BMW M Motorsport News, 8th August 2023

Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:

“In August, the racing circuits around the world traditionally become somewhat quieter. Many racing series, and consequently, BMW M Motorsport teams, take a break before the season's final push from September. However, the summer isn't entirely devoid of racing, and over the past weekends, there have been several successes to celebrate. The BMW M4 GT4 remains a winning car, and I am also delighted with the strong performance of the BMW M Team Studie with the BMW M4 GT3 in the highly competitive GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT Series. Congratulations to the successful teams and drivers, and to those who have some time off from racing, I wish you a relaxing break. Hopefully, we'll have plenty of reasons to celebrate together again in the season's final stretch!”

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Japanese Super GT Series: BMW M Team Studie achieves strong second place at Fuji.

About four weeks after celebrating their first season victory in the GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT Series at Suzuka (JPN), BMW M Team Studie with the BMW M4 GT3 secured another podium finish at the fourth season event at Fuji (JPN). Seiji Ara and Masataka Yanagida (both JPN) took second place. The duo started the 450-kilometre race from 16th position, which began under rainy conditions behind the safety car. As the race progressed, the weather constantly changed, the track dried up, teams switched to slick tyres, and later, rain returned. Moreover, the race had to be briefly interrupted due to a GT300 vehicle catching fire. Ara and Yanagida showcased an outstanding comeback in the turbulent race in the #7 BMW M4 GT3, steadily advancing with a perfect strategy, and eventually securing second place on the podium. The victory propelled the team and Ara to the top position in the GT300 overall standings.

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IMPC: Strong presence of BMW M4 GT4 at Road America.

In the two-hour race of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Road America (USA) last weekend, five BMW M4 GT4 cars were on the grid. Three of them played leading roles in the battle for the podium but narrowly missed out after a fuel strategy gamble. Until around 15 minutes before the end of the race, the two Turner Motorsport cars and the Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4 held positions one, two, and three. However, all three cars needed a safety car period to reach the finish without an additional fuel stop, which did not come, leading to the BMW M Motorsport teams' strategy not working out. In the end, the Turner Motorsport drivers, Robby Foley and Vincent Barletta (both USA), finished fourth, followed by Paul Sparta and Kenton Koch (both USA) from Random Vandals Racing in fifth place. Robert Megennis and Cameron Lawrence (both USA), driving the Turner Motorsport #95 BMW M4 GT4, started from pole position but finished seventh after their forced pit stop. Stephen Cameron Racing and Fast Track Racing were also present in the race, each with a BMW M4 GT4, finishing twelfth and thirteenth in the GS class.

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ADAC GT4 Germany: Rain chaos at the Nürburgring.

The third season event of the ADAC GT4 Germany last weekend at the Nürburgring (GER) was marked by typical Eifel weather, with both races taking place under tricky rainy conditions. The best results for the BMW M4 GT4 came from Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport. In race one, a thriller with sudden rain during the starting grid formation, a drying track, and a red flag, Marat Khayrov (KGZ) and Gabriele Piana (ITA) finished eleventh in the team's #2 BMW M4 GT4. In the second race, also held in the rain, Leon Wassertheurer and Tim Reiter (both GER) in the #5 BMW M4 GT4 finished 16th, closely followed by Khayrov/Piana in 17th place.

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ESET Cup Series: Trevor Racing secures two GT4 class victories at Most.

The fifth season event of the ESET Cup Series took place last weekend at Most, located in the northern part of the Czech Republic. Trevor Racing achieved two GT4 class victories with the BMW M4 GT4. Antal Zsigo (SVK) first won his class in the Endurance Race on Saturday evening, and he repeated this success in the second sprint race on Sunday. In the first sprint race on Saturday, Zsigo retired early. In the Endurance Race, Gregor Zsigo and Stefan Rosina (both SVK) represented the Trevor Racing Team with the BMW M4 GT3, finishing fourth overall, which also placed them fourth in the GT3 class. Additionally, Zsigo started in the first sprint race with the BMW M4 GT3, finishing fourth in class.

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GT4 Scandinavia: BMW M-Bilar Group Racing claims double podium at Rudskogen.

After holding events two and three of the GT4 Scandinavia within the races of the GT4 European Series at Le Castellet (FRA) and Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), the series returned to Scandinavia for the fourth round of the year, taking place at the Norwegian circuit of Rudskogen last weekend. Victor Bouveng and Joakim Walde (both SWE) of BMW M-Bilar Group Racing in the #98 BMW M4 GT4 secured another double podium, finishing both races in the third position of the Pro-Am class.

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BMW M2 Cup: Fourie and Horsten triumph at the Nürburgring.

The third season event of the BMW M2 Cup occurred last weekend at the Nürburgring (GER) under challenging weather conditions. In the first race on Saturday, Leyton Fourie (RSA) and Max Rosam (GER) engaged in an impressive duel until the last corner. Fourie managed to withstand the intense pressure from his pursuer, made no mistakes, and confidently clinched his first victory in the BMW M2 Cup. Bart Horsten (AUS) secured third place. On Sunday, Horsten was the standout performer, showing composure in extremely difficult conditions with heavy rain. Unlike many of his competitors, he kept his car on the wet track and claimed victory in a race that was prematurely halted due to weather. Second and third places went to Fourie and Denny Berndt.

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BTCC: Colin Turkington continues Croft dominance.

The Croft circuit (GBR) continues to be a successful venue for BMW driver Colin Turkington (GBR). During the sixth round of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), Turkington secured his third victory of the season and his 14th overall win at Croft in the BMW 330e M Sport from Team BMW. This win further extends his record number of victories at this track.

Turkington triumphed in the third and final race of the weekend, achieving a start-to-finish victory from pole position. In the other two races, Turkington finished in seventh and sixth positions, respectively. Jake Hill (GBR) from Team Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport finished the three races in fifth, eleventh, and seventh positions. Stephen Jelley (GBR) from Team BMW secured eighth and seventh places in the first two races but retired from the final race.

After six out of ten race weekends, Turkington and Hill hold the third and fourth positions in the championship standings. In the manufacturer's standings, BMW leads the way.