BMW M Motorsport News, 21st August 2023

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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!”

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.

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.

 

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. 

 

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.

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.

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.

 

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).

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