BMW Motorsport News - Issue 37/2019.

China GT Championship: Nick Yelloly crowned champion.

Nick Yelloly and FIST-Team AAI capitalised on their first match point in the finale of the China GT Championship in Shanghai (CHN). BMW works driver Yelloly and his team-mate Lin Yu (CHN) won the first of the two final races on Saturday with their #90 BMW M6 GT3. This fifth win of the season clinched the titles. Yelloly was crowned driver’s champion, and FIST-Team AAI topped the team standings. “We’re delighted with the championship win,” said Yelloly after winning the title. “I would like to thank my driver colleagues Lin Yu and Junsan Chen, who did a great job and without whom I wouldn’t have won the title, and naturally, the entire FIST-Team AAI, who did a fantastic job with the BMW M6 GT3 throughout the whole year.” An accident forced Yelloly/Yu to retire from the second race on Sunday just minutes before the end. A BMW works driver was also in action in Shanghai at the final weekend, in the #91 BMW M6 GT3 of FIST-Team AAI: DTM driver Joel Eriksson (SWE). Alongside Betty Chen (TWN), Eriksson finished the two races in seventh and fifth place. The team’s #92 BMW M6 GT3 of Ivan Lee and Kevin Chen (both TWN) finished in fifth and sixth place in the two races.

In the GT4 category, the Master Champ team had reason to celebrate when Wang Hao (CHN) clinched the title in the AM/AM class with the #999 BMW M4 GT4 by finishing in ninth place in the race on Saturday.

VLN: Final spurt of the season in the ‘Green Hell’.

The eighth and penultimate race of the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring (GER) season was held at the 51^st ADAC Barbarossapreis on Saturday. The best-placed BMW car in the final standings was the Walkenhorst Motorsport #35 BMW M6 GT3 in seventh place. The driver trio of Rudi Adams (GER), Jörn Schmidt-Staade (GER) and Jordan Tresson (FRA) also celebrated victory in the SP9 Pro-Am class. Ninth place in the overall standings went to the #3 BMW M6 GT3 of Falken Motorsport, with Peter Dumbreck (GBR), Alexandre Imperatori (SUI) and BMW DTM driver Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) at the wheel. BMW teams secured a total of six class wins. Michael Schrey and Marc Ehret (both GER) won the SP10 class in the #193 BMW M4 GT4 of Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport. Their team-mates Michael Fischer and Thomas Jäger (both AUT) also made it onto the podium with third place in the class. In the CUP5 class, Yannick Fübrich (GER) and David Griessner (AUT) won in the Team Pixum Adrenalin Motorsport #650 BMW M240i Racing. The team also topped the V4 class, in which the reigning VLN champions Danny Brink, Christopher Rink and Philipp Leisen (all GER) were victorious in the #1 BMW 325i. There were further wins in the SP4 class for the #252 BMW 318iS, in the SP8T class for the #772 BMW M4 GT4 and in the V2 class for the #549 BMW 318iS.

BMW M240i Racing Cup: Fübrich/Griessner win team title for Pixum Team Adrenalin Motorsport.

Reigning champions Yannick Fübrich (GER) and David Griessner (AUT) celebrated their sixth win of the season at the eighth race of the BMW M240i Racing Cup season at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (GER). This victory in the #650 BMW M240i Racing saw the duo clinch the title in the team standings for Pixum Team Adrenalin Motorsport. Fübrich/Griessner extended their lead in the driver’s standings. Second place in the penultimate race of the season went to Nico Otto, Lars Peucker and Florian Naumann (all GER) in the #666 BMW M240i Racing of Team Scheid-Honert Motorsport. Juha Hannonen (FIN) and Christian Konnerth (GER) in the #679 BMW M240i Racing of Team FK Performance Motorsport finished third to make it onto the podium. A total of 14 cars contested the class.

BTCC: Turkington crowned champion again.

In a dramatic British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season finale at Brands Hatch (GBR), defending champion Colin Turkington (GBR) was crowned champion once again. Things didn’t appear to be going too well for the West Surrey Racing driver at one stage however, but with a sensational recovery race in the final of Sunday’s three races, Turkington secured his second championship title in a row. Turkington qualified in pole position with his BMW 330i M Sport on Saturday. In race one on Sunday, he crossed the finish line in fifth place, which saw him maintain a narrow lead in the championship. Race two was a dramatic one however, in which Turkington was sent into a spin by a rival, kept himself in the race and crossed the finish line in 25^th place, seeing him drop down into second place in the championship standings. That meant that it was all or nothing in the third race. Turkington started from 25^th on the grid - and rapidly worked his way up the field. He finished the race in sixth place, which was enough to win the title. “I feel great, I feel so amazing. Those who work the hardest win,” said Turkington at the finish line. “This is the one I had to work the hardest for. After race two I thought I was down and out. Big thanks to my team - my car was fantastic! And I was good as well.” Andrew Jordan (GBR) rounded off the success, securing second place in the driver’s championship in the final race. Jordan finished the races at Brands Hatch in his BMW 330i M Sport in eighth, second and fourth place. The BTCC manufacturer’s title was won by BMW for the fourth time in a row. 

GT4 France: BMW Team France win at season finale.

BMW teams enjoyed a successful weekend at the GT4 France season finale at the ‘Circuit Paul Ricard’ in Le Castellet (FRA), with one win and another podium. In the first of the two races, Ricardo van der Ende (NED) and Christopher Campbell (FRA) in the #17 BMW M4 GT4 of Team L’Espace Bienvenue finished in second place on the podium. Laurent Hurgon and Julien Piquet (both FRA), who started from pole position in the BMW Team France #3 BMW M4 GT4 finished in seventh place. Then in race two on Sunday, the Hurgon/Piquet duo were unbeatable with the two BMW Team France drivers celebrating a dominant win. Van der Ende/Campbell retired from that second race.