BMW Motorsport News – Issue 12/16
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VLN: Exciting season opener in the “Green Hell”.

The first race of the VLN endurance championship season took place at the Nürburgring (DE), and for BMW Motorsport this event marked the competitive debut of the BMW M6 GT3 at the Nordschleife. Due to restricted opportunities for testing, the ROWE Racing, Schubert Motorsport and Walkenhorst Motorsport teams used the 62nd ADAC Westfalenfahrt as a training session under race conditions. It was vital to give the new vehicle a thorough once-over on the most difficult race circuit in the world. The highest-ranked BMW M6 GT3, in seventh place, was the Walkenhorst Motorsport number 35 car. The BMW M235i Racing Cup also enjoyed a thrilling start to the season. BMW DTM driver Tom Blomqvist (GB) made a guest appearance to get used to the Nordschleife in the BMW M235i Racing, and finished in third. He will compete in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring for Walkenhorst Motorsport in a BMW M6 GT3. Victory in the cup class was claimed by Michael Schrey (DE) and the former BMW Motorsport junior driver Alexander Mies (DE) from Team Bonk Motorsport. They profited from a retrospective time penalty for the “Eifelblitz“, which Thomas Jäger (AT) and Rudi Adams (DE) had driven to the chequered flag in first place. Team Schirmer’s Stefan van Campenhoudt (BE) claimed second place in the class. BMW teams were able to celebrate a total of seven class victories.

24h Series: BMW M3 wins the 24H Silverstone.

Triumph for a BMW at the third race in the 2016 24h Series: A sensational performance secured overall victory for Team ABBA with Rollcentre Racing in the 24-hour race at Silverstone (GB). The endurance test also marked the first race of the new Touring Car Endurance Series (TCES). Richard Roberts, Charles Lamb, Martin Short and Richard Neary (all GB) completed a total of 512 laps in their number 246 BMW M3. The quartet moved into the lead in the 19th hour of the race and finished three laps ahead of their nearest challenger. Four BMW race cars finished in the top ten of a strong field of over 40 vehicles. The RECY Racing Team claimed fifth place with the BMW 120d and won the D1 class. JJ Motorsport finished the race with the BMW M235i Racing in sixth place, also securing victory in the Cup1 class. Scangrip Racing (BMW 335i) was one place behind in seventh and the BMW M3 from JR Motorsport reached ninth position. 

British Touring Car Championship: Double podium finish at Brands Hatch season opener.

The West Surrey Racing team kicked off the 2016 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) with a double podium finish for the BMW 125i M Sport. In the season opener on the short Indy Circuit at Brands Hatch (GB), Sam Tordoff (GB) and Jack Goff (GB) made it to the podium in the last of the three races. Late on Sunday afternoon, Tordoff drove the number 600 car to second place, while team-mate Goff (number 31) also recorded a podium finish in third. Rob Collard (GB) completed the good team result, guiding the number 100 BMW 125i M Sport to sixth. In the first two races of the day, Tordoff reached 16th and ninth positions respectively, and Goff finished in tenth and seventh. Collard completed the morning event in sixth place, and finished 16th in the second race of the day.

Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup: Three BMW M6 GT3s start at the season opener.

The new season starts next weekend in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup with races in Misano (IT). Three new BMW M6 GT3s will be making their debuts in this series. For the ROWE Racing team, the number 98 car will be driven by the two Dutchmen Stef Dusseldorp and Nick Catsburg. The number 99 second ROWE Racing car will be driven by Philipp Eng (AT) and Alexander Sims (GB). BMW DTM driver Maxime Martin (BE) will also feature regularly behind the wheel of a BMW M6 GT3 in the 2016 season. On weekends without DTM events, he will support the Belgian team from Boutsen Ginion Racing. Martin will be involved in four out of five events in this race series.

BMW Motorsport Juniors to test BMW M6 GT3.

Ahead of the start of the ADAC GT Masters season, official testing will take place next Monday and Tuesday at Oschersleben (DE). The BMW Motorsport junior drivers, Jesse Krohn (FI) and Louis Delétraz (CH), will have the opportunity to experience this circuit in the BMW M6 GT3. Both youngsters will be in the cockpit of the Junior car on four race weekends and compete with the elite drivers of GT racing. On Monday, Krohn and Delétraz will be available for interviews as part of an ADAC GT Masters media day.  

FIA Formula E Championship: BMW i8 Safety Car on duty at Long Beach.

On duty in a fantastic location: The sixth round of the 2015/16 FIA Formula E Championship took place on the legendary street circuit at Long Beach (US) last weekend. BMW i is involved as “Official Vehicle Partner” in the race series for electrically operated formula cars and the BMW i8 Safety Car was in action at the Long Beach ePrix. BMW DTM driver António Félix da Costa (PT), competing in the FIA Formula E Championship for a second season, retired with a broken suspension after a strong performance. Victory was claimed by Lucas di Grassi (BR). After six races in Asia and South, Central and North America, the FIA Formula E Championship will now come to Europe: The next race is scheduled to take place on 23rd April in Paris (FR), and after that the series will visit Berlin (DE), Moscow (RU) and London (GB).