BMW M Motorsport News, 21st August 2023

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

“After yet another fantastic weekend of racing, I am delighted to congratulate our BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers on wins with all our cars. Samantha Tan Racing recorded a first class win in the GT World Challenge America with the BMW M4 GT3 and Racing Trevor enjoyed success in the ESET Cup Series. The BMW M4 GT4 first set the scene of the weekend in the GT World Challenge Asia, before carrying BMW M Team Studie to the title on Sunday. The BMW M4 GT4 was also successful at Road America and at the Lausitzring. The BMW M2 CS Racing performed well in the BMW M2 Cup and in the TC America, delivering some thrilling race action. I am looking forward to even more in the weeks ahead!”

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GTWC/GT/GT4/TC America: Samantha Tan Racing celebrates first win.

At the race weekend in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS at Road America (USA), Samantha Tan (CAN) celebrated her first class win in the competitive racing series. Alongside BMW M works driver and BMW Junior Team member Neil Verhagen (USA) in the Samantha Tan Racing #38 BMW M4 GT3, she claimed third place overall in the second race, which was victory in the Pro-Am category. The duo had secured fourth place in Saturday’s race, finishing second in their class. On Saturday, second place on the overall podium went to Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (USA) from the BimmerWorld team. They endured some very bad luck on Sunday, forced to retire from the lead just before the end of the race by a problem with their #94 BMW M4 GT3.

In the GT4 America, the BMW M4 GT4 claimed five out of a possible six spots on the podium and some class wins. Zac Anderson (USA) produced the performance of the weekend. In both races, he drove the Auto Technic Racing #51 BMW M4 GT4 on his own, as his team-mate John Capestro-Dubets (USA) was unable to compete due to a back injury. This additional burden did not impinge upon his success, as he won Sunday’s race and reached the rostrum again on Saturday by finishing third. Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch (both USA) finished second in both races in the Random Vandals Racing #92 BMW M4 GT4. The BimmerWorld duo James Walker Jr. / Tyler McQuarrie (both USA) secured third place overall on Sunday, which was the Pro-Am class win. In both races, the BimmerWorld #36 BMW M4 GT4, driven by Charlie Postins and James Clay (both USA), proved unbeatable in the Am category. In the GT America, John Roberts (USA) finished seventh and tenth for Fast Track Racing in the GT4 class.

The BMW M2 CS Racing dominated proceedings once again in the TC America. Five cars were racing for the lead in the two races, with victory on both occasions going to Colin Garrett (USA) from the Rooster Hall Racing team. Lucas Catania (USA) from the Rigid Speed Company team finished behind him in second place in both races. The third podium spot went to Aaron Kaplan (USA) on Saturday and Kenny Schmied (USA) on Sunday.

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GT World Challenge Asia: BMW M Team Studie wins Fanatec Japan Cup title in Okayama.

The fifth event of the season in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS took place last weekend in Okayama (JPN). BMW M Team Studie claimed a win in the GT4 class and the Fanatec Japan Cup title, thrilling the fans in attendance and those watching around the world on the Internet with a heroic performance.

In the first of the two GT4 races, Masaki Kano and Manabu Orido (both JPN) in the YZ RACING with BMW M Team Studie #50 BMW M4 GT4 were on course for victory until just before the finish. They were always in the lead after starting from pole position and Orido began the last lap with a lead of 33 seconds. Then events took a dramatic turn as the car suddenly suffered a drastic loss of speed on the approach to the final corner. The fuel tank was empty. Orido got out and started to push the BMW M4 GT4 over the finishing line as his rivals raced by. This ensured that he finished sixth, scoring vital points for himself and Kano.

In the second GT4 race on Sunday, Kano and Orido recovered from that setback in the best possible way. They were never in danger of surrendering the lead, claiming their sixth win of the season to secure the title in the Fanatec Japan Cup. The race for the title in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia GT4 class will go down to the season finale in Sepang (MAL). Kano and Orido top the drivers’ standings, while YZ RACING with BMW M Team Studie leads the team championship.

Tomohide Yamaguchi and Seiji Ara (both JPN) were competing in the PLUS with BMW M Team Studie BMW M4 GT3 in the GT3 class. They finished the two races in 23rd and eighth positions.

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ADAC GT4 Germany: two podiums for the BMW M4 GT4.

