BMW Motorsport News - Issue 21/2020.

Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the ABB FIA Formula E 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.

NLS: Overall victory for Rink, Brink and Leisen.

After the final round of this season’s Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) was cancelled due to the current situation with the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s champions have now been crowned. The title goes to 2018 winners Christopher Rink, Danny Brink and Philipp Leisen (all GER), who dominated the V4 class over the course of the season’s five races. As a result, their BMW 325i will again sport the number one next year. Pixum CFN Team Adrenalin Motorsport, with team principal Matthias Unger (GER), claimed its third title in a row. In 2019, it was David Griessner (AUT) and Yannick Fübrich (GER) who took their place on the top step of the podium. Although the duo came up short of overall victory this time, they still had cause for celebration; together with their team-mate Florian Naumann (GER), Griessner and Fübrich took victory in the SP10 class in the #1 BMW M4 GT4. As well as triumphs in the V4 and SP10 classes, Pixum CFN Team Adrenalin Motorsport also celebrated victory in the VT2 class, in which Robert van Husen (SUI) ended the season with the most points in his BMW 330i.

First place in the top class, SP9 Pro, also went to a BMW driver. David Pittard (GBR) from the Walkenhorst Motorsport team was the most successful starter over the entire season in the BMW M6 GT3. A further two titles went to BMW M Customer Racing drivers: in the SP4 class, Uwe Stockhausen (GER) was top dog in his BMW 325i, and in the V2 class, Manfred Schmitz and Reiner Thomas (both GER) took the title in their BMW 318iS.

BMW M240i Racing Cup: Title for Eichenberg/Oberheim.

This year’s Drivers title in the BMW M240i Racing Cup class goes to Heiko Eichenberg and Moritz Oberheim (both GER) from the AVIA Sorg Rennsport team. Over the course of the five races that made up this season in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), with double points awarded retrospectively at the fifth and final race due to the cancellation of the season finale, both drivers amassed 120 points in total, giving them a commanding 22-point lead over the second and third-placed drivers. The defending champions from Pixum CFN Team Adrenalin Motorsport, David Griessner (AUT) and Yannick Fübrich (GER), finished runner-up alongside their team-mates Sindre Setsaas (NOR) and Francesco Merlini (ITA). Marcel Marchewicz and Tim Neuser (both GER) from the Schnitzelalm Racing team ended the season level on points in third place. Victory in the team competition went to the AVIA Sorg Rennsport team (108 points), followed by Pixum CFN Team Adrenalin Motorsport and Schnitzelalm Racing in second and third place. The winners in the Gentlemen class were Stefan Kruse (GER) and Einar Thorsen (NOR) from Pixum CFN Team Adrenalin Motorsport. Moritz Oberheim picked up the Junior title to add to the one he won in the Drivers’ Championship.

IMSA series: Turner Motorsport on the podium at Laguna Seca.

Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley (both USA) finished second in the penultimate race of this season’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca (USA). They started the 2:40-hour race from second place in the GTD class in their BMW M6 GT3, and defended that position through to the finish. In the GTLM class, it was a tough race for BMW Team RLL. After a run of six podium finishes in a row, they had to settle for fifth and sixth place in the GTLM class this time. John Edwards (USA) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) in the #24 MOTUL BMW M8 GTE came home ahead of their team-mates Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Bruno Spengler (CAN). “Unfortunately, we did not have the pace today,” said Edwards. “The team found a good balance for the car, and tried various different strategies. However, we were ultimately lacking the grip we needed out on the track.” The Michelin Endurance Cup title is at stake for Edwards and Krohn at the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA) season finale in two weeks’ time, the overall classification derived from the four IMSA endurance races at Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta (all USA).

Michelin Pilot Challenge: Three BMW M4 GT4s in the top ten.

Three BMW M4 GT4s made it into the top ten in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Laguna Seca (USA). After two hours of racing, Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta (both USA) came home fifth in the #95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4. The two BimmerWorld Racing cars finished sixth and eighth. Gregory Liefooghe and Nick Galante (both USA) were sixth in the #80 BMW M4 GT4, with James Clay and Mike Skeen (both USA) eighth in the #82 car.

DTM Trophy: FK Performance fields a BMW M4 GT4 with the winning ‘Livery Contest’ design at the Hockenheim season finale.

There will be no mistaking Ben Green (GBR) and the FK Performance team at this weekend’s season finale in the DTM Trophy at Hockenheim (GER). They will race with the BMW M4 GT4 featuring the winning design from the ‘Livery Contest’, which was decided a few weeks ago by a top-class jury, made up of multimedia and BMW Art Car artist Cao Fei, Michael Scully (Global Automotive Director @Designworks) and BMW works driver Bruno Spengler (CAN). 27-year-old graphic designer Chan Wen Bin (MYS) submitted the winning design, which was chosen out of many entries. He can look forward to receiving 3,000 US dollars in prize money and seeing his design in action on a real race car. The design will also be available on the iRacing sim racing platform in the future. “I am very happy and delighted to have won this competition,” said Wen Bin. “I can’t wait to see the result in reality.”

ADAC GT Masters: Short-notice outings for BMW works drivers Sheldon van der Linde and Augusto Farfus. 

Positive COVID-19 tests for Nick Yelloly (GBR) and Jens Klingmann (GER) saw BMW works drivers Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Augusto Farfus (BRA) called into action at short notice at the penultimate race weekend of this season’s ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring (GER). Van der Linde stood in for Yelloly in the Schubert Motorsport BMW M6 GT3. He finished tenth alongside Henric Skoog (SWE) in Sunday’s race. The same duo had previously come home 19^th on Saturday. Farfus endured a tough weekend together with Erik Johansson (SWE) in the BMW M6 GT3 of MRS GT-Racing. Johansson crashed out early in Saturday’s race, while a spin and a drive-through penalty following a collision saw the duo drop well down the field on Sunday. In the end, Farfus and Johansson crossed the finish line in 21^st place.

ADAC GT4 Germany: Top-ten finishes for the BMW M4 GT4.

BMW M Customer Racing teams claimed top-ten finishes with the BMW M4 GT4 at the penultimate race weekend of this season’s ADAC GT4 Germany at the Lausitzring (GER). Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER), who are well-placed in the title race, finished fifth and seventh in the two races for Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport. Their team-mates Claudia Hürtgen and Sebastian von Gartzen (both GER) were eighth in both races. Georg Braun and Stephan Grotstollen (both GER) of Team Lillestoff came home tenth in race one and 13^th in Sunday’s race.