BMW Motorsport News – Issue 08/16

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar 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.

Blancpain GT Series: Two #bmw works drivers share the cockpit of the #bmw M6 GT3.
The ROWE #racing team is receiving prominent support in the Blancpain GT Series: #bmw works drivers Alexander Sims (GB) and Philipp Eng (AT) will compete with the new #bmw M6 GT3 in both the Sprint and Endurance Cup in 2016. Sims is a true GT specialist. In recent years, he has been in action for #bmw at the prestigious 24-hour races at Spa-Francorchamps (BE) and the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE). In 2015, he finished runner-up in the drivers’ standings in the British GT Championship at the wheel of a #bmw Z4 GT3 with Ecurie Ecosse. Eng emphatically showed his class in 2014 and 2015 with two titles in the Porsche Carrera Cup and one in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Before Eng and Sims launch their campaign at the opening round of the Blancpain GT Series, the Sprint Cup race in Misano (IT) on the second weekend in April, the #bmw M6 GT3’s pre-season preparations include two days of testing at the Circuit Paul Ricard (FR) on 9th and 10th March.

Three questions for ... Philipp Eng.

You are returning to the #bmw family after almost ten years – with what memories and emotions?
Philipp Eng: “It is a very cool story. I am really looking forward to driving for #bmw again after all these years – especially in a top-class #racing car like the #bmw M6 GT3. I look back incredibly fondly on the time I spent with #bmw before. I more or less learned to walk with #bmw Motorsport. I finished third in Formula #bmw Germany and enjoyed my first major success in the Formula #bmw FB02 when I won the Formula #bmw World Final in Valencia in 2007 – and I was one of the last people to drive a Formula One car for the #bmw Sauber F1 Team. That was my prize for winning in Valencia. I will never forget that experience.”

How good was the basis that #bmw gave you for the rest of your motorsport career?
Eng: “Very good. Back then I was a #bmw Junior and received extensive coaching from the #bmw works drivers at the time. They were my heroes. From them I not only learned how to handle a #racing car at the limit, but how to prepare properly for a race. Through this, #bmw Motorsport laid the foundation for the rest of my career, which has been a successful one. I am back now, and hope we can reap the rewards for that outstanding training together.”

You start for ROWE #racing in the Blancpain GT Series. What are your expectations for the season?
Eng: “As a #racing driver, you obviously always want to win. However, the bottom line is we will have to wait and see how things pan out. I have raced in the Blancpain Endurance Series before, so I know how incredibly high the standard of drivers, teams and cars is. It is the first year of #racing for the #bmw M6 GT3 and the challenge we face in the Blancpain GT Series is a big one. However, I feel comfortable in the car, have fantastic team-mates by my side, and an extremely professional and experienced team behind me in ROWE #racing. When you meet the people, you notice immediately that they have been working together for a long time and are perfectly coordinated. I think we have all the ingredients for a successful season.”

--

Pirelli World Challenge: TC class victory for the #bmw M235i #racing.
The #bmw M235i #racing made a very successful North American competition debut with a Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) Touring Car (TC) class victory in Race 2 for Toby Grahovec (US), driving the number 26 Classic #bmw Motorsports M235iR. The day before Grahovec finished second in Race 1 as the 2016 PWC season began at “Circuit of the Americas“ (US). Grahovec drives the first two US-specification M235iR cars for Classic #bmw Motorsports, Classic BMW’s #racing team. “It is awesome to win close to home,” said Grahovec. “We have about 60 family members and friends here today and to win is fantastic.” Another #bmw privateer driver was in action over the weekend. In the GTA class, Michael Mills (US) raced in the number 46 #bmw Z4 GT3. He finished second in the opening race. Race two was not completed before the editorial deadline.

Australian GT Championship: Start to the comeback season.
BMW is back on the Australian motor #racing scene – and had an eventful first race weekend in the Australian GT Championship. More than 200,000 spectators followed the #bmw M6 GT3’s first outing down under at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide (AU). In three action-packed races, Steve Richards (NZ) and Max Twigg (AU) came home 19th, 21st and 15th in the car run by #bmw Team SRM. The next round of the Australian GT Championship takes place in Melbourne (AU) from 17th to 20th March, when fans will be able to check out the #bmw M6 GT3 on the same bill as the Formula One Grand Prix at Albert Park (AU).