BMW Motorsport News - Issue 24/2017.

Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, or 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. 

Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup: Bad luck for ROWE Racing.

ROWE Racing competed at Saturday’s six-hour race in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup in Le Castellet with a strong contingent of BMW drivers and two BMW M6 GT3s. However, the team from St. Ingbert’s (GER) fine performance ultimately went unrewarded. BMW DTM drivers Maxime Martin (BEL), Alexander Sims (GBR) and Philipp Eng (AUT) led the race in the number 99 car at the halfway point, before dropping back through the field with technical issues. It was a similar story for their team-mates in the number 98 BMW M6 GT3, BMW DTM pairing of Tom Blomqvist (GBR) and Bruno Spengler (CAN), who were racing alongside Markus Palttala (FIN). They were forced to retire from the race after 111 laps. In contrast, Walkenhorst Motorsport had cause for celebration. Team principal Henry Walkenhorst (GER) won the amateur class in the number 36 BMW M6 GT3, with David Schiwietz (GER) and Stefan van Campenhoudt (BEL). The team’s second car, in which BMW Motorsport Juniors Nico Menzel (GER) and Mikkel Jensen (DEN) shared the driving duties with Christian Krognes (NOR), came home 26^th. The next round of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup is also the highlight of the season; the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) takes place on 29^th/30^th July. ROWE Racing goes into the race as defending champion.

VLN: Michael Schrey wins the BMW M235i Racing Cup class.

Reigning BMW Sports Trophy champion Michael Schrey (GER) claimed his first win of the season in the BMW M235i Racing Cup class at round three of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring (GER). After 25 laps of racing, the Bonk Motorsport driver crossed the finish line 26.572 seconds ahead of Rudi Adams (GER) and Thomas Jäger (AUT), who had dominated the Nordschleife season to that point in the Scheid-Honert Motorsport “Eifelblitz” car. Third place went to Heiko Eichenberg (GER) from the Securtal Sorg Rennsport team. Walkenhorst Motorsport enjoyed an eye-catching result in the overall standings with Claudia Hürtgen (GER), Alex Lambertz (GER) and Peter Posavac (GER) who finished sixth in the BMW Z4 GT3. In total, BMW teams enjoyed three class victories.

Pirelli World Challenge: Two BMW M235i Racings on the podium.
The Pirelli World Challenge was at Road America (USA) at the weekend. The grid for the races in the TC class featured no fewer than eight BMW M235i Racings. Two of them made it onto the podium in the opening race on Saturday. Nick Wittmer (CAN) finished runner-up in the number 91 car, run by the ST Racing team. Toby Grahovec (USA) was third in the Classic BMW team’s #1 BMW M235i Racing. The second race of the weekend took place late on Sunday evening European time.