BMW M Motorsport News, 10th August 2021.

DTM: Marco Wittmann celebrates first win of the season at Zolder.

Two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann (GER) celebrated his first win in almost two years and his first in the GT3 era of the DTM at the sixth race of the season in Zolder (BEL). On Sunday he first put the BMW M6 GT3 of Walkenhorst Motorsport in pole position with a lap time of 1:26.687 minutes. He was able to defend that position at the start and bring it home after a race distance of 39 laps. This was the Walkenhorst Motorsport team’s first victory in the race series in only their sixth race in their maiden season.

“The whole weekend went really well for us,” said Wittmann. “We never expected that we would be so strong in the run-up but the package has been brill since Friday. Pole was the key today. And the team can be really proud, it’s only their sixth DTM race and lots is new to them, like the fast pit stops. They did a fantastic job and didn’t make any mistakes.”

Wittmann took the chequered flag in P5 on Saturday and has finished in the points in all six races of the season to date. Consequently, he is in fourth place in the driver’s standings with 67 points. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) also finished in the points at Zolder. He crossed the finish line in seventh place on Sunday in the BMW M6 GT3 of ROWE Racing. He finished in P16 on Saturday, His team-mate Timo Glock (GER) crossed the finish line in eleventh place on Saturday, on Sunday he finished in P16.

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BMW M2 Cup: Two new winners at Zolder.

After Tim Heinemann (GER) dominated the opening weekend of the BMW M2 Cup with his two wins at the Lausitzring (GER), the starting field of 16 enjoyed a well-balanced second race weekend at Zolder (BEL) in Heinemann’s absence, with thrilling duels and two new winners. In the race on Saturday, victory went to the #43 BMW M2 CS Racing with Fabian Kreim (GER) at the wheel. The three-time German Rally Champion prevailed over pole sitter Rodrigo Almeida (MOZ) and Salman Owega (GER), who moved up the field impressively from 16th on the grid. “It’s simply incredible! There’s a huge difference between rally and circuit. So I’m even more delighted with this success,” said Kreim.

Kreim was strong once again in Sunday’s race, and only just missed out on the podium in fourth. This time it was Louis Henkefend (GER) in the #17 BMW M2 CS Racing who prevailed after a flawless race to celebrate his first win of the season. “It was a perfect race! I had to defend very hard the whole time and I’m relieved that I got through it without making any mistakes,” said Henkefend. He finished in fifth place on Saturday. Davit Kajaia (GEO) and Theo Oeverhaus (GER) completed the podium behind him in Sunday’s race.

The overall standings are incredibly close after four races so far. Henkefend with 64 points to his name is just one point ahead of Kreim and Owega in third is in striking distance. He finished fifth in race two on Sunday. For more information about the BMW M2 Cup, see the official website bmwm2cup.com. Photos and videos are also available to download there in the ‘Media’ section.

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IMSA: Turner Motorsport celebrates next win with the BMW M4 GT4 and podium with the BMW M6 GT3.

Turner Motorsport looks back at a successful weekend in the IMSA series: At Road America (USA), the team celebrated their next win with the BMW M4 GT4 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and a podium finish with the BMW M6 GT3 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This sees Turner Motorsport lead both championships. The IMSA was in action on the iconic racetrack at Elkhart Lake (USA) from 6th to 8th August.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race was held on Saturday. The #95 BMW M4 GT4 of Bill Auberlen and Dillon Machavern (both USA) started from pole position. Machavern led for much of the race before handing the wheel over to Auberlen. The seasoned driver faced two challenges in his stint. Firstly, it started pouring with rain, and secondly, he had to be economical with fuel to reach the finish line without pitting again. Auberlen mastered both superbly once again which saw him and Machavern celebrate their second win of the season and maintain the sole lead in the GS class. Their team-mates Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta (both USA) finished in fourth place in the #96 BMW M4 GT4 and moved up into second place in the championship standings.

Then on Sunday, Turner Motorsport contested the GTD class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the #96 BMW M6 GT3, with Auberlen and Foley at the wheel. They finished the race lasting 2 hours and 40 minutes in second on the podium, with another clever strategy. This saw Auberlen and Foley reclaim the overall lead in the GTD class.

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24h Spa: Boutsen Ginion Racing’s personal victory at their home event.

Sunday, 16:30 in Spa-Francorchamps (BEL): After 24 hours, the #10 BMW M6 GT3 of Boutsen Ginion Racing crossed the finish line in the iconic endurance race in the Ardennes. For the Belgian BMW M Motorsport team, making it to the finish at their home event was something of a personal victory. The team with its drivers Jens Klingmann (GER), Karim Ojjeh (KSA), Jens Liebhauser (GER) and Yann Zimmer (SUI) overcame every challenge at the 24h of Spa-Francorchamps. 

In the opening phase, characterised by a long full course yellow phase followed by heavy rain, the #10 BMW M6 GT3 of Boutsen Ginion Racing was inspiring as it courageously battled its way up the field. Starting from 45th on the grid, it ploughed its way up through the field. BMW works driver Klingmann got the car up into 25th place – and took the lead in the Pro Am class. “We had a very good pace in the race,” said Klingmann. “We showed that we are definitely capable of being up there with the Pro frontrunners with our Pro Am car. That’s also a good sign for the remaining races of the season.”

