BMW M Motorsport News, 14th September 2021.

Nürburgring Endurance Series: BMW M Motorsport teams celebrate class victories at NLS 7.

BMW M Motorsport teams claimed a total of five class victories at round seven of the 2021 Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (GER).

The FK Performance Motorsport team enjoyed success in two classes in Saturday’s six-hour race. The team won the Cup5 class in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS. Marc Ehret, Moritz Oberheim and Nico Otto (all GER) claimed their latest victory in the #875 BMW M2 CS Racing. Second place in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup NLS went to Francesco Merlini (ITA), Yannick Fübrich (GER) and David Griessner (AUT) in the #870 car run by Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive. Tobias Vazquez-Garcia and Michael Tischner (both GER) came home third in the #883 BMW M2 CS Racing. FK Performance Motorsport’s second class win of the day came in the highly-competitive VT2 class with the #485 BMW 330i, driven by Ben Green (GBR), Christian Konnerth (GER), Ranko Mijatovic and Yann Zimmer (both SUI).

The BMW M240i class was again won by the #700 BMW M240i Racing of the Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport team. Alternating at the wheel were Michael Schrey (GER), Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Fischer (AUT). In the V4 class, Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive continued its winning run with the #1 BMW 325i. The car was once again driven by Christopher Rink, Danny Brink and Philipp Leisen (all GER). Victory in the SP4 class went to Marc Riebel, Daniel Jolk (both GER), Florian Haller and Daniel Fink (both ITA) in the #255 BMW 325i.

The BMW M4 GT4 also picked up two podium results in the SP10 class. Second place went to Walkenhorst Motorsport with the #181 BMW M4 GT4 and drivers Chandler Hull and Jonathan Miller (both USA). James Clay and Charlie Postins (both USA) came home third in the #180 BMW M4 GT4, run by the AVIA Sorg Rennsport team.

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British GT Championship: Burton, Burns and Century Motorsport wrap up the Driver and Team titles with races to spare.

British GT Champions claimed the title with the BMW M4 GT4. Century Motorsport and its two drivers Gus Burton and Will Burns (both GBR) wrapped up both the Driver and Team titles at the penultimate event of the season at Oulton Park (GBR).

Burton and Burns already had one hand on the trophy after race one on Saturday in which they finished runner-up with the #57 BMW M4 GT4. In race two on Sunday, the duo produced a drive worthy of champions to win the title. With torrential rain causing perilous conditions, Burton and Burns took their third victory of the season. That was enough to give them an unassailable lead in the Drivers’ Championship as well as in the Silver category. Century Motorsport was also crowned champion in the Team competition with races to spare.

“To be GT4 champions is just incredible. What a weekend,” said Burns. Burton added: “Century have done such a superb job with the car. It felt great, even in conditions like those. And the strategy has been spot-on all season. I’m just delighted.”

Their team-mates Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke and Chris Salkeld (both GBR) failed to finish the opening race, before coming home ninth in race two in the #9 BMW M4 GT4. The season finale will take place mid-October at Donington Park (GBR).

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ADAC GT Masters: Schubert Motorsport shows fighting spirit at the Lausitzring.

The Lausitzring (GER) hosted the fourth event of this season’s ADAC GT Masters at the weekend. The programme consisted of one race on Saturday and one on Sunday. Fifth place in the first qualifying session put Nick Yelloly (GBR) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) in the #10 Schubert Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 in a promising position for Saturday’s race. However, they then had to dig deep and show all their fighting spirit. Yelloly was spun by another car at the start and fell back to 25th place. From there, he and Krohn made an impressive comeback. Over the following 41 laps to the finish, they managed to climb into seventh place in the #10 BMW M6 GT3. Yelloly and Krohn finished eleventh in the Sunday race.

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IMSA: Eventful races for Turner Motorsport at Laguna Seca.

The Turner Motorsport team was in action in the North American IMSA series at Laguna Seca (USA) at the weekend. First was the race in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge on Saturday. Robby Foley and Vin Barletta (both USA) finished sixth in the #96 BMW M4 GT4. Their team-mates Bill Auberlen and Dillion Machavern (both USA) led the race in the #95 BMW M4 GT4 until 43 minutes from the end, but then dropped back to 14th place as the result of a puncture.

That was followed on Sunday by the race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Starting from second on the grid, Auberlen and Foley led the GTD class in the #96 BMW M6 GT3 for much of the race. After two hours and 40 minutes, they crossed the finish line in fourth place. Auberlen and Foley continue to lead the GTD Drivers’ Championship, while Turner Motorsport tops the standings in the GTD Team competition.

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Super GT Championship: Round five of the season for BMW Team Studie in Sugo.

Sugo (JPN) hosted the fifth event of this season’s Japanese Super GT Championship at the weekend. In Saturday’s qualifying, Seiji Ara (JPN) of BMW Team Studie set the fastest time in Group B in the #7 BMW M6 GT3. That put Ara and his team-mate Tomohide Yamaguchi (JPN) 15th in the overall qualifying results. In an eventful race on Sunday, which included several safety car periods, the duo in the #7 BMW M6 GT3 climbed through the field to finish eleventh.

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TC France: One-two for the BMW M2 CS Racing at Lédenon.

After a few weeks off for the summer, the 2021 season of the “Championnat de France FFSA Tourisme” – TC France – resumed at Lédenon (FRA). The BMW M Motorsport teams enjoyed more success at the fifth event of the season. In Saturday’s opening race, they claimed a one-two with the BMW M2 CS Racing. Ricardo van der Ende (NED / #16) from the L’Espace Bienvenue team took victory, three seconds ahead of second-placed Steven Palette (FRA / #18) from the VSF Sports team. In race two on Sunday, Palette again finished runner-up to claim another spot on the podium. In the TC Drivers’ Championship, Palette leads with 183 points going into the finale. He is followed in second place by van der Ende with 152 points. VSF Sports is also sitting pretty at the top of the TC Team standings. The finale, featuring another two races, will take place at the start of October at Le Castellet (FRA).