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Customer racing: BMW M4 GT4 completes just under 3,000 test
kilometres in race conditions in Dubai. -
24 hours of Dubai: Full BMW power with 11 race cars at the
desert classic. -
DTM: Wittmann and BMW team principals honoured at DMSB gala
of champions.
Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship, or countless other championships: Week after week BMW
teams and drivers around the world do battle for points, victories
and titles. Away from the track too, members of the large BMW
Motorsport family around the world are also creating headlines. The
“BMW Motorsport News” allows us to regularly summarise all the
action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you
are always up to speed.
24h Dubai: First test for the BMW M4 GT4 under race conditions.
Dubai (UEA) hosted the first important 24-hour race of the 2017
season this weekend. This year, the newest member of the BMW customer
racing range took on the challenge in the desert: Schubert Motorsport
tested the BMW M4 GT4, which is still in development, in race
conditions for the first time. BMW works drivers Jörg Müller and Jens
Klingmann, and BMW Motorsport Junior Ricky Collard (GBR) took it in
turns behind the wheel. The endurance test was a resounding success –
both in terms of the performance of the GT4 car as well as its reliability.
24 hours of Dubai: One-two result for Sorg Rennsport.
In addition to the new BMW M4 GT4, ten other BMW race cars were in
the starting line-up at the 24-hour race in Dubai. In the BMW M235i
Racing Cup class, the Sorg Rennsport team celebrated a one-two result
on the 5.390-kilometre track. The victorious number 151 BMW M235i
Racing was driven by Stephan Epp, Christian Andreas Franz, Heiko
Eichenberg (all GER), as well as Michael Hollerweger (AUT) and Oskar
Sandberg (NOR). Ahmed Al Melaihi (ARE), Jesus Diez, José Manuel de los
Milagros (both ESP), George Richardson (GBR) and Shawn Peh (SGP) took
it in turns behind the wheel of the second-placed car. Third place
went to Hermann Bock, Rainer Partl and Max Partl (all GER) in the Bonk
Motorsport BMW M235i Racing.
DTM: Marco Wittmann honoured at the DMSB gala of champions.
At the atmospheric Kurhaus Wiesbaden on Friday, BMW works driver
Marco Wittmann (GER) was awarded an honour for winning the 2016 DTM
title. At the DMSB gala of champions, in the presence of BMW
Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt, he received the German Motorsport
Association (DMSB) glass trophy for the best DTM driver for the second
time; having first been awarded the trophy after his 2014 championship
victory. “Winning my second trophy in my fourth year of DTM is
incredible. There aren’t many DTM drivers with two titles,” said
Wittmann, and took a look ahead to the 2017 season: “When you are
champion, naturally you want to defend your title. I wouldn’t say ‘No’
to a third title.” Stefan Reinold (GER) of BMW Team RMG and Bart
Mampaey (BEL) of BMW Team RBM also received honours in Wiesbaden, for
finishing second and third in the DTM team standings. “We’re kind
of regulars here now,” said Reinold, who received a glass trophy
for the third time in a row. Mampaey also dared to look ahead to the
new season: “With three drivers and three cars there are several
changes. We will prepare well; it’s going to be an exciting year.”
IWSC: Winter pleasure meets driving pleasure.
Martin Tomczyk (GER), who is currently preparing for the start of the
IMSA WeatherTechSportsCar Championship (IWSC) season at the 24-hour
race in Daytona, was a guest at the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon in
Ruhpolding (GER) this week. He met BMW brand ambassador Magdalena
Neuner (GER), who with 12 world championship titles and two Olympic
Games gold medals is regarded as one of the best biathletes of all
time. First, Tomczyk showed the winter sports star how to master the
BMW xDrive obstacle course at the wheel of a BMW X4 M40i. After
several spectacular drifts in the snow, they moved on to the shooting
range. In the biathlon simulator, Neuner let the BMW works driver in
on a few tricks for maintaining perfect concentration when shooting.
The IWSC opener is in Tomczyk’s schedule on
28th/29th January.