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  • BMW M1 Procar revival at Hockenheim
    Created: Sunday, June 29, 2008 Author: Jeff
    The F1 German Grand Prix programme this year will see the revival of the most spectacular single-make competition in motor racing history. The BMW M1 Procar series will be back at Hockenheim on 19th and 20th July as a field of ten cars. BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, for one, is looking forward to the event: “The M1 was unveiled 30 years ago as the first car created independently by the then BMW Motorsport GmbH. It was a racing car which BMW customers could also drive on the road, a unique project which had to overcome some tricky administrative hurdles before getting off the ground.” In order to gain Group 4 homologation, 400 units of the super sports car had to be built within a period of 24 months. As Theissen continues: “The idea of organising a single-make series was born out of necessity – i.e. the requirements of homologation. Nobody expected the BMW M1 Procar series to go down quite so well. Just a mention of it today still triggers an enthusia...
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  • MID OHIO ACTION ON SPEED TV THIS WEEKEND
    Created: Thursday, June 26, 2008 Author: Jeff
    MID OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE, LEXINGTON, OH (June 27, 2008) -- Turner Motorsport will be on The Speed Channel again this weekend with the broadcast of the Koni CHallenge ST race from the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. The Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs/Borla Exhaust BMW 330i sped into the top ten and finished in fifteenth place out of a huge field of 45 cars. As if 250 miles of racing wasn't exciting enough, the weather turned to rain for the first time in a ST race in several years. The Speed Channel will begin broadcasts of the Mid Ohio round this Saturday, June 28 at 2:00p ET. It was a promising race for the young driving duo or Matt Bell and VJ Mirzayan in the #95 BMW 330i. They had the car into the top ten for the 5th straight race with a good strategy to put them closer to the lead. But their chances of advancing further were hampered when the rain fell and they had no choice but to continue racing with a dry-track setup. Will Turner, team owner - "I'm proud of what our guys...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - British GP - Preview
    Created: Thursday, June 26, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Munich/Hinwil.  The 2008 Formula One season reaches its halfway mark on July 6th with a truly classic fixture: the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. The BMW Sauber F1 Team hopes the three days of testing at this challenging circuit in Northamptonshire will help it bring home a better result than at its last outing in the French Grand Prix. Silverstone features a lot of medium and high-speed corners, so good aerodynamic balance is always one of the key issues here. The BMW Sauber F1 Team comes to Silverstone lying second in the Constructors’ Championship, and with Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld second and fifth in the drivers’ rankings. On the same weekend that Kubica and Heidfeld are battling for championship points in Silverstone, Manchester will welcome the hands-on BMW Sauber F1 Team Pit Lane Park. This high-tech theme park will be open to visitors free of charge from Friday to Sunday until 10 pm. The park recorded more than 300,000 visitors during its 2007 tour...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - French GP - Race
    Created: Saturday, June 21, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Magny-Cours (FR). BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Robert Kubica scored four points by finishing fifth in the French Grand Prix and had to hand over the lead in the drivers’ championship to race winner Felipe Massa (Ferrari). Nick Heidfeld didn’t make it into the points this time as he came 13th in Magny-Cours. In the constructors’ championship the BMW Sauber F1 Team remains second. Robert Kubica: 5th BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8 Fastest Lap: 1:17.172 min on lap 16 (4th fastest overall) “We didn’t score as many points as we wanted to here in Magny-Cours. Over the whole weekend we tried to minimize the problems we had, and we knew the race would be decided on the first lap. At the start I tried to overtake Jarno Trulli, but did not manage it. I tried again in turn 5 on the outside, but it did not work out. In the end I have to say I am pretty happy. I finished fifth, only 2 seconds away from the podium. We now have to analyse what happened here and see...