But 24-hour races play by their own rules. Like many other teams, Boutsen Ginion Racing were not spared from technical issues, which required long pit stops. But the team kept on battling, and after 24 hours crossed the finish line in 11th place in the Pro Am class and 35th place overall.

“Obviously it was a shame that the technical pit stops caused us to drop right down the field, but we gave it our all to make it to the chequered flag for us and for BMW,” said Klingmann. “It goes without saying that the overall result wasn’t what we had hoped for, but I have to say that I had a lot of fun in the car. Spa is a really demanding racetrack, and I think that you can enjoy every single lap. I’m also grateful that our BMW M6 GT3 showed what it’s capable of once again, even if that wasn’t quite reflected in the position. We’re feeling positive going into the final two endurance races in the GT World Challenge and hopefully we will be able to give the BMW M6 GT3 a fitting send-off in this series as well.” On the first weekend in September, Boutsen Ginion Racing will take to the grid at the Nürburgring (GER) with the #10 BMW M6 GT3 to contest the FANATEC GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup, the season finale will be held in Barcelona from 8th to 10th October.

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GT4 European Series: Cem Bölükbasi with two Am Cup wins in the Ardennes.

The GT4 European Series race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) was extremely successful for Cem Bölükbasi (TUR) and his team Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport. The fourth event of the season was held from 27th to 31st July as part of the 24-hour race weekend – and Bölükbasi won the Am Cup class in both races with the #12 BMW M4 GT4. He finished in sixth place overall in race one on Friday and won in the Am Cup with a lead of 28 seconds over the second-placed car in that class. In race two on Saturday morning, Bölükbasi wowed with a sensational recovery race. From the 19th row on the grid, he really ploughed his way through the field with the BMW M4 GT4. Half-way through the race he was even in fifth place overall. He went on to lose positions as the race went on, but in P11 in the overall rankings he was once again the clear winner in the Am Cup, with a lead of almost 25 seconds over the second-placed car in that class.

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British GT Championship: Leader Century Motorsport finishes on the podium twice at Snetterton.

Century Motorsport continues to be successful in the British GT Championship. The fifth event of the season was held in Snetterton (GBR) last weekend, and the team secured second place on the podium in both races.

In race one, Gus Burton and Will Burns (both GBR) in the #57 BMW M4 GT4 finished in second place. Their team-mates Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke and Chris Salkeld (both GBR) retired in the #9 BMW M4 GT4. Then, in race two it was the Gordon-Colebrooke/Salkeld pairing who secured second place. Burton and Burns finished fifth. In the GT4 driver standings of the British GT Championship, Burton and Burns remain in the clear lead with 143.5 points, and Gordon-Colebrooke and Salkeld are in second place with 99 points. Burton/Burns also lead the Silver classification. In the GT4 team standings, Century Motorsport remains unchallenged at the top, with 242.5 points and a lead of 117.

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GT America: Stephen Cameron Racing on the podium at the ‘Music City Grand Prix’.

‘Music City Grand Prix’ – that was the melodious name of the fourth round of the GT America season held in Nashville (USA) last weekend. The race took place on a temporary street circuit. On Saturday, in the first of the two races, the BMW M4 GT4 finished on the podium. Sean Quinlan (USA) finished third in the GT4 class in car number 119 of Stephen Cameron Racing. Right behind him was Mark Brummond (USA) in the #11 BMW M4 GT4 of Classic BMW in fourth. In race two on Sunday, Quinlan only just missed out on another spot on the podium, finishing in fourth.

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TC France: Top three spots for the BMW M2 CS Racing at Spa-Francorchamps.

As part of the 24-hour weekend in Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), the TC France, the ‘Championnat de France FFSA Tourisme’, also held an event at the iconic Belgian track from 29th to 31st July. The BMW M2 CS Racing dominated the first race on Friday evening, taking all top three spots. Ricardo van der Ende (NED / #16) of L’Espace Bienvenue won with a lead of 0.5 seconds over his team-mate Benjamin Lessennes (FRA / #17). Third place went to Steven Palette (FRA) in the #18 BMW M2 CS Racing of VSF Sports – Amplitude Automobile. In race two on Saturday morning, Palette in P3 finished on the podium again, van der Ende and Lessennes finished fourth and fifth.

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BTCC: Three podiums at Oulton Park.

The British Touring Car Championship held its fourth round of the season at Oulton Park (GBR) on 31st July and 1st August. On a turbulent race Sunday, on which two of the three races had to be red-flagged, the BMW drivers secured three podiums. Independent driver Andrew Morgan finished in third place with the #33 BMW 330i M Sport of Ciceley Motorsport in both race one and two. Then, Stephen Jelley (GBR) of Team BMW clinched second place on the podium in race three. He was driving the #12 BMW 330i M Sport. After four rounds, BMW leads the manufacturer’s standings with 334 points and a lead of twelve.