BMW M Motorsport News, 26th April 2022.

Italian GT Championship: Victory at season-opener for Glock and Klingmann.

BMW M works drivers Timo Glock and Jens Klingmann (both GER) enjoyed a virtually perfect start to the Italian GT Championship. The Ceccato Racing duo in the #50 BMW M4 GT3 finished on the podium in the first two sprint races of this season’s Sprint Cup at Monza (ITA). They took victory in the opening race and looked like finishing on the top step of the podium again in race two. However, Glock and Klingmann lost the lead in the pit lane after a safety car period cost them the lead they had held up to that point. They therefore had to settle for second place on Sunday. Glock was in a very positive frame of mind afterwards: “I felt extremely comfortable in the BMW M4 GT3, right from the first metre. The car suits my driving style very well. Compared to my races in the BMW M6 GT3, this weekend was a huge step in the right direction. Rarely have I ever laughed under my helmet as much as I did here at Monza – just from the sheer joy of racing. Saturday’s races was a real challenge for me, as it was the very first time that I had ever driven the car in the rain. However, Jens Klingmann did a superb job before me, and I felt more comfortable every lap. On the whole, that was a great start to the season. Compliments to the team, who did an absolutely flawless job.”

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ADAC GT Masters: Schubert Motorsport in the points twice at its home event.

This season’s ADAC GT Masters opened with a home event at Oschersleben (GER) for Schubert Motorsport. Torsten Schubert’s team competes with two new BMW M4 GT3s this year, and challenged at the front of the field from the word go. BMW M works drivers Nick Catsburg (NED) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) finished in the points in both races. After eighth place on Saturday, the duo narrowly missed out on the podium in fourth place in Sunday’s race. “That was a positive weekend,” said Krohn. “Although we still have a lot to learn about the new car, we were competitive from the outset. We were a little unlucky in the first race, as we had the second-fastest qualifying time scratched because of a red flag. We could have finished much higher than eighth. However, two solid top-ten results are a good start.”

At the wheel of the second car are youngsters Ben Green (GBR) and Niklas Krütten (GER). They came home eleventh in race one, picking up their first points in the Drivers’ Championship, before finishing 16^th in race two.

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NLS: Overall victory and nine class wins on the Nordschleife.

Race two of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) was a great success for the BMW M Motorsport teams. The highlight was the one-two-three in the overall classification, but the total of nine class victories for BMW cars was equally impressive. ROWE Racing took first place overall in the #99 BMW M4 GT3, ahead of the BMW Junior Team and Walkenhorst Motorsport. That also presented ROWE Racing with victory in the top SP9 Pro class. The #36 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 was first in the SP9 class. The successor to the BMW M4 GT4, run by BMW M Motorsport at the Nürburging, took victory in the SP8T class. The Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive triumphed in no fewer than three classes: in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS, with the BMW 330i in the VT2-R+4WD class, and with the BMW 325i in the V4 category. Furthermore, Schnitzelalm Racing came out on top in the BMW M240i class, Hofor Racing tasted victory in the H4 category, and RaceWerk Motorsport won SP4.

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BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS: Victory for the champions.

Former VLN and CUP5 winners Yannick Fübrich (GER) and David Griessner (AUT) won the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS class alongside Brett Lidsey (GBR) in the #870 car of Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive. After 25 laps of racing, they came home ahead of Dominik Fugel and Marcel Fugel (both GER) in the #885 car and the pairing of Tobias Vazquez-Garcia and Michele di Martino (both GER) in the #883 BMW M2 CS Racing to take victory in race two of the season.

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BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy: Two races, two wins for Luigi Ferrara.

The dominant man at the opening weekend of the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy at Monza (ITA) was Luigi Ferrara (ITA). He won both races in the #3 BMW M2 CS Racing of the V-Action by Nanni Nember team. Ferrara started race one from pole position and race two from second place on the grid. Reigning champion Gustavo Sandrucci (ITA) finished runner-up behind Ferrara in both races. They were joined on the podium in third place by Filippo Maria Zanin (ITA) on Saturday and Marco Zanasi (ITA) on Sunday.

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ADAC GT4 Germany: Champions kick off the season with fifth place.

Reigning ADAC GT4 Germany champions, Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER), came home fifth in Sunday’s race at the opening weekend at Oschersleben (GER). The duo had failed to finish race one on Saturday, but showed plenty of spirit in race two to fight back from twelfth on the grid to finish fifth in the #1 BMW M4 GT4 for Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport. The other BMW M4 GT4, run by Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport and Schubert Motorsport, finished outside the top ten.

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Japanese Super GT: Season-opener at Okayama.

Okayama (JPN) hosted the opening round of the 2022 Japanese Super GT Championship over Easter weekend. BMW M Team Studie races with the new BMW M4 GT3 this year. Among those in action at the season-opener was Augusto Farfus (BRA), who will join BMW M Team Studie at select races this season. He shared the cockpit at Okayama with Seiji Ara (JPN). In qualifying, the duo secured a fine seventh place on the grid with the BMW M4 GT3. In the race itself, they had climbed into a promising fifth place, but were then forced to retire following a racing incident.