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  • Formula BMW Americas: Race – Rounds 5 & 6, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 22
    Created: Saturday, June 21, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Alexander Rossi (Eurointernational) added two more first place trophies to his collection as he swept Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Championship at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Eurointernational teammate Ricardo Favoretto finished second in both races. Maxime Pelletier (Apex-HBR Racing Team) and Giancarlo Vilarihno (Eurointernational) split the third step of the podium. Round 5: Alexander Rossi (Eurointernational) won Round 5 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Championship today at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The 16-year old Californian led every lap to the 16-lap contest from the pole position, finishing 14.162 seconds ahead of Eurointernational teammate Ricardo Favoretto. He recorded the race’s fastest lap (1:26.708) on lap 13. Rossi’s second consecutive victory gives him the Overall points lead. Maxime Pelletier (Apex-HBR Racing Team) finished third. Alexandre Ruiz (Apex-HBR Racing Team) finished fourth and Giancarlo Vilarinho (Eur...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - French GP - Qualifying
    Created: Friday, June 20, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Magny-Cours (FR). The BMW Sauber F1 Team had to cope with a rather disappointing qualifying result in Magny-Cours. Nick Heidfeld came 12th, while his team mate, Robert Kubica, just made it into the top ten of qualifying and in the end was seventh. Robert Kubica: BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8 Qualifying 7th, 1:17.037 min (3rd Practice: 14th, 1:16.617 min) “It looks like we are having a difficult weekend. After yesterday’s free practice sessions I was expecting us to struggle. The balance of the car is not how I want it to be and my car has a poor overall grip. The gap to the top teams seems to have stayed the same, and at the same time the other teams obviously have made a big step forward. My goal now is to score as many points as possible in tomorrow’s race, which certainly will not be easy.” Nick Heidfeld: BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8 Qualifying 12th, 1:15.786 min (3rd Practice: 18th, 1:16.687 min) “The circuit here in Magny-Cours is c...
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  • Formula BMW Americas: Qualifying – Rounds 5 & 6, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 21
    Created: Friday, June 20, 2008 Author: Jeff
    16-year old Alexander Rossi (Eurointernational), of Nevada City, Calif., had the pace of this weekend’s Formula BMW Americas field taking the pole position for both Rounds 5 and 6. Rossi, the winner of Round 4, now has two consecutive and four career Formula BMW poles. Round 5 – The fastest driver in both Friday practice sessions, Rossi’s lap of 1:26.589 minutes around the 2.4-mile, 10-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in yesterday’s qualifying session was .873 seconds quicker then Eurointernational teammate Ricardo Favoretto. Maxime Pelletier (Apex-HBR Racing Team) was 1.167 seconds behind Rossi and will start in the third position. Rookie Giancarlo Vilarinho (Eurointernational) qualified fourth for the 16-year old Brazilian’s best qualifying effort to date. Overall and Rookie point leader Gianmarco Raimondo (Autotecnica) rounded out the top-five qualifiers. Round 6 – Alexander Rossi (Eurointernational) rose to the top for a second time this wee...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - French GP - Free Practice
    Created: Thursday, June 19, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Magny-Cours (FR). In the first two practice sessions for the French Grand Prix the BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, came fifth and sixth and ninth and eighth respectively. Robert Kubica: BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8 1st Practice: 5th, 1:16.377 min / 2nd Practice: 6th, 1:16.317 min “This was a quite difficult Friday and we lost some running time in the second practice session due to technical problems. The balance of the car was a bit strange and, therefore, it was quite difficult to drive. We now have to analyse the data and see what we can do for tomorrow.” Nick Heidfeld: BMW Sauber F1.08-07 / BMW P86/8 1st Practice: 9th, 1:16.870 min / 2nd Practice: 8th, 1:16.458 min “It is too early to say how we will perform here, but today my free practice was trouble free. We did everything that is on the usual Friday programme, including the tyre comparison and evaluation. At the very end of the second session the car bottomed ou...
