In our BMW M Motorsport News, we regularly offer you a selection of photos as well as a compact and informative overview of the racing action in various championships worldwide and the successes of the BMW M Motorsport teams.
Laura Claesgens
BMW Group
Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:
"What an incredible two race weekends for our BMW M Motorsport teams! BMW Italia Ceccato Racing is at the forefront of the title race after a fantastic performance at Mugello. Paul Miller Racing has finally celebrated its first GTD PRO victory in the IMSA series, and Turner Motorsport also shone in the USA. Add to that the successes for Team WRT and Century Motorsport in the GT World Challenge Europe and for Trevor Racing in the ESET Cup Series. The BMW M4 GT3 has truly impressed. But our teams with the BMW M4 GT4 were in no way inferior. They also achieved further successes in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia. I am proud of such a strong customer sports programme and warmly congratulate all the winners!"
Italian GT Championship (24.-25.8.): Victories and podiums at Mugello.
Team BMW Italia Ceccato Racing dominated the penultimate sprint weekend of the Italian GT Championship at Mugello (ITA). With their two BMW M4 GT3s, the team led by Team Principal Roberto Ravaglia achieved two victories and two additional podium places, putting them in an excellent position in the title fight. BMW M works drivers Jens Klingmann and Max Hesse (both GER) drove the #7 BMW M4 GT3 to an overall victory in Saturday's race. On Sunday, the duo started from pole position but had to complete a 15-second longer pit stop as required by the regulations after their victory the day before. Nevertheless, final driver Klingmann fought for the lead until the last lap and crossed the finish line in second place. Klingmann has a very good chance of defending his title at the season finale in October at Monza (ITA). Before the evaluation of the drop scores, Klingmann is one point behind, but the drop scores work in his favour, putting him in the lead theoretically. Hesse had to sit out a weekend and therefore does not play a role in the fight for the top position in the overall standings.
His summary of the Mugello weekend was very positive: "It was a great weekend! We felt very comfortable from the first lap and coped very well with the extremely hot conditions. I believe we had an advantage in dealing with the Pirelli tyres thanks to our test the previous week. Working with the BMW Italia Ceccato Racing team is always incredibly fun. Thanks to our good results, Jens is now well in the race for the title before the last sprint weekend in Monza."
In the Pro-Am category, BMW Italia Ceccato Racing also has the best chances for the title. Pedro Ebrahim (BRA) and Federico Malvestiti (ITA) drove the #8 BMW M4 GT3 to a class victory in Sunday's race at Mugello and finished third on Saturday. They lead the Pro-Am drivers' standings, subject to the drop scores, with 98 points and a 27-point lead.
IMSA Series (24.-25.8.): Paul Miller Racing celebrates first GTD PRO victory.
At the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, Paul Miller Racing celebrated its first victory in the GTD PRO category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA Series) with the #1 BMW M4 GT3 at the Virginia International Raceway (USA). Drivers Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers (both USA) crossed the finish line first for the first time since their promotion from the GTD class to the higher category at the beginning of this season. This time even as overall winners, as only GT cars were on the grid at the Virginia International Raceway, with no prototypes.
“This race will definitely stay in my memory forever. The first GTD PRO victory – that's something very special,” said BMW M works driver Snow, who first secured pole position and then nervously held onto first place after a final yellow phase 15 minutes before the end of the 2:40-hour race. Sellers added: “This is quite a satisfaction because the question kept coming up whether we switched to GTD PRO too early, whether the decision was right in general. Sometimes it really looked like we were wrong this season. But this victory shows that the team is very resilient and ultimately made the right decision.”
In the GTD class, BMW M works driver Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher (both USA) competed in the Turner Motorsport #96 BMW M4 GT3. For a long time, the duo was also on course for a podium, but in the closing stages, Foley had to let two competitors pass and crossed the finish line in fifth place.
IMPC / VP Challenge (24.-25.8.): Podium places for the BMW M4 GT4.
