BMW Motorsport News – Issue 30/14.

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.

DTM: Heikki Kovalainen tests for BMW at the Lausitzring.
This week, the BMW DTM teams head to the Lausitzring (DE), where they will undertake tests with the BMW M4 DTM from Monday to Thursday. The tests will focus on the set-up of the car, with an eye on the upcoming DTM race at this circuit on 14th September. On one of the four days, the BMW DTM drivers will be joined by ex-Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen (FI). He has 111 Formula One Grands Prix under his belt, and will use the opportunity at the Lausitzring to gain an impression of the BMW M4 DTM.

Blancpain Sprint Series: BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert wins at the Slovakia Ring, no luck for Zanardi.
The BMW Sport Trophy teams finished one-two at the fourth round of the Blancpain Sprint Series at the Slovakia Ring near Bratislava (SK). Thomas Jäger (AT) and Dominik Baumann (AT) of BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert came home first in Sunday’s main race at the wheel of a BMW Z4 GT3. They produced an impressive fightback to claim their first victory in this series: problems during Saturday’s qualifying meant they started the main race from down in 19th on the grid. In a thrilling finale, they came through in the final minutes of the race to finish ahead of Caca Bueno (BR) and Sergio Jimenez (BR) of BMW Sports Trophy Team Brazil, who crossed the finish line second at the end of the one-hour race. Their team-mates Matheus Stumpf (BR) and Valdeno Brito Filho (BR) were unlucky and crashed out of the main race after a collision at the start, having previously climbed from 17th on the grid to finish fourth in the qualifying race. Luck also deserted BMW works driver Alessandro Zanardi (IT): his BMW Z4 GT3 was also hit by another car shortly after the start, and was so badly damaged that he was forced to retire after just one lap. His ROAL Motorsport team-mates Stefano Colombo (IT) and David Fumanelli (IT) came home 13th at the end of a difficult race.

BMW Motorsport Juniors: second outing on the Nordschleife.
BMW Motorsport Juniors Jake Hughes (GB), Jesse Krohn (FI) and Alexander Mies (DE) overcame miserable conditions to successfully complete their second race in the BMW M235i Racing at the 6-hour race in the VLN Endurance Championship, which took place at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE). After 31 laps, the number 152 car crossed the finish line in 58th place. “On their second outing, our Juniors once again had to cope with unsettled weather, and they again did a very good job of overcoming this challenge,” said head instructor Dirk Adorf (DE). The BMW Motorsport Juniors shared the cockpit with Michela Cerruti (IT). She usually races in a BMW Z4 GT3 for ROAL Motorsport in the Blancpain Endurance Series. However, the Italian used the VLN race to get her first taste of the Nordschleife in the BMW M235i Racing. “I was very excited about my first Nordschleife experience,” said Cerruti. “I had every possible weather condition over the course of the race, so I think I experienced the real Nordschleife.” As well as the circuit, the Italian also got to know the car and the BMW Motorsport Juniors. “Congratulations to BMW Motorsport on the Juniors they have selected,” she said. “They are all very good drivers, and nice guys too. They made me feel very welcome.”

BMW M235i Racing Cup: Adrenalin Motorsport wins the highlight of the season.
Two weeks after failing to finish at the sixth round of the VLN Endurance Championship, Daniel Zils (DE), Norbert Fischer (DE) and Uwe Ebertz (DE) pulled off an important success in the race for the Drivers’ Championship in the BMW M235i Racing Cup class. They won their class and finished an outstanding 14th overall in the number 667 BMW M235i Racing at the highlight of the VLN season, the Opel 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen. The Adrenalin Motorsport trio won the class, finishing ahead of Matias Henkola (FI), Nico Marvin Monien (DE) and Florian Gruber (DE) of the MBP Racing team, with Max Partl (DE) and Jörg Weidinger (DE) of Scheid-Partl Motorsport coming home third. Victory sees Zils, Fischer and Ebertz extend their lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Adrenalin Motorsport continues to lead the Team competition.

VLN: Walkenhorst Motorsport lands a BMW Z4 GT3 in the top six.
The 6-hour race in the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE) proved to be very successful for the Walkenhorst Motorsport team. Niclas Kentenich (DE), Henry Walkenhorst (DE), Peter Posavac (DE) and Anders Buchardt (NO) finished sixth overall in the number 36 BMW Z4 GT3. The second Walkenhorst car, number 35, came home 12th. The team also finished third in the SP9 class to claim a place on the podium. Rolf Derscheid (DE) and Michael Flehmer (DE) finished runners-up in the V4 class in their BMW 325i. In doing so, they successfully defended their lead in the overall VLN standings. In total, BMW drivers claimed seven class victories at the seventh round of the season.

CTSCC in Virginia: BMW on the podium in the ST class.
In Saturday’s  Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Virginia Raceway International  (US) Terry Borcheller (US) and Mike LaMarra (US), in the Burton Racing BMW 128i,  were on the Street Tuner podium after finishing third.  In the Grand Sport class the Fall-Line Motorsport BMW M3 of John Edwards (US) and Trent Hindman (US) could only finish 12th due to technical problems. The top-finishing BMW M3 was the Turner Motorsport car of Tom Kimber-Smith (GB) and Michael Marsal (US) in sixth.