BMW Motorsport News – Issue 41/13.

Whether in the DTM, in North America, or in countless other championships: week after week BMW teams and drivers around the world do battle for points, victories and titles. Away from the track too, members of the large BMW Motorsport family around the world are also creating headlines. The “BMW Motorsport News” allows us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.

BMW Sports Trophy: Tom Coronel wins privateer competition.

Tom Coronel (NL) was honoured as the most successful privateer BMW driver of the 2013 season at BMW Motorsport’s traditional season review, which took place at BMW Welt in Munich (DE) on Saturday. Two wins and a total of four podium finishes at the wheel of the BMW 320 TC in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) earned “Major Tom” victory in the BMW Sports Trophy, and with it a winner’s cheque for 30,000 Euros and the chance to test drive the BMW M3 DTM.

Three questions for … Tom Coronel.

Tom, immediately after you were honoured at the award ceremony, you posted the video of your test in the BMW M3 DTM on YouTube and Facebook. How important was it for you to share the news as soon as possible with your fans?

Tom Coronel: “Very important. They were expecting news from me, and my fans love extraordinary news. It was extremely difficult for me to keep this news secret for a whole week. But when it was finally released, my fans were thrilled with it. You can see that from the number of ‘likes’ and comments.”

What did the drive in the BMW M3 DTM mean to you?

Coronel: “It was obviously great fun to drive this very special car. I enjoyed every second of it, and had a big grin on my face the entire time. For me, the test was the perfect opportunity to create a bit of a news story. Nobody involved in motorsport has a lot of news at the moment, as it is the winter break. That is not the case for me, and that is very good for my sponsors.”

Is the BMW Motorsport Season Review still something special, even for an experienced driver like you?

Coronel: “I have been involved in motorsport for almost 25 years, and driven for a number of different manufacturers. And I can tell you one thing: yes, this season review is very special. I feel like a real BMW driver. I believe that the image of BMW suits my image very well. BMW and Tom Coronel, a perfect partnership.”

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BMW Team Schnitzer tells its 50-year success story.

BMW Team Schnitzer has been involved in top-class motorsport for 50 years. The team from Freilassing (DE) in Upper Bavaria has won countless championships over the last five decades. The most recent highlight in the eventful history of the family firm, run by brothers Josef and Herbert Schnitzer, and Charly and Dieter Lamm: in a heart-stopping finale to the 2012 season, the team won the drivers’ and the team titles in the DTM. The 256-page book “DIE MEISTERMACHER” takes readers on a journey from the humble beginnings to the present – a journey that has seen BMW Team Schnitzer establish itself as one of the top racing teams in the world. The authors and witnesses to the team’s rise, Gustav Büsing and Uwe Mahla, have put together a host of fascinating stories from this period, accompanied by spectacular photos. The book is available at a price of 50 Euros here: www.diemeistermacher.de

BMW Team MTEK looks back on its debut season in the DTM.

Team Principal Ernest Knoors’ outfit has its first DTM season under its belt, and it was a year that threw up a lot of fascinating stories. Assembled within a matter of months, BMW Team MTEK achieved its first sensational success in only the third race of the DTM season in Spielberg (AT), where Marco Wittmann (DE) and Timo Glock (DE) finished second and third respectively. After a number of highs and lows, the team ended the season with a bang. Wittmann claimed the first DTM pole position for himself and the team at the penultimate race in Zandvoort (NL). Glock then went one better at the finale in Hockenheim (DE), clinching the first DTM win. BMW Team MTEK now reveals the story of its eventful first year in the DTM in a new book. Those interested can request more information from the following email address: info@team-mtek.de. The price is 89.95 Euros.