BMW M Motorsport News, 8th November 2022

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Last weekend, the 2022 Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) drew to a close with what was originally scheduled to be the second race of the season, but was postponed back in April. Champions elect Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg (both GER) and Sindre Setsaas (NOR) won an exciting race in the #500 BMW 330i to claim their eighth class victory in eight races and complete a perfect season for themselves and Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive. “Winning the championship is a big and long-held dream come true for me,” said Zils. Sandberg: “That was by far my best year in motorsport. I claimed a class victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, won the title in the RCN performance tests two weeks ago, and now the championship in the NLS – it doesn’t get any better. The NLS title is obviously the biggest.” Setsaas: “It doesn’t actually matter what race car you are in. What matters most is that you win in the end. That is simply a great feeling.”

Walkenhorst Motorsport was once again in contention for overall victory with the BMW M4 GT3 in Saturday’s race, and had opened a big lead. However, an issue when refuelling then cost the crew a lot of time. In the end, Christian Krognes (NOR) and Sami-Matti Trogen (FIN) made it onto the podium in third place. Nordschleife specialist Krognes set a new lap record for an NLS race, with a time of 7:49.578 minutes. Walkenhorst Motorsport secured victories in the SP9 Pro-Am and SP9 Am classes with the team’s other two BMW M4 GT3.

The champions have now also been confirmed in the BMW M2 CS and BMW M240i classes. Second place at the finale saw Tobias Vazquez-Garcia (GER) clinch the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS title ahead of race winner David Griessner (AUT), who shared his car with Brett Lidsey and Stefan Kruse (GER). In the BMW M240i Racing, Michael Sander and JayMo Härtling (both GER) secured both the title and, together with their team-mates at Schnitzelalm Racing – Tim Neuser (GER) and Dennis Lind (DEN), the race win in their class. There were more class victories at the season finale in the V4, SP4 and AT categories, with Jacqueline and Alesia Kreutzpointner (both GER) starting alongside Maxime Oosten (NED) in a BMW M2 CS Racing Four Motors Bioconcept car with alternative drive in the AT class.

Japanese Super GT: Season finale with Augusto Farfus
BMW M works driver Augusto Farfus (BRA) contested his final race of an intensive season last weekend, at the finale of this year’s Japanese Super GT Championship in Motegi (JPN). He once again shared the BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team Studie with Seiji Ara (JPN). The duo climbed from 14^th place on the grid to finish ninth and end the season with a top-ten result. “That was my last race of the season. Thank you to BMW M Motorsport for allowing me to continue to live my dream,” said Farfus. “I will look back fondly on the season in Japan with BMW M Team Studie. Thank you to Bob Suzuki and the whole crew. Hopefully we’ll see each other again soon!”

BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux: Oosten crowns championship-winning season
On the last weekend in October, Maxime Oosten (NED) crowned his championship-winning season in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux with another two race wins at the finale in Assen (NED). Oosten, who was also crowned champion in the BMW M2 Cup, had already wrapped up the title before the event. Oosten won the opening race in Assen, ahead of Dirk Warmerdam and Max Veels (both NED). In race two, Oosten was followed over the finish line by Veels and the pairing of Willem Meijer and Lorenzo van Riet (both NED).