BMW M Motorsport News, 11th October 2022

BMW M2 Cup: Maxime Oosten is crowned champion after win number eight of the season.

Maxime Oosten (NED) won the title in the 2022 BMW M2 Cup in impressive fashion. He not only claimed three victories at the Hockenheim (GER) finale, but also superbly outperformed title rival Fabian Kreim (GER). His reward for winning the championship includes a top-class support package, which allows him to make the step up to the DTM Trophy. This season’s most successful rookie was Lorenz Stegmann (GER).

“I did not expect that. After all, I was still six points behind Fabian coming into the weekend,” said Oosten in an interview. “However, each of the three races brought me a little bit closer to winning the title. The Friday was important, as I was able to cut the gap to just one point. Yesterday, I benefitted from Fabian’s retirement at the start. With the lead that gave me, I just wanted to wrap the whole thing up today. A thousand thanks to everyone who has supported me this year!”

An important step up the career ladder awaits the new BMW M2 Cup champion. In 2023, the winner will race in the DTM Trophy in a BMW M4 GT4 run by the Project 1 team. Colin Caresani (NED) and Louis Henkefend (GER) proved emphatically how effectively this kind of support works in 2022.

This year’s Rookie champion in the BMW M2 Cup, Lorenz Stegmann, has also made a strong case for greater things in the future. The 19-year-old shone with a steep learning curve and impressive results in the second half of the season, for which he was rewarded with the title. “That was obviously a good race for me today! I am champion in my first year in the BMW M2 Cup,” said the delighted youngster.

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DTM Trophy: Project 1 celebrates Team title.

Project 1 crowned a great season in the DTM Trophy with the Team title, proving emphatically that the method of promoting talented youngsters through BMW M Motorsport classes is working excellently. Both drivers, Colin Caresani (NED) and Louis Henkefend (GER), came through the BMW M2 Cup and immediately impressed in the BMW M4 GT4. Caresani won Saturday’s race at the final weekend at Hockenheim (GER) and finished third on Sunday. With four victories to his name this year, he ended the season in second place in the Drivers’ Championship. Henkefend, the 2021 BMW M2 Cup champion, took his place on the top step of the podium once in 2022. He finished seventh in the Drivers’ Championship. Together, the two drivers scored enough points to earn first place in the Team competition for Project 1.

Theo Oeverhaus (GER) brought the curtain down on his successful season with second place in the Sunday race. The Walkenhorst Motorsport driver was third in the Drivers’ Championship.

Photos © DTM Trophy

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GT World Challenge America: Podium and class wins for BMW M Motorsport teams.

The BMW M Motorsport teams enjoyed an extremely successful conclusion to the season in Fanatec GT World Challenge America. BMW M works drivers John Edwards, Robby Foley and Michael Dinan (all USA) finished third in the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 at the 8 Hours of Indianapolis (USA). There were also two class victories. The BimmerWorld trio of Bill Auberlen, Chandler Hull and Richard Heistand (all USA) triumphed in the Pro-Am class in the #94 BMW M4 GT3. ST Racing, with drivers Samantha Tan, Nick Wittmer (both CAN) and Harry Gottsacker (USA), ended the race in third place in the Silver Cup in the #38 BMW M4 GT3.

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GT4 / TC America: Triumphs at Indianapolis.

The TC America season has its champions: Jacob Ruud (USA) and his Fast Track Racing team won the Driver and Team titles in the TCX category with the BMW M2 CS Racing at the final weekend at Indianapolis (USA). Second place in Sunday’s race was sufficient for Ruud to wrap up the title. Victories in the two races went to the star of the recent race weekends: Colin Garrett (USA) from the Rooster Hall Racing team was once again unbeatable and ended the season within just two points of champion Ruud in the Drivers’ Championship.

In GT4 America, the season finale once again yielded success for the BMW M Motorsport teams. In the Pro-Am class, the Fast Track Racing duo of Tim Horrell and Toby Grahovec (both USA) finished runner-up in their BMW M4 GT4. Third place went to Tom Capizzi and John Capestro-Dubets (both USA) from Auto Technic Racing. Their team-mates Austen Smith and Zack Anderson (both USA) were third in the Silver class in the Saturday race. Auto Technic Racing took the class win in the Am category. Alex Filsinger (CAN) and Rob Walker (USA) led a one-two-three for the BMW M4 GT4. They were followed home by Charlie Postins and James Clay (both USA, BimmerWorld), and Ramana Lagemann and Robert Mau (both USA, STR38 Motorsports). Postins and Clay, who had already been crowned Am champions, came home third in their class in the Saturday race.

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BTCC: Manufacturer title for BMW.

BMW won the Manufacturer title in the BMW 330e M Sport’s first season in the British Touring Car Championship. After 30 races, BMW had 798 points to its name – 81 more than Motorbase Performance / Ford. In the Team competition, Team BMW ended the season in second place.

BMW drivers also came into the season finale with a chance of winning the title in the Drivers’ Championship. In the end, however, Jake Hill and Colin Turkington (both GBR) had to settle for third and fourth place in the overall standings. They gave it their best shot in the season finale at Brands Hatch (GBR). Hill finished third in the opening race and runner-up in race two. Turkington came home third in the second race. However, these results were not quite good enough to catch new champion Tom Ingram (GBR, Hyundai).

