Maisach. The big meeting of generations was the highlight of
Monday’s celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of BMW
Motorsport talent promotion. The BMW and MINI Driving Experience in
Maisach (GER), that had turned 40 years in 2017 as well, was the
venue for the anniversary event, at which the heroes from the early
days met BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt (GER), as well as
graduates and the current crop of drivers on the BMW Motorsport
Junior Programme. The guests included Jochen Neerpasch (GER), the
first managing director of BMW Motorsport GmbH and founder of the
first BMW Junior Team in 1977, as well as Eddie Cheever (USA) and
Marc Surer (SUI), two of the BMW Motorsport Juniors from that time.
It was the first time in German automobile racing that a
manufacturer had put together a team consisting solely of juniors.
This long tradition makes BMW stand out from other manufacturers
involved in motorsport. Ever since the pioneering efforts of Jochen
Neerpasch, the promotion of young drivers has been one of the
central pillars of the BMW Motorsport philosophy, and is now more
important than ever.
The day began with a round of discussions, during which the different
generations chatted about their personal experience of BMW Motorsport
talent promotion. Neerpasch, Cheever and Surer spoke of their time in
the BMW Junior Team and what made the “Wilder Reiter GmbH” so special.
They also listened carefully to today’s Juniors, and offered valuable advice.
Among those present was Jesse Krohn (FIN), who successfully graduated
from the programme as “BMW Motorsport Junior of the Year 2014” and is
now a permanent fixture in the BMW GT driver line-up. He was joined by
this year’s BMW Motorsport Juniors, Beitske Visser (NED), Ricky
Collard (GBR), Mikkel Jensen (DEN), Dennis Marschall (GER) and Nico
Menzel (GER). Joel Eriksson (SWE) was unable to take part, as he was
in action at the famous Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau.
As well as interviews and video recordings, the anniversary event
focussed primarily on a photo shoot with the historic BMW 320 Group 5,
with which the first BMW Junior Team caused such a stir in 1977, as
well as the BMW M6 GT3 and the BMW M4 GT4 – the two cars the current
BMW Motorsport Juniors are racing with. Surer also completed a number
of drift laps in a BMW M car with the current Juniors.
Over the course of the past four decades, the BMW concept for
promoting youngsters has produced numerous successful racing drivers,
who have won races and titles in a wide range of series around the
world. They include well-known drivers such as four-time Formula 1
champion Sebastian Vettel (GER), as well as current BMW works drivers
Timo Glock (GER) and Martin Tomczyk (GER).
Quotes on the BMW Motorsport talent promotion anniversary event.
Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director:
“40 years of BMW Motorsport talent promotion – this anniversary is a
very special one for all of us at BMW Motorsport. With his idea,
Jochen Neerpasch laid the foundations for something that has has
accompanied us ever since and proven itself right through to today.
When you look around the international motorsport scene, you find
numerous drivers who came into contact with BMW Motorsport’s talent
promotion programme in the early stages of their career. This shows
that the path we embarked upon back in 1977 was successful and remains
both the right path and important. The aspects that were fundamental
when the BMW Junior Team was founded 40 years ago still apply to the
way we train our young drivers today. We prepare our talented
youngsters technically, physically and mentally for the challenges
they face in motor racing. Our goal is to be able to use them in our
cars within our diverse motor racing programme. This promotion is
paying dividends today, just as it did 40 years ago.”
Jochen Neerpasch, first managing director of BMW Motorsport
GmbH and founder of the BMW Junior Team:
“I was delighted to see Eddie Cheever and Marc Surer again, and to
meet the current Juniors. I was impressed by how mature they are
already, despite still being so young, and how professionally they are
being prepared for their future careers. BMW Motorsport deserves a big
compliment for that. I founded the Junior Team back then, because even
Formula 1 drivers were not well prepared physically for the challenges
they faced in a racing car. It is nice to see what an outstanding
junior programme has developed from that idea.”
Eddie Cheever, BMW Motorsport Junior 1977:
“I find it fantastic that BMW Motorsport has continued along the same
path we took for the first time back in 1977, in terms of the way they
train young drivers. The new generation, who we had the pleasure of
meeting today, really impressed me. Compared to us, they have
completely different means of preparing for their careers. However, I
can feel the same passion we had 40 years ago. As we were back then,
the current crop of Juniors is very proud to be part of the BMW family.”
Marc Surer, BMW Motorsport Junior 1977:
“My appearances for BMW Group Classic mean I am still regularly in
touch with Jochen Neerpasch, and I am often reminded of that period of
my life. However, this is the first time I have seen Eddie Cheever for
many years – and I am really pleased to have met up again. It was also
fascinating to meet today’s class of Juniors at this event. They are
all already far more mature than we were back then. They are very
fortunate to be supported by a company like BMW. Nothing is more
important to a young racing driver than being able to develop in a
professional environment and in sophisticated racing cars.”