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  • Formula BMW Americas expands 2008 Championship to 17 rounds with the addition of three races
    Created: Thursday, June 19, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Formula BMW Americas announced today that it has expanded the 2008 championship to 17 races with the scheduling of three additional races. An additional race will be held at Lime Rock Park during the rounds held at the Northeast Grand Prix, July 11-12. A third round will also be conducted at Road America during the Generac 500, August 7-10. The schedule at New Jesey Motorsport Park will also include a third race as part of the on-track activities at the Thunderbolt 150, September 27 – 28. With the addition of these three races, the series is now on par with the Formula BMW Europe and Pacific series in the number of rounds held this season. This will provide Formula BMW Americas drivers with similar preparation for the Formula BMW World Final as other Formula BMW participants around the world . True to the goal of Formula BMW of maximizing on-track experience in the most cost-effective way, the addition of these races to existing events, as done in the Formula BMW Pacific series,...
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  • BimmerWorld: Watkins Glen SPEED TC -- When Good Turns to Bad in 45 Minutes
    Created: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Dublin, VA The old racing adage about needing to 'win or be spectacular' was never more evident as a crash in the final corner found all three BimmerWorld BMW E90's involved and out of the race on the spot. Recounting the events of the impact, BimmerWorld owner/driver James Clay, at the center of the crash that involved teammates Nick Esayian and Seth Thomas, stated "I came into Turn 11 and just couldn't find any front end grip. I got the car pointed, but needed about 3" more track than I had. As soon as the car touched the tire wall, it got sucked in and started this chain of events. I am very glad that Daniels who was behind me, as well as my teammates and myself made it through the incident without any real injury." Bumps and bruises are a normal part of top-tier touring car racing, but despite this, Clay's crash left him in awe of the BMW E90's BimmerWorld has built. "This wreck was violent and the scariest I have ever been in. It is a real testament to the s...
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  • TURNER STRATEGY NEARLY PAYS OFF
    Created: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Author: Jeff
    MOSPORT RACEWAY, ONTARIO, CANADA (June 17, 2008) -- The Turner Motorsport BMW team showed speed and consistency throughout the recent Koni Challenge race weekend at Mosport Raceway in Ontario. The defending pole-sitter #97 H&R Springs/Nova Derm/OCG/GoToPuertoRico.com BMW M3, driven by Don Salama, started from inside the top ten and the #96 Motul Lubricants/StopTech Brakes BMW M3, driven by Matt Alhadeff, started 15th and soared through the field in the early stages up to ninth place. But it was a gamble on a pit stop that disrupted their chances for victory. With the two H&R Springs BMW M3s vying for top ten spots, the team made the call for dual pit stops just before the course went to a full-course caution. What would have been a brilliant strategy call turned sour as the two Turner M3s were caught behind the pace car as they resumed the race. That strategy would have put them at the front of the field after everyone else made their pit stop under caution. But stuck at the b...
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  • BMW driver Zanardi celebrates most successful WTCC weekend to date.
    Created: Saturday, June 14, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Alessandro Zanardi (IT) claimed BMW’s third win in the 2008 World Touring Car Championship at the “Automotodrom Brno”. He took victory in the ninth round of the season. Félix Porteiro (ES) finished second, thus making it a one-two for BMW Team Italy-Spain. Chevrolet’s Alain Menu (CH) came third. The BMW Team Germany drivers, Augusto Farfus (BR) and Jörg Müller (DE), executed numerous overtaking manoeuvres and took the chequered flag in fourth and fifth respectively. Andy Priaulx (GB) of BMW Team UK had to make do with 14th.   In the second race of the day, Zanardi came up with another stunning performance from eighth on the grid and finished second behind SEAT’s Gabriele Tarquini (IT). Robert Huff (GB) came home in third in his Chevrolet. Farfus scored another fourth-place finish, while Porteiro added four points to his tally by finishing fifth. Müller came home eighth, directly ahead of Priaulx.   Following his wins in ...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - France GP - Preview
    Created: Thursday, June 12, 2008 Author: Jeff
    8th of 18 World Championship races Preview. Munich/Hinwil, 13th June 2008. From urban prowl to country jaunt. After celebrating its maiden Formula One victory in the buzzing city of Montreal, the BMW Sauber F1 Team immersed itself immediately in preparations for the French Grand Prix in the rural backwater of Magny-Cours. Robert Kubica, fresh from a hugely popular victory in the Canadian GP, and Nick Heidfeld, who followed his team-mate home in majestic fashion to take second place in Montreal, are aiming to record a maximum return once again. Kubica arrives at the Circuit de Nevers leading the drivers’ standings for the first time in his short 29-race Formula One career. Meanwhile, the Canadian one-two has taken the BMW Sauber F1 Team into second place in the Constructors’ Championship, just three points behind leaders Ferrari. Nick Heidfeld: “I like the Magny-Cours track and also the rural surroundings. I’m lucky enough to spend the GP weekend here each...