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GT World Challenge America: Pro/Am podium for the BMW M4 GT3 in Sonoma.

Sonoma Raceway in the US state of California was the venue for the opening round of this season’s GT World Challenge America on Easter weekend. Three BMW M Motorsport teams competed with the new BMW M4 GT3. The best-placed car was the #96 BMW M4 GT3 of Turner Motorsport. Michael Dinan and Robby Foley (both USA) ended the two races in fifth and fourth place overall.

In the Pro/Am class, Chandler Hull and Bill Auberlen (both USA) claimed a podium in race one. They finished third in class in the BimmerWorld Racing #94 BMW M4 GT3. They were then seventh in race two. Samantha Tan and Nick Wittmer (both CAN) started in the #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3. They finished fifth and fourth in the Pro/Am class.

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British GT Championship: Century Motorsport on the GT4 podium at Oulton Park.

The British GT Championship held its first races of the year over Easter weekend. Oulton Park (GBR) hosted the opening round of the season. BMW M Motorsport Team Century Motorsport started the new season with a podium in the GT4 class. Jack Brown and Will Burns (both GBR) were second in the #90 BMW M4 GT4 in race two, having previously finished sixth in the opening race. Their team-mates Tom Rawlings and Chris Salkeld (both GBR) were twelfth and tenth in the #9 BMW M4 GT4.

Century Motorsport also competed with the new BMW M4 GT3 in race two on Easter Monday. The #91 car was driven by Betty Chen, the first Taiwanese driver in the British GT Championship, and Angus Fender (GBR). The duo finished 13^th overall. 

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BTCC: Victory and podiums for BMW teams at Donington Park.

BMW teams made a successful start to this season’s British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), which features hybrid cars for the first time in 2022. Jake Hill (GBR) from the ROKiT MB Motorsport team won race three of the opening weekend at Donington Park (GBR) in a BMW 330e M Sport. Hill had started race one from pole position, but was disqualified for a technical infringement of the rules. He came home ninth in race two. Colin Turkington (GBR) guided his BMW 330e M Sport to second place for Team BMW in the opening race. He followed that with 14^th and eighth place in races two and three. His team-mate Stephen Jelley (GBR) ended the weekend with a seventh place, a 14^th, and a DNF in race two. The third BMW team in the field, Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport, also celebrated a podium result. George Gamble (GBR) finished third in race two, just ahead of his team-mate Adam Morgan (GBR). This followed fifth (Morgan) and sixth (Gamble) place finishes in race one. Morgan ended the third and final race in sixth, with Gamble crossing the finish line in 20^th place.

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24H Series: GT4 class win at the 12H Spa-Francorchamps.

The ACP - Tangerine Associates team won the GT4 class at the 12 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) in the Creventic 24H Series. Wim Spinoy (BEL), Catesby Jones and Steven Thomas (both USA) finished three laps clear of their closest rivals in the #421 BMW M4 GT4. The third spot on the GT4 podium was occupied by Hakan Sari, Recep Sari and Arthur Peters (all BEL) in a BMW M4 GT4 run by the Veidec Racing by JJ Motorsport team.

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GT4 France: L’Espace Bienvenue on the podium at Nogaro.

GT4 France kicked off the 2022 season at the iconic ‘Coupes de Pâques’ in Nogaro, in the south of France. The year began with a podium for BMW M Motorsport team L’Espace Bienvenue. Benjamin Lessennes (FRA) and Ricardo van der Ende (NED), at the wheel of the #17 BMW M4 GT4, finished second overall and in the Silver class in race two. They had previously failed to finish the opening race.

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GT/GT4/TC America: Successful Sonoma weekend for the BMW M Motorsport teams.

It was a busy Easter weekend at Sonoma Raceway (USA). As well as the GT World Challenge America, the circuit in California also hosted GT4 America, GT America and TC America, with plenty of success for the BMW M Motorsport teams.

The BMW squads were particularly dominant once again in TC America, with the BMW M2 CS Racing occupying the top seven positions in both races. Reigning champion Jacob Ruud (USA) was once again unbeaten, winning both races for Fast Track Racing in the #1 BMW M2 CS Racing. He was followed over the finish line in race one by Stephen Cugliari (USA) in the #57 Accelerating Performance car. Lucas Catania (USA / Rigid Speed) was third in the #26 BMW M2 CS Racing. They swapped positions in race two, with Catania runner-up behind Ruud and Cugliari third.

In GT4 America, Austen Smith and Zac Anderson (both USA) finished third in the Silver class in both races at the wheel of the #51 BMW M4 GT4 of Auto Technic Racing. Charlie Postins and James Clay (both USA), in the #36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4, took victory in the Am class in the opening race. They then finished runner-up in the class in race two, followed in third place by Paul Sparta and Al Carter (both USA) in the #98 BMW M4 GT4 of Random Vandals Racing. The best-placed BMW driver in both GT America races was Marko Radisic (SRB). He finished tenth and eighth for SRQ Motorsport in the #22 BMW M4 GT4.