BMW M Motorsport News, 4th May 2021.

BMW M Motorsport teams are once again in action all over the world in 2021. They are challenging for race wins and titles with the BMW M6 GT3, the BMW M4 GT4, the BMW M2 CS Racing, and other BMW M Motorsport race cars. Our BMW M Motorsport News allows us to give you an overview of the race action in various championships around the world and any success enjoyed by the BMW M Motorsport teams. Throughout the year, we also highlight certain topics in specific press releases.

NLS: The Nordschleife season is up and running.
After the opening round of this season’s Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) was cancelled due to snow, rounds two and three were held on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (GER) in mid-April and on the first weekend in May. In April’s race, the BMW Junior Team was the best-placed BMW team in the #44 BMW M6 GT3. Neil Verhagen (USA), Max Hesse (GER) and Dan Harper (GBR) finished eighth overall alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA).
 
Next up was NLS 3 on the first weekend in May. After four hours of racing, the #99 ROWE Racing BMW M6 GT3, with Nick Catsburg (NED), John Edwards (USA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR), came home in fifth place. The same car also set the fastest lap of the race. Just behind them, in sixth place, were Connor De Phillippi (USA), Martin Tomczyk and Marco Wittmann (both GER) in the #98 BMW M6 GT3 of ROWE Racing. The fastest time in qualifying, and with it pole position, went to the #20 Schubert Motorsport BMW M6 GT3. In the race itself, the Schubert team and its drivers Jens Klingmann (GER), Jesse Krohn (FIN), Alexander Sims (GBR) and Stef Dusseldorp (NED) finished eleventh.
 
The BMW Junior Team failed to finish, but gained more valuable experience looking ahead to the 24-hour race. “Our pace was good, and we made great progress again. We are confident and well-positioned,” said Hesse.
 
BMW teams also enjoyed success in the different classes. In the SP10 class for GT4 cars, Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport secured second place. The #191 BMW M4 GT4 was driven by Michael Fischer (AUT), Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER) pilotiert). In addition, the BMW teams picked up five class wins in both NLS races. The victorious teams included Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport, Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive, FK Performance Motorsport, and Schnitzelalm Racing GmbH.
 
On the Thursday before NLS 3, the new flagship in the portfolio of cars BMW M Motorsport took it to the track on the Nordschleife for the first time: the BMW M4 GT3 successfully completed a test on this unique, over 20 kilometre long circuit.

BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS: Strong field on the Nordschleife.
The first two races of this season’s BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS were also held on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (GER) within the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). The cup competition featured a strong field consisting of twelve cars in race one and eleven in race two. Victory in the opening round in April went to the FK Performance Motorsport team. The #875 BMW M2 CS Racing was driven by Marc Ehret, Moritz Oberheim and Nico Otto (all GER). The second spot on the podium went to Yannick Fübrich (GER), David Griessner (AUT) and Francesco Merlini (ITA) in the #870 BMW M2 CS Racing run by Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive. Thomas Leyherr and Lars Peucker (both GER) completed the podium in the number 899 car of LifeCarRacing / KRAC im ADAC e.V. In the second race, held on the first weekend in May, it was Fübrich, Griessner and Merlini who took the victory for Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive. The #875 trio from FK Performance Motorsport finished runner-up this time. The third and final place on the podium went to Florian Weber, Davide Dehren (both GER) and Will Tregurtha (GBR) in the #888 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M2 CS Racing.

BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy: First races of the season in Monza.
The BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy held its first races of the 2021 season in Monza, Italy on the first weekend of May. Race one on Saturday saw heavy rain. The first win of the year was secured by Filippo Maria Zanin (ITA) in the #19 BMW M2 CS Racing of Pro Motorsport BMW Milano. Second place went to Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) in the #8 car of BMW Italia. Alessandro Brigatti (ITA / #77) from team A-Sport & Progetto E20 Cacioli Gr completed the podium in third position. Race two was held in dry conditions. This time, the winner was Gustavo Sandrucci (ITA / #16 Progetto E20). Luigi Ferrara (ITA / #3 V-Action by Nanni Nember) finished second and Leonardo Moncini (ITA / #10 V-Action by Effe Group) crossed the line in third position.

Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe: Season-opener in Monza.
The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS kicked off the 2021 season in Monza (ITA) in mid-April. Among those in action: three BMW M6 GT3. Walkenhorst Motorsport lines up with two cars in the endurance races this season. However, the team from Melle (GER) was unfortunate in the rainy opening race, with several punctures resulting in them dropping back through the field. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Marco Wittmann (GER) and David Pittard (GBR) eventually finished 26th in the #34 BMW M6 GT3. Their team-mates Martin Tomczyk, Timo Glock (both GER) and Thomas Neubauer (FRA) came home in 32nd place in the number 35 car. The Boutsen Ginion team were promisingly-placed for much of the race with the #10 BMW M6 GT3, but also suffered a puncture with 50 minutes remaining, which forced the trio of Karim Ojjeh (KSA), Jens Liebhauser and Jens Klingmann (both GER) to retire. At this point, they were running second in the Pro-Am class and on course for a podium finish.

Fanatec GT World Challenge America: Podium for Turner Motorsport.
The Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS held its second event of the season on the first weekend in May at the “Circuit Of The Americas” in Austin (USA). Saturday’s race was dominated by heavy rain, which made for extremely difficult conditions. However, this did not prevent the Turner Motorsport team from securing a spot on the podium. Michael Dinan and Robby Foley (both USA) finished third in the #96 BMW M6 GT3. The same duo then came home fifth in the second race on Sunday.

Italian GT Championship: BMW Team Italia takes victory at season-opener.
The Italian GT Championship kicked off the 2021 season on the first weekend in May in Monza (ITA). Among those in action again: BMW Team Italia. It proved to be a successful start to the season for the #215 BMW M4 GT4. Nicola Neri and Giuseppe Fascicolo (both ITA) ended the Saturday race in third place in the GT4 AM class. The Italian pair then claimed their first win of the season in the Sunday race. The team’s #7 BMW M6 GT3, driven by Stefano Comandini (ITA) and Marius Zug (GER), finished ninth in the first of the two races, before failing to finish race two.

GT4 European Series: Podium for the BMW M4 GT4.
There was also a podium result for the BMW M4 GT4 at the opening round of the 2021 season in the GT4 European Series, which was held in Monza (ITA) in mid-April. In the second of the two races, Cem Bölükbasi and Berkay Besler (both TUR) finished second in the Pro-Am category in the #12 BMW M4 GT4 run by the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport team.

GT/GT4/TC America: One-two-three for the BMW M2 CS Racing in Texas.
In the USA, the second event of the season in GT America, GT4 America and TC America was held on the first weekend in May. The venue was the “Circuit Of The Americas“ in Austin, in the US state of Texas. In the two races held in each of the series, BMW teams again enjoyed numerous successes. In GT America, Sean Quinlan (USA) celebrated the GT4 class win in race two at the wheel of the #119 BMW M4 GT4 of Stephen Cameron Racing. In GT4 America, Quinlan ended race two in an outstanding third place overall (second place in the Pro-Am class) together with Gregory Liefooghe (USA). Jon Miller and Chandler Hull (both USA) claimed a class victory in the Silver category in the #94 BimmerWorld Racing BMW M4 GT4 in GT4 America. The Classic BMW team finished on the podium in the Silver class in both races with the #11 BMW M4 GT4: the duo of Steve McAleer (GBR) and Toby Grahovec (USA) came home third and second in their class.

In TC America, the BMW M2 CS Racing was unbeatable in Sunday’s race. The BMW teams celebrated an impressive one-two-three. Jacob Ruud (USA) of the Classic BMW team made it onto the top step of the podium with the #81 BMW M2 CS Racing. ST Racing driver Samantha Tan (CAN) was runner-up in the number 428 car, while Steve Streimer (USA / #30 Hard Motorsport) completed the success in third place. The BMW teams had already enjoyed a top-three lock-out in the TCX class in Saturday’s race, with Ruud and Tan in first and second place, followed by John Hennessey (USA / #50 Classic BMW) in third.