BMW Motorsport News – Issue 12/16
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VLN: Exciting season opener in the “Green Hell”.

The first race of the VLN endurance championship season took place at
the Nürburgring (DE), and for BMW Motorsport this event marked the
competitive debut of the BMW M6 GT3 at the Nordschleife. Due to
restricted opportunities for testing, the ROWE Racing, Schubert
Motorsport and Walkenhorst Motorsport teams used the 62nd ADAC
Westfalenfahrt as a training session under race conditions. It was
vital to give the new vehicle a thorough once-over on the most
difficult race circuit in the world. The highest-ranked BMW M6 GT3, in
seventh place, was the Walkenhorst Motorsport number 35 car. The BMW
M235i Racing Cup also enjoyed a thrilling start to the season. BMW DTM
driver Tom Blomqvist (GB) made a guest appearance to get used to the
Nordschleife in the BMW M235i Racing, and finished in third. He will
compete in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring for Walkenhorst
Motorsport in a BMW M6 GT3. Victory in the cup class was claimed by
Michael Schrey (DE) and the former BMW Motorsport junior driver
Alexander Mies (DE) from Team Bonk Motorsport. They profited from a
retrospective time penalty for the “Eifelblitz“, which Thomas Jäger
(AT) and Rudi Adams (DE) had driven to the chequered flag in first
place. Team Schirmer’s Stefan van Campenhoudt (BE) claimed second
place in the class. BMW teams were able to celebrate a total of seven
class victories.

 

24h Series: BMW M3 wins the 24H Silverstone.

Triumph for a BMW at the third race in the 2016 24h Series: A
sensational performance secured overall victory for Team ABBA with
Rollcentre Racing in the 24-hour race at Silverstone (GB). The
endurance test also marked the first race of the new Touring Car
Endurance Series (TCES). Richard Roberts, Charles Lamb, Martin Short
and Richard Neary (all GB) completed a total of 512 laps in their
number 246 BMW M3. The quartet moved into the lead in the 19th hour of
the race and finished three laps ahead of their nearest challenger.
Four BMW race cars finished in the top ten of a strong field of over
40 vehicles. The RECY Racing Team claimed fifth place with the BMW
120d and won the D1 class. JJ Motorsport finished the race with the
BMW M235i Racing in sixth place, also securing victory in the Cup1
class. Scangrip Racing (BMW 335i) was one place behind in seventh and
the BMW M3 from JR Motorsport reached ninth position. 

 

British Touring Car Championship: Double podium finish at
Brands Hatch season opener.

The West Surrey Racing team kicked off the 2016 British Touring Car
Championship (BTCC) with a double podium finish for the BMW 125i M
Sport. In the season opener on the short Indy Circuit at Brands Hatch
(GB), Sam Tordoff (GB) and Jack Goff (GB) made it to the podium in the
last of the three races. Late on Sunday afternoon, Tordoff drove the
number 600 car to second place, while team-mate Goff (number 31) also
recorded a podium finish in third. Rob Collard (GB) completed the good
team result, guiding the number 100 BMW 125i M Sport to sixth. In the
first two races of the day, Tordoff reached 16th and ninth positions
respectively, and Goff finished in tenth and seventh. Collard
completed the morning event in sixth place, and finished 16th in the
second race of the day.

 

Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup: Three BMW M6 GT3s start at the
season opener.

The new season starts next weekend in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint
Cup with races in Misano (IT). Three new BMW M6 GT3s will be making
their debuts in this series. For the ROWE Racing team, the number 98
car will be driven by the two Dutchmen Stef Dusseldorp and Nick
Catsburg. The number 99 second ROWE Racing car will be driven by
Philipp Eng (AT) and Alexander Sims (GB). BMW DTM driver Maxime Martin
(BE) will also feature regularly behind the wheel of a BMW M6 GT3 in
the 2016 season. On weekends without DTM events, he will support the
Belgian team from Boutsen Ginion Racing. Martin will be involved in
four out of five events in this race series.

 

BMW Motorsport Juniors to test BMW M6 GT3.

Ahead of the start of the ADAC GT Masters season, official testing
will take place next Monday and Tuesday at Oschersleben (DE). The BMW
Motorsport junior drivers, Jesse Krohn (FI) and Louis Delétraz (CH),
will have the opportunity to experience this circuit in the BMW M6
GT3. Both youngsters will be in the cockpit of the Junior car on four
race weekends and compete with the elite drivers of GT racing. On
Monday, Krohn and Delétraz will be available for interviews as part of
an ADAC GT Masters media day.  

 

FIA Formula E Championship: BMW i8 Safety Car on duty at Long Beach.

On duty in a fantastic location: The sixth round of the 2015/16 FIA
Formula E Championship took place on the legendary street circuit at
Long Beach (US) last weekend. BMW i is involved as “Official Vehicle
Partner” in the race series for electrically operated formula cars and
the BMW i8 Safety Car was in action at the Long Beach ePrix. BMW DTM
driver António Félix da Costa (PT), competing in the FIA Formula E
Championship for a second season, retired with a broken suspension
after a strong performance. Victory was claimed by Lucas di Grassi
(BR). After six races in Asia and South, Central and North America,
the FIA Formula E Championship will now come to Europe: The next race
is scheduled to take place on 23rd April in Paris (FR), and after that
the series will visit Berlin (DE), Moscow (RU) and London (GB).