BMW Motorsport News - Issue 03/2020.

IGTC: Philipp Eng returns to Spa with Walkenhorst Motorsport.

Walkenhorst Motorsport is set to receive well-known support for the season highlight of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) on 25th/26th July 2020. BMW DTM driver Philipp Eng (AUT) will line up alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Nick Catsburg (NED) in the #34 BMW M6 GT3. Eng has won what is probably the most important GT3 race in the world twice already: in 2016 with ROWE Racing and in 2018 with Walkenhorst Motorsport – the biggest success for team principal Henry Walkenhorst’s (GER) crew to date. “The 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is a really special race for me,” said Eng. “I celebrated my first major success as a BMW works driver there in 2016 and brought home a very emotional win with Walkenhorst Motorsport in 2018. The best GT drivers and teams in the world take each other on in Spa. To be part of that again in 2020 is fantastic. I can’t wait.” The second BMW M6 GT3 in action for Walkenhorst Motorsport will have Martin Tomczyk (GER), Nick Yelloly and David Pittard (both GBR) at the wheel.

ADAC GT Masters: Schubert Motorsport to race with BMW M6 GT3.

The shared history of BMW M Customer Racing and Schubert Motorsport is set to continue in 2020. The team from Oschersleben (GER) will contest the ADAC GT Masters with two BMW M6 GT3s and will receive backing from three BMW works drivers. In one of Schubert Motorsport’s two BMW M6 GT3s, BMW works driver Joel Eriksson (SWE) and the young Australian Aidan Read will contest all the races together. In the second car, Sweden’s Henric Skoog is a full-season entry and he will be supported by the two BMW works drivers Nick Yelloly (GBR) and Erik Johansson (SWE) on an alternating basis. “I’m delighted that we will be contesting the ADAC GT Masters again,” said team principal Torsten Schubert. “After so many years, the series is very close to my own heart. The conditions in the driver market are not always easy, which is why I am even happier to be able to compete with two BMW M6 GT3. With our drivers, we have a strong combination in place.”

The MRS GT-Racing team will race with a BMW M6 GT3 for the third year in a row. BMW works driver Jens Klingmann (GER) will be in action once again. “I’m entering my third season alongside MRS GT-Racing in 2020 – in a GT series with one of the best fields in the world,” said Klingmann. “I’m looking forward to hopefully being able to build on the good performances of last season.”

Customer racing: VLN champions start 2020 in the #1 BMW M4 GT4.

BMW M Customer Racing will be backing the reigning VLN champions David Griessner (AUT) and Yannick Fübrich (GER) in the upcoming endurance season at the Nürburgring (GER) as they take the next step in their racing careers. The duo, who in addition to winning the VLN title in 2019 also won the overall standings in the BMW M240i Racing Cup for the second time in a row, will receive financial assistance and thereby the opportunity to contest the entire season of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (formerly the VLN) at the wheel of a BMW M4 GT4 in the SP10 class. The #1 car will be in action for Adrenalin Motorsport, a team that is as experienced as it is successful in the BMW Sports Trophy. The third driver joining Griessner and Fübrich will be Florian Naumann (GER). “After the successes of the past two years, I’m now looking forward to the new challenges in the BMW M4 GT4,” said Griessner. “The BMW M240i Racing Cup was the perfect preparation for this.” Fübrich added: “I’m delighted to be taking the next step with the BMW M4 GT4.” The backing given to the VLN champions is further evidence that BMW M Customer Racing is not only continuing its consistent promotion of sport for the masses but is moving it up a gear.

GT4/TC America: Wins and podiums for the BMW teams.

The BMW M240i Racing kicked off the TC America season in Austin (USA) with a top four shut-out. In the first TC class race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on Saturday, James Clay (USA, BimmerWorld) in the #36 car was the first to cross the finish line. He was followed by Toby Grahovec (USA, Classic BMW), Johan Schwartz (DEN, Hard Motorsport) and Chandler Hull (USA, BimmerWorld) in second to fourth place. The BMW M240i Racing was prevented from picking up another win in the final race of the COTA weekend, but both Grahovec and Clay made it onto the podium again, finishing in second and third place. Positions two to 11 were all secured by BMW drivers.

At the opener of the GT4 America SprintX, Nick Wittmer (CAN) and Harry Gottsacker (USA) celebrated a class win in the BMW M4 GT4 of ST Racing. They crossed the finish line in third place overall in the race on Sunday, taking first place in the Silver category. The duo had already enjoyed podium success at the start of the COTA weekend, finishing in third place in the Silver standings. Positions four and five in the Silver class went to Samantha Tan / Jon Miller (both USA, ST Racing) and Cole Ciraulo / Tim Barber (both USA, CCR Team TFB) in both races. The best-placed BMW driver in the GT4 America Sprint was Toby Grahovec (USA) in the #26 BMW M4 GT4 of Classic BMW. He finished in fifth place in the Pro class in both races at the COTA.