The BMW M4 GT4 was also in action at the Virginia International Raceway (USA) last weekend. In the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC), the BMW M Motorsport teams could not continue their usual successes. Robby Foley and Francis Selldorff (both USA) finished tenth in the Turner Motorsport #96 BMW M4 GT4, ahead of their teammates Dillon Machavern and Robert Megennis (both USA) in car #95.
There was reason to celebrate in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. In the first of the two races at the Virginia International Raceway, Mark Brummond (USA) drove the #25 BMW M4 GT4 from Auto Technic Racing to second place in the GSX class. Patrick Wilmot (USA) finished third in the #88 BMW M4 GT4 from Split Decision Motorsports. In the second race, Wilmot did even better and finished second.
GT World Challenge America / GT America (16.-18.8.): Turner Motorsport celebrates victories in both series.
Once again there was a strong performance by the BMW M4 GT3 in the SRO championships in North America. At the mid-August Road America (USA) event, Turner Motorsport celebrated class victories in both the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT America. In addition, there were further podium places for ST Racing in GTWC America and for Turner Motorsport in GT America.
The first of the two races in GTWC America took place on Saturday. Justin Rothberg and BMW M works driver Robby Foley (both USA) started the race in the Turner Motorsport #29 BMW M4 GT3 from third place in the Pro-Am class. Rothberg handed over the car in second place, and Foley managed the decisive manoeuvre for class victory (fourth place overall) in the last minutes. Samantha Tan (CAN) and BMW M works driver Neil Verhagen (USA) finished fifth in the Pro-Am category (ninth place overall) in the ST Racing #38 BMW M4 GT3, directly followed by Elias Sabo and Andy Lee (both USA) in car #8 from Flying Lizard Motorsports. In the Pro class, BMW M works driver Bill Auberlen and Varun Choksey (both USA) finished fourth in the #28 BMW M4 GT3 from ST Racing (twelfth place overall).
In the second race, Tan and Verhagen climbed onto the podium. They secured second place in the Pro-Am category (fourth place overall) for ST Racing. For their teammates Auberlen and Choksey, fourth place in the Pro class was again recorded (sixth place overall). Behind them, BMW M works driver Madison Snow and Kenton Koch (both USA) finished fifth in the Pro class (seventh overall) in the #99 BMW M4 GT3 from Random Vandals Racing. Sabo and Lee finished fifth in the Pro-Am category (tenth overall). Foley and Rothberg led the race for a long time but then had to make an additional stop due to a flat right front tyre. They eventually finished eighth in the Pro-Am class (15th overall).
In GT America, two races were also on the schedule in Road America. In the first race, Rothberg celebrated overall victory in the Turner Motorsport #29 BMW M4 GT3, and in race two, he finished second on the podium again, just 0.379 seconds behind. In the GT4 class, Nicholas Shanny (USA) finished fourth and fifth in the #21 BMW M4 GT4 from Carrus Callas Raceteam in both races.
GT4 America (16.-18.8.): Double victory for Random Vandals Racing.
Two races and two victories for Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch (both USA) and the Random Vandals Racing team was the summary at the GT4 America race weekend in Road America (USA). The duo secured the overall victory in both races in the #97 BMW M4 GT4, thus also winning the Silver class.
In the first race, there was a double victory for the BMW M4 GT4, as Colin Garrett and Zac Anderson (both USA) finished second overall and second in the Silver Class in the #51 BMW M4 GT4 from Team AutoTechnic Racing. In the second race, they finished sixth in the Silver category.
In addition, there were three podium places for the BMW M Motorsport teams in the Am class. Nicholas Shanny and Chris Walsh (both USA) finished third and second in the #20 BMW M4 GT4 from Carrus Callas Raceteam. Furthermore, James Clay and Charlie Postins (both USA) finished second in class in car #36 from BimmerWorld in the first race.
TC America (16.-18.8.): Chris Walsh also successful in Road America.
When it comes to the distribution of the top places in TC America this season, there is hardly any way around Chris Walsh (USA). At the ninth and tenth season races in Road America (USA), he continued his successful series in the #104 BMW M2 CS Racing from Carrus Callus Raceteam. Walsh finished both races in second place on the podium. His record for the ten races of the season so far is seven victories and three second places. In the drivers' standings of the championship, Walsh now leads with 229 points and a 63-point lead over his nearest pursuer.