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  • RETURNING POLE SITTERS REVISIT MOSPORT
    Created: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Author: Jeff
    MOSPORT INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, ONTARIO, CANADA Turner Motorsport BMWs return to the racetrack this weekend for the Koni Challenge race at Mosport Raceway in Ontario, Canada. The trio of blue and yellow BMWs are aiming to improve on their strong performances at Mosport last year where the #97 H&R Springs BMW M3 sat on the pole and led the race and the #95 H&R Springs BMW 330i also started from the front row and narrowly missed out on a win. In the Koni Challenge GS class, Bryan Ortiz put the #97 H&R Springs/Nova Derm/OCG/GoToPuertoRico.com BMW M3 at the top spot in qualifying two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park. His co-driver Don Salama piloted the same car to the pole spot at last year's Mosport race. The Turner Motorsport team is hoping to repeat the effort this year and cap off the weekend with a win on the 2.46-mile road course. Also on the charge for glory is Bill Auberlen and Matt Alhadeff in the #96 Motul Lubricants/StopTech Brakes BMW M3. The pair is coming off anothe...
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  • Automatic Racing Aiming for Second Straight Victory at Mosport
    Created: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Author: Jeff
    BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – After a brief two-week break, Automatic Racing’s Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal hope to repeat their victorious result from Lime Rock at this weekend’s 200-mile KONI Challenge race at Mosport International Raceway. Lime Rock marked the first time that Automatic Racing has scored a win, and they aren’t ready to give up the taste of victory. The team had a promising run last year at Mosport: Segal and Thornton drove to a finish of second in the No. 09 BMW M3 despite fighting setup issues all weekend. And the No. 99 M3 qualified on the front row and held down second for the first half of the race. With such a solid history at Mosport, the odds might seem to be in Automatic Racing’s favor. However, the team is the first to admit that Mosport won’t be as easy to win as Lime Rock. Mosport’s 2.459-mile circuit tends to favor the Ford Mustangs, unlike Lime Rock’s short, BMW-friendly layout. Still, Thornton and Segal are opt...
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  • Ollie Milroy and Asad Rahman with Atlantic Racing Team at the Canadian GP
    Created: Monday, June 09, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Ollie Milroy and Asad Rahman with Atlantic Racing Team at the Canadian GP "Fantastic!" was heard in many languages, by many spectators, drivers, teams and organizers at this famous track. And a fantastic weekend this was.  Formula BMW put on two truly international races with drivers from Canada,USA, Romania, UK, UAE, Brazil and Spain. Atlantic Racing Team, driving this year in the FBMW Pacific series, received two last minute requests to participate in Montreal from the Brit Ollie Millroy, a BMW Junior driver with Fisichella Motorsports (FMS) and Asad Rahman of Dubai, UAE, driving in his first year for Motaworld. Both drivers are participating in the European Formula BMW Series. "We still had two cars here in Halifax, Nova Scotia and decided three days before the beginning of the Montreal race weekend, to take on the task andrun Asad and Ollie in Montreal - a decision we will never forget. These twoguys have not only talent but also great personalities - when out...
