Munich. One of the highlights of the 2018 endurance season
takes place this weekend: the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). Over 40
BMW race cars will be in action in the “Green Hell”, including five
BMW M6 GT3s.
ROWE Racing will field two cars with works support from BMW
Motorsport. The third car in the field is the Shell Helix BMW M6
GT3, with BMW works driver Augusto Farfus (BRA) among those sharing
the driving duties.
Walkenhorst Motorsport and Falken Motorsports will run the
remaining two cars in the top SP9 category. BMW Motorsport Juniors
Beitske Visser (NED) and Nico Menzel (GER) will be at the wheel of
the #60 Sorg Rennsport BMW M4 GT4. They will be ably assisted by
Dirk Adorf (GER), who mentors the BMW Motorsport Juniors, and the
experienced Tom Coronel (NED).
Quotes ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours:
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“Last weekend, we kicked off the season in Europe with the BMW M4 DTM
and the BMW M8 GTE. Next up is one of the absolute highlights of the
year for our BMW M6 GT3. For sure the goal is to claim the
20th victory for BMW at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. However,
you cannot count on victory at what is possibly the toughest endurance
race in the world. You always need a little bit of luck too. As well
as the battle for overall victory, the focus at this special race will
once again be on the hordes of BMW customer teams, who will take on
the Nordschleife in many different BMW cars. I am also curious to see
BMW Motorsport Juniors Beitske Visser and Nico Menzel at the wheel of
the BMW M4 GT4. The 24-hour race is a real festival of motorsport.”
Hans-Peter Naundorf (team principal ROWE Racing):
“Our goal for the 24-hour race is actually a very simple one: We want
to go one better than last year’s second place. As simple as that may
sound, it will be tough to achieve. At this unique race on the
toughest circuit in the world, and against so much top-quality
opposition, you need to remain fully-focussed and work precisely – not
just for 24 hours, but for a full four days – and you simply cannot
afford to make any mistakes. We have come really close to achieving
our dream of overall victory on several occasions in recent years, but
we have always been lacking that little bit of luck you need. We have
prepared very well this year. Victory in the second round of the VLN
and second place in the qualification race have shown that our goal is
a realistic one. I am proud of the high-quality team of drivers we
have assembled together with our partner BMW Motorsport.”
Tom Blomqvist (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“ROWE Racing is familiar to me as I drove for the guys before. It is
a great team so hopefully we will be able to get a good result. As a
driver the 24-hour race is a spectacular event. The pleasure you get
driving a race car around a circuit such as the Nordschleife is
probably the most you can get.”
Nick Catsburg (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am really looking forward to the Nürburgring 24 Hours – in fact,
it is my favourite event of the year. We have a strong car and good
drivers. Our results in the VLN and the qualification race have been
very promising. I feel that we are very well prepared.”
John Edwards (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“The Nordschleife is the coolest racetrack in the world. I am really
excited every time I get to drive there. I have driven in the 24-hour
race a few times, but have not really had good results so far.
Hopefully that will change this year with ROWE Racing.”
Richard Westbrook (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“After finishing second twice in three years with BMW a victory has
to be the target. Of course that will be not be easy as ever the
competition is very strong from several manufacturers. From our side
preparations have gone really well. All my team-mates and I have a
good feeling of the car and have completed a lot of running without
any issues.”
Connor De Phillippi (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am really looking forward to my first outing as a BMW works driver
at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and with it the opportunity to repeat my
overall victory from last year. The BMW M6 GT3 is particularly strong
on the Nordschleife. We have shown our speed in the VLN races. We now
hope we can repeat that pace at the highlight of the season.”
Jesse Krohn (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am delighted to be back at this magnificent event. Our squad of
drivers at ROWE Racing is fantastic, and preparations have also gone
very well. It is now all about being out in front when it really matters.”
Alexander Sims (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“After last year’s second place, I would obviously really like to be
one step higher on the podium this time. The BMW M6 GT3 looks good
with the Evo package and has had some good results at the Nürburgring
in the run-up to the 24-hour race. As such, we are in a good position.
However, there is probably no 24-hour race in the world that is more
difficult to win than the race on the Nordschleife. It is one of the
biggest challenges for me as a racing driver, but it is also a lot of
fun every time.”
Martin Tomczyk (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am obviously really looking forward to the Nürburgring 24 Hours. I
have driven in this race with BMW for many years. Unfortunately, I
have not won it yet. We have come close a few times and could
theoretically have won it twice – but that is part and parcel of the
Nürburgring. It is a big challenge, and many different factors play a
role there.”
Augusto Farfus (#102 Shell Helix BMW M6 GT3)
“The Nürburgring 24 Hours is one of my very favourite races on the
calendar. The situation is new for me this year, with a new team, new
teammates and different tyres. However, I believe we are well equipped
and we will try to get the maximum out of our package. It will be
important for us to have a trouble-free race. If we can manage that,
then we will be in for a good result.”
Jens Klingmann (#33 BMW M6 GT3, Falken Motorsports):
“This is my first year with the Falken Motorsports team, but the two
preparatory races have given me plenty of opportunity to get to know
all the team-members and my fellow drivers. I am very impressed by the
experience and professionalism of the team. I have been made to feel
very welcome there from the outset, which is a very important aspect
to me. All in all, I am very optimistic about our chances in the
24-hour race.”
Nico Menzel (#60 BMW M4 GT4, Sorg Rennsport):
“The 24-hour race gives us the opportunity to spend an awful lot of
time on the most difficult track in the world with the car that we run
in the GT4 European Series. I am really looking forward to the race
and to driving alongside our Junior mentor Dirk Adorf. I also have two
fantastic teammates from the Netherlands, in Beitske Visser and Tom
Coronel. It is going to be an awesome weekend.”
Beitske Visser (#60 BMW M4 GT4, Sorg Rennsport):
“I am really looking forward to my first start at the Nürburgring 24
Hours. I obtained my permit for the Nordschleife last year and can
hardly wait to learn as much as possible from my three colleagues, who
have a lot of experience on this track.”
An overview of the driver line-ups in selected BMW cars:
#98 BMW M6 GT3:
Tom Blomqvist (GBR)
Nick Catsburg (NED)
John Edwards (USA)
Richard Westbrook (GBR)
#99 BMW M6 GT3:
Connor De Phillippi (USA)
Jesse Krohn (FIN)
Alexander Sims (GBR)
Martin Tomczyk (GER)
#102 BMW M6 GT3:
Augusto Farfus (BRA)
Christian Krognes (NOR)
Markus Palttala (FIN)
Fabian Schiller (GER)
#101 BMW M6 GT3:
Ralf Oeverhaus (GER)
Jordan Tresson (FRA)
Henry Walkenhorst (GER)
Andreas Ziegler (GER)
#33 BMW M6 GT3:
Peter Dumbreck (GBR)
Stef Dusseldorp (NED)
Alexandre Imperatori (SUI)
Jens Klingmann (GER)
#60 BMW M4 GT4:
Dirk Adorf (GER)
Tom Coronel (NED)
Nico Menzel (GER)
Beitske Visser (NED)