GTWC Asia / Japan Cup (24.-25.8.): Successful weekend for Team YZ Racing at Okayama.
The Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS visited Okayama (JPN) last weekend. Maxime Oosten (NED) and Cunfan Ruan (CHN) competed in the Team KRC #89 BMW M4 GT3. The duo finished fourth and fifth in the Sil-Am class in the two races. In the Japan Cup, Team YZ Racing had a successful weekend. In the first race, the #50 BMW M4 GT4 was the best GT4 car, and Masaki Kano and Yuki Fujii (both JPN) secured the victory in the GT4-SA class. In the second race, they finished third in their class.
GT4 France (24.-25.8.): L'Espace Bienvenue on the podium at Magny-Cours.
At the fourth season round of GT4 France at Magny-Cours (FRA), there was an overall podium for the BMW M4 GT4. In the first of the two races, Jim Pla and Jean-Luc Beaubelique (both FRA) secured second overall and thus also P2 in the Pro-Am category. The pair drove the L'Espace Bienvenue #87 BMW M4 GT4. In the Am class, VSF Sports - Amplitude Automobiles celebrated two podium places. Gregory Curson Faessel and Florian Teillais (both FRA) finished second and third in their #41 BMW M4 GT4.
GT4 Australia (24.-25.8.): Two overall victories on Phillip Island.
At the fourth season event of GT4 Australia, BMW M Motorsport teams achieved further victories. The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit south of Melbourne (AUS) hosted the races last weekend.
Tim Leahey and Cody Burcher (both AUS) in the #22 BMW M4 GT4 had the perfect weekend. They celebrated overall victories in both races, automatically winning the Silver class each time. In the Pro-Am category, Ryder Quinn and Steve Jakic (both AUS) in the #3 BMW M4 GT4 from Thunder Buddies Racing achieved a win and a second place. There was also a victory in the Am class as John Bowe and Jacob Lawrence (both AUS) won the Saturday race with the Randall Racing #32 BMW M4 GT4. In the Sunday race, their teammates Jamie Augustine and Peter Lawrence (both AUS) finished second on the Am podium with car #33.
ESET Cup Series (24.-25.8.): Success series continues at the Slovakiaring.
The success series of the BMW M Motorsport teams in the ESET Cup Series continued at the sixth racing event of the season at the Slovakiaring near Bratislava (SVK). In the two sprint races, Antal Szigo (SVK) in the #500 BMW M4 GT3 from Trevor Racing secured a win and a second place in the GT3 class. In the Endurance race, Gregor Zsigo (SVK) and Dennis Waszek (CZE) in the #24 BMW M6 GT3 from Trevor Racing finished third overall and thus second in the GT3 category. In the GT4 class, Rudolf Beňo (SVK) in the #444 BMW M4 GT4 from Aries Racing had the perfect weekend with class victories in all three races.
BTCC (10.-11.8. & 24.-25.8.): Victories and podiums for BMW drivers.
The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) had two race events in August. Mid-month, the series visited Knockhill (GBR), and last weekend was at Donington Park (GBR). The BMW drivers collected further successes with the BMW 330e M Sport.
At Knockhill, they celebrated two victories and two third places. In the first race, Colin Turkington (GBR) in car #20 from Team BMW achieved his 71st BTCC victory. Alongside him, teammate Adam Morgan (GBR) climbed onto the podium in third place. In the second race, Jake Hill (GBR / Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport) in car #24 was unbeatable and took his sixth season victory. Turkington completed the podium in third place.
BMW drivers continued this successful streak last weekend at Donington Park. In the first race, Turkington drove to his 72nd BTCC victory with a brilliant performance. In the second race, he followed up with second place on the podium. Hill finished the first two races in third place on the podium. In addition, he took fifth place in the third race, and with the points collected, Hill regained the lead in the drivers' championship. In the manufacturers' standings, BMW is in second place, just two points behind.
