PressClub France · Article.
Victoire sensationnelle aux 24 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps : la BMW M6 GT3 célèbre sa première place au classement général.
Mon Aug 01 10:26:09 CEST 2016 Communiqué de presse
The BMW M6 GT3 repeated last year’s success for its predecessor, the BMW Z4 GT3, by winning the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BE). After 531 laps, the ROWE Racing car number 99, driven by Maxime Martin (BE), Philipp Eng (AT) and Alexander Sims (GB), crossed the finish line in first place. The trio clinched the 23rd victory overall for BMW in the endurance classic at the "Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps".
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Jean-Michel Juchet
BMW Group
Spa-Francorchamps (BE), 31st July 2016. Local
heroes Pascal Ickx (BE) and Gérard Langlois (BE) secured BMW's first
triumph at the Ardennes marathon in a BMW 1800 TI/SA back in 1965.
Nicky Catsburg (NL), Lucas Luhr (DE) and Markus Palttala (FI) scored
victory with the BMW Z4 GT3 last season. Now its successor, the BMW
M6 GT3, has also added its name to the list of winners of the
24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps (BE) – and on its very first appearance.
It was a race of highs, lows and a perfect finish for the
victorious #99 BMW M6 GT3. In the initial phase in particular,
yellow flags, a safety car phase lasting almost an hour and a lot of
traffic in the pit lane kept mixing up the field. Martin, Sims and
Eng were even outside the top 30 for a while. As the race went on,
they were able to battle their way up through the field lap by lap.
When night fell, the BMW M6 GT3 had established itself among the
front-runners and led the field. The car entered the pits for a
mandatory five-minute stop to change its brakes during a yellow flag
phase. Afterwards, Sims, Martin and Eng continued to hold their
ground among the front-runners and were in fourth place halfway
through the race. They returned to first place in the early hours of
the morning. Unperturbed by the changeable conditions, ROWE Racing
brought home victory. The triumph was a particularly special
experience for Belgian driver Martin at his home race in Spa-Francorchamps.
Last year's winner Nick Catsburg (NL), with Stef Dusseldorp (NL)
and Dirk Werner (DE), also drove a fantastic race in the car 98.
ROWE Racing's second BMW M6 GT3 was in the top 10 for long periods
of the race and also completed laps as the leader. Like their
teammates in the sister car, Catsburg, Dusseldorp and Werner also
made it through the night without incident. They were in 16th place
at the halfway point, made it back into the top 10 with an
outstanding display of driving, and established themselves in a
strong position. Then, an hour and a half before the end of the
race, the #98 BMW M6 GT3 suffered a problem with the clutch.
Catsburg, Dusseldorp and Werner were forced to retire.
BMW DTM driver Martin Tomczyk (DE) in the #15 BMW M6 GT3 was
also very unlucky. The German contested his first 24-hour race at
the "Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps" for BMW Team Italia.
Tomczyk, who drove the first stint, showed impressive pace right
from the start. The BMW works driver started the race from 47th on
the grid and delivered an impressive charging drive. At the end of
his double stint, he handed over the BMW M6 GT3 that was contesting
the Pro-Am class to Stefano Colombo (IT) in 16th place.
Unfortunately, Tomczyk's performance went unrewarded: the team was
forced to return the car to the garage after an accident in the
early stages of the race. The marathon also came to an early end for
Boutsen Ginion Racing; shortly after six in the morning, a technical
defect forced the team to retire.
Quotes after the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
"Last year we bid farewell to the BMW Z4 GT3 with a win in
Spa-Francorchamps. The fact that its successor, the BMW M6 GT3, was
able to repeat this magnificent success in its first year in action
is fantastic. Congratulations to the entire ROWE Racing team on
their sensational overall win in Spa. The crew did as flawless a job
and so did the drivers Maxime Martin, Philipp Eng and Alexander Sims
in the cockpit – and they more than earned first place. With this
success on its debut at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the BMW
M6 GT3 proved its enormous potential yet again and showed that it is
totally reliable and competitive. I feel particularly sorry for Nick
Catsburg, Stef Dusseldorp and Dirk Werner. They drove a very good
race before they were forced to retire their car an hour and a half
before the end of the race. I would also like to highlight Martin
Tomczyk's incredible display of driving, he did a fantastic job with
BMW Team Italia. Martin went on an impressive pursuit at his first
appearance in Spa; he and his team deserved to do well. It was also
a shame for Boutsen Ginion Racing, who were not rewarded for their
efforts in this race."
Maxime Martin (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
"I can't describe how I'm feeling. I've competed in the 24
Hours of Spa ten times now and have been in the lead, without
winning, in the four previous races. I had a technical issue each
time, and I was kind of expecting us to be unlucky again this year.
The entire team did a flawless job. We didn't have a single problem
in the entire race – we were consistently good. It was the best win
of my career, alongside my successes in the DTM. When I embraced my
father, I felt a surge of emotions. My family has won the race seven
times now, that is simply sensational."
Philipp Eng (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
"The feeling of winning here is fantastic. There are some
races that you want to win in your career as a racing driver, and
Spa is definitely one of those. The fact that we are at the top in
the BMW M6 GT3's very first year is incredible. This is my first
major success as a works driver, my first major win as an endurance
specialist – I need to take it all in first. So much happened in the
race, and we also had some good fortune. Then when it started to
rain again 30 minutes before the end, I asked myself 'Is that really
necessary, why now?' I don't need to experience that tension ever again."
Alexander Sims (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“Honestly, I still can't believe it. The last stint in
particular was very emotional, and I tried to focus on ending the
race safely. My team helped me a lot with that via radio, keeping me
informed. The 24 Hours of Spa has been a very special race to me
since the start of my career in motorsport, and I never expected to
win it after just four years of GT racing. I think that everyone at
ROWE Racing and BMW Motorsport did a fantastic job with the BMW M6
GT3. What an incredible start; the first season for the car and the
first victory at the 24 Hours of Spa. My thanks go to Philipp and
Maxime too. They were fantastic from start to finish."
Nick Catsburg (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
"I'm still a bit torn at the moment. Naturally, we were
unable to finish the race, but we were up there fighting for the
leading positions for large sections of the race. We had the
required pace. The team did an outstanding job. And our sister car
brought home the win. I know what that feels like, and it is
something very special for Maxime Martin and the entire team. There
is no way that anyone could have predicted such a result in the BMW
M6 GT3's first year. It really is fantastic."
Dirk Werner (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
"It was an unfortunate race for us. We lost a lap at the
start during a yellow flag phase. But from that point on, things
went pretty well for us. We had good lap times, were able to keep up
with our rivals, but were a lap behind. This meant that we were
stuck in sixth or seventh place. Unfortunately, we were unable to
finish the race, which is a shame, but that can happen in a 24-hour
race. Congratulations to our teammates on their win. They drove a
fantastic race."
Stef Dusseldorp (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
"It is very frustrating. Somehow, the race seems to have it
in for me. It all feels a little bit like last year. We were on the
way to getting a good result, everyone delivered a strong
performance, and then something like that happens. It is really
depressing retiring from the race like that. Fortunately, the other
car performed perfectly and they were able to bring home the win.
However, overall everyone did a fantastic job, which is why no one
can criticise anyone in the team."