BMW M Motorsport News, 25th July 2022

GT World Challenge America: Class win and podiums for the BMW M4 GT3.

The Fanatec GT World Challenge America event at Watkins Glen (USA) this weekend was a successful event for the two BMW M Motorsport teams Turner Motorsport and BimmerWorld – with a class win and podiums for the BMW M4 GT3.

Turner Motorsport was represented by Robby Foley and Michael Dinan (both USA) once again. In the first race they crossed the finish line in third place overall with the #96 BMW M4 GT3, which saw them win the Pro class. The #94 BMW M4 GT3 of BimmerWorld, with Chandler Hull and Bill Auberlen (both USA) at the wheel, finished seventh in the Pro-Am class (eleventh overall).

In race two, BimmerWorld only narrowly missed out on the overall podium in P4, but the result saw them claim third place in the Pro-Am category. Turner Motorsport finished on the class podium once again in the second race, securing third place in the Pro category (eighth place overall).

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GT World Challenge Asia: Podium for PLUS with BMW Team Studie.

The Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia was in Japan for the second and third events of the season these past two weekends. First up was the Suzuka Circuit, followed by Fuji. BMW M Team Studie was part of the action – and secured a spot on the podium with the BMW M4 GT3 of PLUS with BMW Team Studie at Suzuka. In the turbulent race on Sunday, which saw four safety car periods during the one-hour race, Seiji Ara and Tomohide Yamaguchi (both JPN) finished third on the podium. The duo finished sixth in the first Suzuka race on Saturday. The team retired from the first race in Fuji, and Ara and Yamaguchi finished in P15 in the second race.

BMW M Team Studie also entered the BMW M2 CS Racing in the TC INV class at Suzuka. The car was the only one in its class. The BMW M2 CS Racing finished in 21st place overall in the first race, and retired in the second race. The teams DG Motorsport and Legal Top Racing teams contested the TC INV class with the BMW M2 CS Racing at Fuji. DG Motorsport finished in 21st and 22nd place overall, while Legal Top Racing retired in the first race and crossed the finish line in P24 in race two.

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Italian GT Endurance: BMW M4 GT3 on class podium at Mugello.

The second endurance race of the 2022 Italian GT Championship was held at Mugello (ITA) in mid-July. The #50 BMW M4 GT3 cockpit of BMW Italia by Ceccato Racing was shared by Stefano Comandini, Giuseppe Fascicolo (both ITA) and Alfred Nilsson (SWE). The trio moved up the field magnificently to secure a spot on the podium in the GT3 Pro-Am class after starting the two-hour race from the back of the grid. First up, Nilsson drove a very fast first stint, and Fascicolo and Comandini carried on where he left off. That saw the BMW M4 GT3 finish in second place in its class and in a strong fifth place overall.

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British GT Championship: Racing in Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps.

The fifth round of the 2022 British GT Championship took BMW M Motorsport Team Century Motorsport to Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The iconic Belgian track hosted a two-hour race at the weekend in which the team finished in eleventh place overall in the #91 BMW M4 GT3. David Holloway (GBR) and Joel Eriksson (SWE) took it in turns at the wheel at Spa.

In the GT4 class, Will Burns and Jack Brown (both GBR) in the #90 BMW M4 GT4 of Century Motorsport crossed the finish line in tenth place. Their team-mates Tom Rawlings and Chris Salkeld (both GBR) recorded twelfth place in the #9 car.

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IMPC: Turner Motorsport makes up ground at Lime Rock Park.

BMW M Motorsport Team Turner Motorsport showed their fighting spirit once again in the

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Lime Rock Park (USA). The two-hour race was held as part of the ‘Northeast GP’ in mid-July. Dillon Machavern and Bill Auberlen (both USA) started the race from eighth on the grid in the #95 BMW M4 GT4, but suffered a setback almost immediately. Machavern had to return to the pit with tyre damage and dropped right down the field, but he and Auberlen embarked on a spirited race to catch up once again, and manoeuvred the #95 into sixth place. Their Turner Motorsport team-mates Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta (both USA) moved up the field in the #96 BMW M4 GT4, finishing in tenth place after starting from 15th on the grid. Stephen Cameron Racing entered the #43 BMW M4 GT4, with Greg Liefooghe and Sean Quinlan (both USA) sharing the cockpit, and finished in 16th place in the GS class.

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GT4/GT/TC America: Successful weekend for the BMW M Motorsport teams at Watkins Glen.

In addition to the Fanatec GT World Challenge America, GT4 America, GT America and TC America also held races at Watkins Glen (USA) this weekend and BMW M Motorsport teams celebrated further success.

In GT4 America, the Tom Capizzi and John Capestro-Dubets duo (both USA) clinched the Pro-Am class win with the #52 BMW M4 GT4 of Auto Technic Racing in the second of the two races. That saw them finish in second place overall in this race. In the Am class, Charlie Postins and James Clay (both USA) in the #36 BMW M4 GT4 of BimmerWorld were unbeatable. They were class winners in both races. Third place in the Am class went to Rob Walker and Alex Filsinger (both USA) in the #53 BMW M4 GT4 of Auto Technic Racing in the two races. Their team-mates Austen Smith and Zac Anderson (both USA) finished in P5 in both races, making them the best-placed BMW duo in the Silver class. In GT America, Marko Radisic (SRB) bagged third place on the GT4 class podium in race two. He drove the #22 BMW M4 GT4 of SRQ Motorsport.

In TC America it was the BMW M Motorsport teams who were once again the force to be reckoned with. They clinched a top-eight and top-ten lock-out for the BMW M2 CS Racing in the two races. In the first race, Colin Garrett (USA / #44 Rooster Hall Racing) finished first, ahead of Jacob Ruud (USA / #1 Fast Track Racing). His team-mate Garrett Adams (USA / #54) completed the podium in third place. Victory in race two went to Ruud, with Lucas Catania (USA / #26 Rigid Speed) and Garrett finishing in second and third places on the podium.

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GT4 France / TC France: Podium for L’Espace Bienvenue at Spa.

As part of the SRO Speed Week at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), GT4 France and TC France also held races at the track in the Ardennes this weekend. Ricardo van der Ende (NED) and Benjamin Lessennes (BEL) bagged another podium with the #17 BMW M4 GT4 of L’Espace Bienvenue. They finished third in the Silver class (fourth place overall) in the second of the two races. They finished the first race in sixth place overall and fifth in their class.

TC France held three races at Spa-Francorchamps. In the first race, Jean-Matthieu Leandri (FRA) of Team VSF Sport – Amplitude Automobile only narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing in fourth. In race two he made it onto the podium with the #18 BMW M2 CS Racing, in third place. In race three it was the team’s #41 BMW M2 CS Racing that was the best-placed BMW as Benoit Eveillard (FRA) shared the cockpit with Florian Teillais (FRA), and the duo crossed the finish line in fifth place.

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BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy: Luigi Ferrara and Lorenzo Marcucci win at Mugello.

The BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Italy entered its third round of the season at Mugello (ITA) in mid-July. The two races were a real scorcher, both in terms of the temperatures ranging between 32 and 36 degrees Celsius, and the thrilling action. Championship leader Luigi Ferrara and Marco Zanasi (both ITA) were embroiled in a fiercely contested duel at the front. Ferrara emerged as the winner, by just seven-tenths of a second. Zanasi finished second, with third place going to Jody Vullo (ITA). Lorenzo Marcucci (ITA) celebrated his second win of the season in the second race. Zanasi finished second again, with Ferrara in third this time around. Ferrara now leads the driver standings with 102 points, followed by Sandrucci (75 points) and Zanasi (73 points).