Last weekend, the ADAC GT4 Germany appeared at the Lausitzring (GER) as part of the DTM programme. The BMW M Motorsport teams claimed two podiums in Saturday’s race. Second place went to Maxime Oosten (NED) and Michal Makes (CZE) in the Project 1 #54 BMW M4 GT4. Mex Jansen (NED) and Nico Hantke (GER) finished right behind them in third place in the Walkenhorst Motorsport #34 BMW M4 GT4. In Sunday’s race, their team-mates Sami-Matti Trogen (FIN) and Enzo Joulie (FRA) were the best-placed BMW M4 GT4 drivers in fifth. Jansen and Hantke retired. Oosten and Makes finished ninth on Sunday. 

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BMW M2 Cup: Leyton Fourie wins both races at the Lausitzring.

South African racer Leyton Fourie is the man of the moment in the BMW M2 Cup. At the Lausitzring (GER), he won both races with the #46 BMW M2 CS Racing to take the lead in the overall standings. On Saturday, he finished 2.5 seconds ahead of his closest rival in the title battle, Bart Horsten (AUS). Third place went to Max Rosam (GER). On Sunday, Fourie and Jan Matyas (CZE) were involved in an impressive battle for the win, which Fourie settled in his favour on the final lap. On this occasion, third place went to Colin Bönighausen (GER). Two race weekends are still to come this season, and in the overall standings Fourie is just nine points ahead of Horsten, who finished fourth on Sunday.

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ESET Cup Series: victory for BMW M works driver Jesse Krohn with Racing Trevor.

At the ninth event of the season in the ESET Cup Series at the Slovakia Ring, near Bratislava (SVK), BMW M works driver Jesse Krohn (FIN) enjoyed some successful racing with Racing Trevor. In the one-hour endurance race on Saturday, Krohn built up such a large lead in the #16 BMW M4 GT3 that even a retrospective twenty-second penalty for crossing the white line in the pit entry lane did not endanger his victory in the GT3 class.

In the second sprint race on Sunday, Krohn returned to the podium in third place. His team-mate Stefan Rosina (SVK) also finished third in the first sprint race on Saturday at the wheel of the #16 car. 

Antal Szigo (SVK) enjoyed a perfect weekend in the Racing Trevor #500 BMW M4 GT4 in the GT4 class. He claimed the class win in both sprint races and the endurance event. Ahead of October’s season finale in Brno (CZE), Zsigo tops the sprint standings and is second in the endurance championship.

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BTCC: Double win for Jake Hill in Knockhill.

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) visited the Scottish circuit at Knockhill (GBR) for the seventh round of the season. Not content with claiming his first victory of the season, Jake Hill (GBR) secured a double win in the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport team BMW 330e M Sport.

In the first of three races, Hill was part of a group of seven cars battling for the lead. Rain started to fall as he was in third place. Having headed to the pits for wet-weather tyres, Hill stormed into the lead to claim his first win of the year. He repeated that success in race two. However, he was unfortunate that a collision in the third race saw him finish 14th. 

“Races one and two were fantastic,” said Hill later. “The changeable conditions made the first race extremely challenging, but it was brilliant to get that win. I really had to defend hard to secure victory in race two. But it was a great battle and I did it. Race three didn’t go as I had hoped, but the BMW was on the pace in wet and dry conditions.”

Stephen Jelley (GBR / Team BMW) also secured a spot on the podium, finishing third in race two. He finished the other two races in fourth and 19th positions. Colin Turkington (GBR / Team BMW) endured a difficult weekend in Knockhill, with 11th and 17th-place finishes and a DNF. Hill is now the best-placed BMW driver, in third place in the championship standings, followed by Turkington in fourth. BMW is still in first place in the manufacturers’ championship.

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Sim Racing: BMW M SIM Cup and ESL R1.

The seventh race of the season in the BMW M SIM Cup took place last weekend on the iRacing platform. This time, some of the best sim racers in the world met on the virtual circuit in Fuji (JPN) to determine the winners in the GTP and GT3 classes. The URANO eSports team continued its dominant form to secure first place with the virtual BMW M Hybrid V8. In the GT3 category, Team Redline came out on top with the virtual BMW M4 GT3.

In the top-level sim racing series ESL R1 on the Rennsport platform, the Fall Season is drawing closer. This will again feature the BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION – with a new line-up. The official BMW M Motorsport works team will be facing the challenge with four drivers, Ryan Barneveld (NED), Ibraheem Khan (GBR), Pedro Sanchez (ESP) and Ferris Stanley (INA).