Sebastian Vettel, four-time Formula 1 world champion:
“Congratulations to BMW on this anniversary! When I was a young
racing driver, I was fortunate enough to be supported by BMW and Red
Bull. Without that support, I would possibly never have made it into
Formula 1. I am very grateful for that time, and look back fondly upon
it. I will also never forget my first Formula 1 race for the BMW
Sauber F1 Team. When I look around the Formula 1 paddock today, a
number of the other drivers also started out in Formula BMW, just as I did.”
Timo Glock, BMW DTM driver:
“I was lucky to benefit from BMW Motorsport’s talent promotion
programme. As such, BMW was instrumental in the way my motorsport
career panned out. It is incredible to see how many big names the
programme has produced over the decades. Thank you very much to BMW
Motorsport for their fantastic commitment to the BMW Motorsport talent
promotion. Hopefully it will continue for another 40 years.”
Timo Scheider, BMW works driver:
“Firstly, I would obviously like to congratulate BMW on the
40th anniversary of its talent promotion programme. Without
this kind of support, it is very difficult for youngsters to find
their feet in motorsport – for many reasons, including financial ones.
I also benefitted from the comprehensive support I received in 1998 as
a BMW Junior. Part of the training programme was for us to help out in
the engine department in Munich, to assemble the racing engines and,
in doing so, to gain valuable experience. I still remember well how I
helped to build the engine with which Jockel Winkelhock raced at Le
Mans. I am very happy that I was able to gain that kind of experience
at such a young age, thanks to BMW. I am still benefitting from it today.”
Martin Tomczyk, BMW works driver:
“I experienced for myself just how important the promotion of
talented youngsters has always been to BMW when I was 16 years old and
competed in the BMW Formula ADAC Junior Cup. It was during that period
that I laid the foundations for my future career. I now enjoy using my
experience to support the next generation of BMW Juniors whenever I
get the opportunity.”
Philipp Eng, BMW works driver:
“I have nothing but fond memories of my time on the BMW Motorsport
talent promotion programme. I was part of the programme in 2006, and
it gave me the opportunity to show what I was capable of. I won the
Formula BMW World Final in 2007, and received a test in a BMW Sauber
F1 Team car as my prize. That was obviously a major highlight in my
career. I can only congratulate BMW on its promotion of young drivers,
and thank them for it.”
Jesse Krohn, BMW Motorsport Junior of the Year 2014:
“It was fantastic to meet the people who, 40 years ago, went down the
same road as we are doing today. Hopefully I will be able to attend a
similar event in 40 years, and can tell a new generation of talented
youngsters about my career. I had almost given up on my dream of a
career in motorsport when BMW Motorsport gave me the opportunity to be
a part of the realigned Junior Programme in 2014. Since then, I have
been living my dream.”
Beitske Visser, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“This day is a great end to my first year on the BMW Motorsport
Junior Programme. It was fun to meet the former Juniors, and to find
out more about racing back then. Personally, I am happy with my
season. I gained my licence for the Nürburgring-Nordschleife and won
my first race in the BMW M4 GT4. That was fantastic.”
Ricky Collard, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“Thank you very much to BMW Motorsport for allowing me to be part of
this programme, and this anniversary event. It was fantastic to meet
up with the current Juniors and chat with the legends from past years.
I think we all share the same passion for motorsport. It was also
awesome to see the BMW 320 Group 5 up close and personal. I love
vintage cars.”
Mikkel Jensen, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“I found it fascinating to see how BMW Motorsport’s talent promotion
has developed over the past 40 years. Motorsport has changed
dramatically, and the programme has adapted to it. For me, making it
onto the BMW Junior programme was a big step. It is now up to me to
show what I am capable of.”
Dennis Marschall, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“Today was brilliant. I really enjoyed listening to Eddie Cheever and
Marc Surer tell their stories about racing in the BMW 320 Group 5. I
also had the feeling that they were interested in how we prepare for
our races nowadays. I am incredibly grateful to be part of the BMW
Motorsport Junior Programme.”
Nico Menzel, BMW Motorsport Junior 2017:
“I know from my father about the fascination of racing in the past.
It was very cool to meet the first generation of BMW Juniors and to be
able to chat to such big names as Jochen Neerpasch, Eddie Cheever and
Marc Surer. I have been lucky enough to drive the historic BMW M3 from
the 1980s twice during my season as a BMW Motorsport Junior. I am
fascinated by race cars from that era.”