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  • BMW national teams return to successful territory in Brno
    Created: Sunday, June 08, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Munich, 9th June, 2008. This weekend, the BMW national teams have the chance to continue their upward trend in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Brno (CZ). Following the wins for Augusto Farfus (BR) and Andy Priaulx (GB) in Pau (FR), the quintet of BMW drivers travels to the Czech Republic with a confidence boost. This optimism isn’t by chance. In the past, the “Automotodrom Brno” – built into an impressive landscape – proved to suit BMW well. Last year, the rounds held at the Czech circuit were won by Félix Porteiro (ES) and Jörg Müller (DE), with BMW drivers taking all the other podium places. However, handicap weight makes a bigger impact at Brno than elsewhere, due to lots of uphill sections. This disadvantage will particularly affect BMW Team UK ace Priaulx and BMW Team Germany’s Farfus. The pairing will have 58 and 46 kilograms respectively on board their cars. Farfus’ team-mate, Müller, will race carrying 2...
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  • BMW national teams return to successful territory in Brno.
    Created: Sunday, June 08, 2008 Author: Jeff
    This weekend, the BMW national teams have the chance to continue their upward trend in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in Brno (CZ). Following the wins for Augusto Farfus (BR) and Andy Priaulx (GB) in Pau (FR), the quintet of BMW drivers travels to the Czech Republic with a confidence boost. This optimism isn’t by chance. In the past, the “Automotodrom Brno” – built into an impressive landscape – proved to suit BMW well. Last year, the rounds held at the Czech circuit were won by Félix Porteiro (ES) and Jörg Müller (DE), with BMW drivers taking all the other podium places.   However, handicap weight makes a bigger impact at Brno than elsewhere, due to lots of uphill sections. This disadvantage will particularly affect BMW Team UK ace Priaulx and BMW Team Germany’s Farfus. The pairing will have 58 and 46 kilograms respectively on board their cars. Farfus’ team-mate, Müller, will race carrying 20 kilograms, whi...
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  • Formula BMW Americas: Race – Rounds 3 & 4, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
    Created: Saturday, June 07, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Championship saw drivers from eight countries compete in front of the Canadian Grand Prix crowd. With the finish of Round 4 today, the flags of Brazil, Canada and the US had flown over the podium. Ricardo Favoretto and Alexander Rossi each took one win. Round 3: BMW Junior Ricardo Favoretto (Eurointernational), 19, of Sao Paulo, Brazil took his first career Formula BMW victory in Round 3 of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Championship today at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In front of the Canadian Grand Prix crowd, Favoretto, starting from his second career pole position, squeezed past a hometown race inspired Maxime Pelletier (Apex-HBR Racing Team) on the final lap to win the 13-lap contest by a scant .053 seconds. BMW Junior Mikael Grenier, 15, of Stoneham, Quebec, finished third. BMW Junior Gianmarco Raimondo (Autotecnica), of St. Catherines, Ontario, finished fourth to retain the Overall and Rookie points lead. He set the fastest lap,...
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  • BMW Sauber F1 Team - Canadian GP - Race
    Created: Saturday, June 07, 2008 Author: Jeff
    Weather: dry, sunny and very windy. Air: 26, Track: 34-36 Montreal (CA). It is done! Non-stop celebrations for the BMW Sauber F1 Team: The maiden win for the young team turned out to be a double victory when Robert Kubica crossed the line ahead of his team mate, Nick Heidfeld, at the Canadian Grand Prix. Kubica now leads the drivers’ championship. In the constructors’ standings the BMW Sauber F1 Team is second, three points behind Ferrari. Robert Kubica: 1st BMW Sauber F1.08-03 / BMW P86/8 Fastest Lap: 1:17.539 min on lap 47 (4th fastest overall) “I’m very happy at having won the first race for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. I’m also happy for Poland and all my fans. It was a very difficult race for me. I started on the dirty side of the track and Kimi Raikkonen was nearly able to pass me, but I just managed to keep him behind. The timing of the Safety Car was unlucky for me, because I wanted to pit, but then the yellow light went on just about three ...
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