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NLS: Three class victories for Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive.

Last Saturday, race seven of the 2022 Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) was held on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (GER). The best-placed BMW M Motorsport team in the overall standings at the end of the four-hour race was Walkenhorst Motorsport. Henry Walkenhorst, Friedrich von Bohlen and Jörg Müller (all GER), in the #36 BMW M4 GT3, finished 13^th overall and fourth in the SP9 Pro-Am class.

Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive claimed three class victories in the seventh NLS race of the year. Philipp Leisen, Oliver Frisse and Jacob Erlbacher (all GER) won the V4 class in the #1 BMW 325i. Their team-mates Daniel Zils, Oskar Sandberg (both GER) and Sinde Setsaas (NOR) took victory in the VT2-R+4WD class, at the wheel of the #500 BMW 330i. Victory in the BMW M240i class went to the #651 BMW 240i Racing, driven by Ross Gunn (GBR) and Roman de Angelis (CAN). The BMW M Motorsport teams also picked up a further three class wins. MSG Bayerischer Wald Hutthurm was victorious in SP4 with the #250 BMW 325i, Hofor Racing triumphed in H4 with the #602 BMW M3 E46 CSL, and Tobias Vazquez-Garcia (GER) won the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS in the #883 BMW M2 CS Racing.

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Japanese Super GT: Penultimate event of the season for BMW M Team Studie at Autopolis.

BMW M Team Studie was at Autopolis (JPN) on the first weekend in October for the penultimate event of this season’s Japanese Super GT Championship. The #7 BMW M4 GT3 was driven by Seiji Ara and Tsubasa Kondo (both JPN). In Saturday’s qualifying session, the duo secured tenth place on the grid. In Sunday’s race, they came home twelfth after 60 laps. The finale of the Japanese Super GT Championship will take place at Motegi (JPN) at the start of November.

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Italian GT Endurance: BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing misses out on title.

The BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing team came into the final race at Monza (ITA) still with a chance of winning the Pro-Am title in the Italian GT Championship Endurance Cup. However, an issue whilst changing the tyres on the #50 BMW M4 GT3 cost drivers Stefano Comandini / Giuseppe Fascicolo (both ITA) / Alfred Nilsson (SWE) a lot of time and saw them drop back to tenth place. In the end, the trio ended the season third in the Pro-Am standings.

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IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge: Dominant victory for Turner Motorsport at Road Atlanta.

Record IMSA winner Bill Auberlen (USA) added another race win to his long list at the season finale of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, which took place at Road Atlanta (USA) at the start of October. BMW institution Auberlen, who has 65 IMSA wins to his name, claimed his 20^th victory in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Together with team-mate Dillon Machavern (USA), Auberlen was unbeatable in the #95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.

Machavern laid the foundations for the latest success in qualifying, when he secured pole position for the BMW M4 GT4. In the race, Machavern produced a strong first stint and handed the car over to Auberlen in the lead. He went on to take victory, despite a yellow phase bringing the field back together. Auberlen crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of his closest rival. Victory propelled Auberlen and Machavern into third place in the GS class Drivers’ Championship at the end of the season.

“We knew we had good pace in the long run, and my stint was really smooth,” said Machavern. “I handed the car over to Bill with a big lead, which unfortunately then evaporated with the appearance of the yellow flag. It is always tough to have such a clear lead and then have to start from scratch again.” However, that did not prove to be an issue for Auberlen: “It was like the car was on rails. My job was not to mess up and ensure this BMW M4 GT4 won its final race.” Turner Motorsport will compete with the new BMW M4 GT4 next season.

Sean Quinlan and Greg Liefooghe (both USA) finished tenth for Stephen Cameron Racing in the #43 BMW M4 GT4. Turner Motorsport drivers Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta (both USA) failed to finish in the #96 BMW M4 GT4.

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GT4 European Series: Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport on the podium at Barcelona.

The Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport team was on the podium again at the finale of the 2022 GT4 European Series at Barcelona (ESP). Berkay Besler (TUR) and Will Burns (GBR) finished second and third in the Silver class in the #12 BMW M4 GT4. In Saturday’s race, they finished third overall to make it onto the podium. On Sunday, they came home fifth overall. In the Am class, Paolo Meloni (SMR) and Massimiliano Tresoldi (ITA) were eighth and fourth for the W&D Racing Team.

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BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux: Maxime Oosten and Duncan Huisman win at Zandvoort.

Round four of six in this season’s BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux took place at the start of October at Zandvoort (NED) and once again treated fans to some thrilling racing. Pole-sitter Maxime Oosten (NED) produced an impressive performance to take victory in the opening race. Despite having dropped back into the pack at the start, Oosten battled his way back to the front after a safety car restart. Second place went to Willem Meijer and Lorenzo van Riet (both NED), while Max Veels (NED) came home third to claim his first podium.

The winner of race two was Duncan Huisman (NED). He had failed to finish race one, due to a puncture, but bounced back in style to take victory. Veels was runner-up on this occasion. Oosten finished third to complete the podium and extend his lead in the overall standings. The final two events of the season take place in October at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) and Assen (NED).