BMW Motorsport News - Issue 32/2018.

GT4 European Series: Successful end to the season for the BMW M4 GT4.

BMW Motorsport Juniors Beitske Visser (NED) and Nico Menzel (GER) ended the 2018 season in the GT4 European Series with a successful weekend at the Nürburgring (GER). The duo claimed a victory and a second place in the #110 BMW M4 GT4, run by the RN Vision STS team. Visser and Menzel had taken their first win of the season at the Hungaroring (HUN) a fortnight ago. They followed on where they left off in Saturday’s race, climbing from fourth on the grid to cross the finish line first after 28 thrilling laps of racing. The pair produced an impressive fightback in race two on Sunday. Starting from 14^th, Visser and Menzel battled back to second place to claim their third podium finish in a row. In total, eleven BMW M4 GT4s lined up on the grid at the iconic Eifel circuit in Germany. As well as the two BMW Motorsport Juniors, Simon Knap and Max Koebolt (both NED) also gave strong performances. The Dutch duo, at the wheel of the #1 BMW M4 GT4, finished fifth for MDM Motorsport on Saturday. 3Y Technology team’s Jamie Vandenbalck (BEL) and Luiz Floss (BRA) finished runners-up in the Pro-Am class in the #38 BMW M4 GT4. On Sunday, Miguel Cristovao (POR) and Pavel Lefterov (BUL) finished eighth overall (third in the Pro-Am class) in the RN Vision STS #112 BMW M4 GT4.

BTCC: Podium for Ricky Collard – title yet to be decided.

BMW Motorsport Junior Ricky Collard (GBR) made it onto the podium for the first time in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at the ninth race weekend of the season held at Silverstone (GBR). He came home third in Sunday’s opening race for the West Surrey Racing team in the #55 BMW 125i M Sport. Collard, who is standing in for his father Rob (GBR), only made his BTCC debut at the start of August. The young driver also impressed in race two, finishing fourth. He ended the third and final race of the weekend in tenth place. Meanwhile, the title is yet to be concluded. Colin Turkington (GBR), at the wheel of the West Surrey Racing team #2 BMW 125i M Sport, travelled to Silverstone as championship leader, and held onto top spot in the overall standings. Despite his car carrying the maximum extra weight, he fought back strongly from 18^th to finish eighth in Sunday’s opening race. He then crossed the finish line in the same position in race two. Third place in race three earned him his tenth podium result of the season. Turkington now heads to the season finale at Brands Hatch (GBR), where the title will be decided on 29^th September, with a 34-point lead. BMW and the West Surrey Racing team also lead the Manufacturer and Team competitions. Andrew Jordan (GBR), in the third BMW 125i M Sport, failed to finish race one and was 22^nd and ninth in the day’s final two races. 

Japanese Super GT: ARTA maintains its lead in the overall standings.

The Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA) maintained its lead in the GT300 class at round six of the Japanese Super GT Championship at Sugo (JPN). A difficult qualifying meant that drivers Shinichi Takagi (JPN) and Sean Walkinshaw (GBR started the race from 23^rd place in the #55 BMW M6 GT3. However, they then launched a successful fightback, making up 13 places over the course of the 76-lap race to finish tenth and pick up one point towards the championship. The pair now hold a seven-point lead with two races remaining. The penultimate race weekend in the Japanese Super GT Championship takes place on 20^th and 21^st October in Autopolis (JPN).

M Festival: BMW M4 GT4 thrills fans in China.

After its successful premiere last year, the M Festival once again delighted fans in the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai at the weekend. Following a media event on Friday, guests were given the opportunity to experience BMW M up close on Saturday and Sunday. Among those at the event was BMW Motorsport works driver Jens Klingmann (GER), who regaled fans with stories of his own experience in motorsport and also took time out to pose for countless selfies and sign autographs. Another highlight was the BMW M4 GT4. Run by Japanese customer team BMW Studie AG, the latest member of the BMW Customer Racing range thrilled those present with a demonstration race and taxi rides at the “Shanghai International Circuit”. However, it was not just those at the event that made the second M Festival such a success; roughly ten million spectators followed the event via livestream.

Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup: BMW M6 GT3 in the top three.

Denis Dupont (BEL) and Lukas Moraes (BRA) earned a podium result for the 3Y Technology team at the tenth race weekend of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup. The pair, at the wheel of the #37 BMW M6 GT3, finished third in the Silver category in Sunday’s race at the Nürburgring (GER). The duo had also looked on course to finish on the podium in their class in the Saturday race, until a puncture stopped Dupont just a few laps after the driver changeover. The final race weekend takes place in a fortnight, from 28^th to 30^th September, at Barcelona (ESP).