BMW Motorsport News: Three questions for Spengler, Dienst wins Formula BMW Talent Cup.

Whether in the DTM, the American Le Mans Series, 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” now 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 enjoys most successful DTM weekend of the year.

Oschersleben (DE) remains a happy stomping ground for BMW Motorsport. After 11 victories in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, Sunday saw a BMW driver climb onto the top step of the podium there in the DTM: Bruno Spengler (CA). The Canadian, at the wheel of the BMW Bank M3 DTM, secured the third win of the season, the 52nd triumph for BMW in the DTM, and BMW Team Schnitzer’s 20th success in the series. Dirk Werner (DE) and Augusto Farfus (BR) also picked up points, finishing fourth and fifth and ensuring BMW enjoyed its most successful DTM weekend of the year, leaving Oschersleben with a booty of 47 points.

Three questions for… Bruno Spengler.

Bruno, what does your third win of the season mean to you?

Bruno Spengler: “A huge amount. I am really happy with the way the entire race weekend panned out. We arrived at Oschersleben not knowing exactly how we would cope here. This is quite a unique circuit and the opposition was very strong. I had to fight all the way to bring home the victory after claiming pole position on Saturday. I’d like to thank BMW Team Schnitzer for doing a great job. It is a sensational success for us.”

How much pressure did you feel, having championship leader Gary Paffett breathing down your neck?

Spengler: “It is precisely for wins like this that I became a racing driver. I need that special pressure, when your rival is breathing down your neck and you have to be at your very best to keep him at bay. To be honest, I don’t actually see it as pressure. For me, it is more of a motivation to go even faster. I need that in order to produce my best performances. That is how it was in this race. When Gary started catching me, I just tried to avoid making any mistakes, hit the braking points accurately and remain focussed. I thought to myself: ‘Don’t let him pass you’. Thankfully I managed to hold him off.”

On the podium you held your two index fingers to your head like two devil’s horns. What did you mean by that?

Spengler: “When I crossed the finish line in first place at the Nürburgring, my engineer said: ‘Awesome! You drove like a devil!’ That is why I made that gesture. I would really like to show it off more often at presentation ceremonies.”

Big stage for the Formula BMW Talent Cup.

The stars of tomorrow are on display in the Formula BMW Talent Cup – and they were particularly tense in Oschersleben. The three races that form the Grand Final of the series and determine the winner of the 2012 Formula BMW Talent Cup were held as part of the DTM weekend. The first race on Saturday morning was won by 14-year-old Swiss driver Ralph Boschung. Race two went to another Swiss in the form of Louis Delétraz. On Sunday it was the turn of Marvin Dienst (DE) to climb onto the top step of the podium. As his biggest rivals in the battle for overall victory were involved in a crash, Dienst’s victory saw him climb to the top of the standings, making the 2012 Formula BMW Talent Cup his first title in single-seater racing. Next year he will receive financing from BMW Motorsport for a season in a higher-level Formula series.

BMW Team RLL luckless in Virginia.

BMW Team RLL travelled to the “Virginia International Raceway” looking for a good result to remain in the hunt for the title in the GT class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). For a long time it looked as though it might just succeed: Dirk Müller (DE) and Jonathan Summerton (US) were in second approaching the end of the race. However, a collision with a prototype – through no fault of their own – crucially saw the number 56 BMW M3 GT drop back through the field, meaning the duo ultimately had to settle for ninth. Bill Auberlen (US) and Jörg Müller (DE) came home fourth. The result meant this year’s title goes to Corvette Racing. Road Atlanta (US) will host the season finale on 20th October.

Lunardi and Martin remain in title race.

BMW Alpina drivers Dino Lunardi (FR) and Maxime Martin (BE) are back in the race for the ADAC GT Masters title following their race victory and a second place at the Nürburgring. They were followed in fourth place by the best-placed BMW Z4 GT3, driven by DB Motorsport drivers Simon Knap and Jeroen den Boer (both NL). On Sunday the Schubert Motorsport team – with Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Dominik Schwager (DE) in the cockpit of the BMW Z4 GT3 – finished in the points in seventh. In the overall standings, Lunardi and Martin are now fourth with 133 points. The final two races of the 2012 ADAC GT Masters will be held in Hockenheim on 29th and 30th September.

Tomczyk visits BMW plant in Leipzig.

Ahead of the eighth DTM race of the season in Oschersleben, BMW Team RMG driver Martin Tomczyk paid the workers at the BMW plant in Leipzig a visit. Tomczyk took a look at the production facilities, signed autographs and answered questions from BMW employees.

BMW drivers try their hands as customer service representatives.

The BMW works drivers were required to demonstrate more than just their racing talent in Oschersleben. Prior to the race at the “Motorsport Arena”, Augusto Farfus, Joey Hand, Andy Priaulx, Bruno Spengler and Dirk Werner also put their sales skills on display. At the Schubert Motors dealership in Magdeburg (DE), they talked shop with BMW customers and fans about the various BMW models and delivered a brand-new BMW M3 to a surprised but delighted Schubert customer.