The journey is its own reward: BMW Sports & Classic Rally underway.

Munich. The third race weekend of the year started on Thursday for the eight BMW DTM drivers. At 11:30hrs they took their places alongside BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt at the wheel of historic BMWs, such as the BMW 328 convertible, the BMW M1 and the BMW 3.0 CSL, and set off for Spielberg (AT) and Sunday’s third round of the DTM. 

They will be accompanied on their way to the Steiermark region of Austria by many BMW sport stars – and can look forward to several exciting stops along the picturesque route through the Alps. Among others joining the DTM drivers at the start at the BMW Museum were BMW Group Olympic Ambassador Katarina Witt (DE), BMW Brand Ambassador Prince Leopold of Bavaria (DE) and BMW Running Ambassador Jan Fitschen (DE), who are also very excited about the extraordinary journey and the DTM weekend at the Red Bull Ring. 

“It is nice to do a tour of this kind with so many other BMW sport stars,” said Witt before setting off. “I had the pleasure of meeting some of the DTM drivers at Oktoberfest last year, where we were able to put our driving skills to the test on the dodgems. I am sure the rally will also be very entertaining. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience to sit in a vintage BMW and enjoy the amazing alpine scenery.” 

The rally’s first destination is Schliersee (DE), a good 60 kilometres south of Munich. From there, the rally continues to Berchtesgaden (DE), where the participants will pull into a restaurant for a pleasant evening of typical Bavarian entertainment, or ‘Hüttenabend’ as it is known by the locals. On Friday they will be joined by top athletes from the German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation (BSD). Among those welcoming their fellow sportsmen and women to Königssee (DE) will be Manuel Machata (DE, bob) and Felix Loch (DE, luge). Spectacular bobsleigh taxi rides are scheduled for the time in Königssee, before the rally sets off again to Spielberg. 

“We really have a very entertaining programme ahead of us,” said Bruno Spengler (CA). “I have never travelled to a DTM race like this before. As far as the setting is concerned, Spielberg is one of the most attractive racetracks I know anyway. However, the rally looks set to take us through some impressive scenery on the way, which I have never seen before.” 

Prince Leopold of Bavaria added: “I am ready for this rally, which I am sure we will all really enjoy. The selection of cars we will be driving is enough to set the pulse of any BMW or motorsport fan racing. There are some real gems. Driving these cars through the Alps, stopping off on the way for an exciting programme of events, and then watching the DTM live in Spielberg: it doesn’t get any better than this.” 

You can find copyright-free images on the BMW Sports & Classic Rally, as well as press releases and press kits regarding the BMW Group’s sporting activities for editorial purposes, online at: www.press.bmwgroup-sport.com

If you have any questions, please contact: 

BMW Sport Communications

Ingo Lehbrink (Motorsport)

Phone: +49 176 203 402 24

Email: Ingo.Lehbrink@bmw.de

Internet: www.bmw-motorsport.com 

Nicole Stempinsky (Wintersport)

Phone: +49 151 174 177 25

Email: Nicole.Stempinsky@bmw.de
Internet: www.bmw-golfsport.com 

David Biebricher (Running)

Tel. +49 176 601 229 79

Email: David.Biebricher@bmw.de

Internet: www.bmw-laufsport.de 

The BMW Group.

The BMW Group is the leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 28 production and assembly facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2012, the BMW Group sold about 1.85 million cars and more than 117,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2012 was euro 7.82 billion on revenues amounting to euro 76.85 billion. At 31 December 2012, the BMW Group had a workforce of 105,876 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last eight years.