again during the night, and the rollercoaster ride continued. It really was not easy for the engineers to get everything right all the time. However, we cracked it in the morning, and I noticed that we could achieve something special.”
In the end, a two-lap lead makes it look easier than it was …
Luhr: “Yes, but it certainly was not easy. With just
half an hour remaining there were quite a few more retirements. When
you see that your blood pressure rises again. From the outside, you
really cannot imagine how much blood, sweat and tears go into a
24-hour race like this. When the weight finally falls off your
shoulders, and you know that you have actually done it, you can let
your emotions pour out. Today is a cool day.”
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USCC: First win of the season for Turner Motorsport in the GTD class.
Dane Cameron (US) and Michael Marsal (US), at the wheel of the number 97 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 GTD, claimed their first win of the season in the GTD class of the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) at Lime Rock Park (US). Turner Motorsport was almost unable to take part in the race, following a crash involving Marsal in Friday’s practice session. As Marsal had to sit out qualifying, he was forced to start from the back of the field, which consisted of 17 PC and GTD cars. He drove a good first stint and had fought his way onto the same lap as the leader by the time he handed over to Cameron, the 2014 GTD champion. Cameron took the lead in the GTD class on lap 105 and went on to take the chequered flag as the winner after 162 laps. He also clocked the fastest lap of the race.
