BMW M Motorsport News, 9. April 2024

Main topics in this magazine:

• ADAC GT Masters: FK Performance kicks off the new season with two BMW M4 GT3s.
• NLS: BMW M Motorsport teams with 14 class wins in the season opener.
• The BMW M Motorsport teams are celebrating success in the season opener at Sonoma.

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

“The 2024 motorsport season is now in full swing, and it is great that we have already been able to celebrate the first success of the year with our BMW M Motorsport teams. There were many class victories to celebrate at the NLS season opener on the Nordschleife. In North America, the SRO racing series also started with great success for our teams with BMW M4 GT3, BMW M4 GT4 and BMW M2 CS Racing. There are also good results in the European GT4 Series as well as in France and England. Congratulations everyone, let’s keep going! More championships will start the new season soon, including the ADAC GT Masters. I’m very happy about the commitment from FK Performance Motorsport. The team will compete in the new season with two BMW M4 GT3s and a strong pair of drivers. I wish them success a lot – just like all the other teams in many championships around the world!”

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ADAC GT Masters: FK Performance kicks off the new season with two BMW M4 GT3s.

FK Performance Motorsport will start the ADAC GT Masters season next season with two BMW M4 GT3s. Last year, the team from Bremen (GER) made its debut in the racing series with the BMW M4 GT3 and took its first victory in the first season. At the Red Bull Ring (AUT), BMW M works driver Bruno Spengler (CAN) won together with Maxime Oosten (NED).

The team now extends its commitment to two BMW M4 GT3s and presents a strong line-up: 21-year-old Oosten shares the cockpit of his BMW M4 GT3 with Leon Köhler (GER). Grégory de Sybourg (SUI) and Eduardo Coseteng (PHL) will compete in the sister car of FK Performance Motorsport. Robot will start the new season on the weekend from April 26 to 28 in Oschersleben (GER).

In ADAC GT4 Germany, FK Performance Motorsport competes with four BMW M4 GT4s. These are run by the duo of Moh Ritson (GBR) / Gianni van de Craats (NED), Joseph Warhurst / Tom Edgar (both GBR), Niels Tröger (GER) / Joseph Ellerine (RSA) and Leyton Fourie (RSA) / Max Rosam ( GER), all riding from the BMW M2 Cup.

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NLS: The BMW M Motorsport teams start the new season with 14 class victories.

The 2024 season at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (GER) started with a double bang. The first two rounds of the 2024 Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) took place on Saturday and Sunday. The BMW M Motorsport teams achieved 14 class victories.

Defending champions from the Adrenalin Motorsport Mainhatten Wheel Team, Daniel Zils and Philipp Leisen (both GER) started the new year with a win. Together with new teammate Moran Gott (GBR), they won the tough VT2-R+4WD class in the first race with the #1 BMW 330i. The next day they finished seventh grade. The Adrenalin Motorsport Mainhatten Wheel team also achieved double success in the BMW M240i class: Sven Markert (GER), Ranko Mijatovic (SUI) and Toby Goodman (GBR) in the starting number 650 took class wins in both races. In the BMW M2 CS class, the #888 BMW M2 CS Racing of Martin Kroll (SUI), Michael Schrey and Max Partl (both GER) took first place.

The BMW M4 GT4 was successful in the SP8T class on both days. On Saturday, the class win went to the Schmickler Performance team run by Ravenol with two drivers Michael Luther and Markus Schmickler (both GER) in the #151 BMW M4 GT4. On Sunday, the #150 BMW M4 GT4 from the Bilstein and Black Falcon team won the class. Jimmy Broadbent (GBR), Steve Brown (GBR), Misha Charoudin (GER) and Manuel Metzger (GER) took turns at the wheel.

More wins went to the BMW M Motorsport teams in the V4, VT3, SP3, SP4 and H4 classes. The BMW M4 GT3s did not take part in the season opener due to a scheduling conflict with the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe run by AWS, which was run at Le Castellet (FRA) on the same weekend.

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European GT4 Series: The big BMW M4 GT4 series at the season opener.

Six teams and a total of eight BMW M4 GT4s: the colors of BMW M Motorsport were strongly represented at the GT4 European Series season opener in Le Castellet (FRA). In the highest class, the Silver category, Berkay Besler (TUR) and Gabriele Piana (ITA) from the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport team showed consistency. Da Duo finished sixth overall and Silver in both races with the BMW M4 GT4 starting number 12. Teammates Yagiz Gedik (TUR) and Pedro Ebrahim Carvalho (BRA) crossed the finish line in the number 10 car in tenth places and eleven in the Finance category.

Benjamin Lessennes (BEL) and Ricardo van der Ende (NED) in the #17 BMW M4 GT4 from L’Espace Bienvenue achieved the best personal result of the weekend. They finished the two races in fifth place overall and in silver. They were eliminated early in the first race.

In the Pro-Am class, Chazel Technologie Course, W&D Racing Team, Lestrup Racing Team and Razoon xAutomotive racing achieved good results in the front field and important points with their BMW M4 GT4. The Lestrup Racing Team also took seventh and fifth in the Am class.

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GT4/GT America: A dream weekend in the season opener.

The BMW M Motorsport team began its dream in the GT4 America season opener at Sonoma Raceway (USA). In the second race in Northern California there were two victories – in the overall position and in the Silver Class. Colin Garrett and Zac Anderson (both USA) from the AutoTechnic Racing team won in the #51 BMW M4 GT4 ahead of Kevin Boehm and Kenton Koch (both USA) from the Random Vandals Racing team.

Both BMW M4 GT4 were on the podium in the first race. As on Sunday, Boehm and Koch in the #97 BMW M4 GT4 crossed the finish line in second place on Saturday. Garrett and Anderson completed the podium in third place in the first race before going undefeated in the second race.

BMW M Motorsport also had plenty to enjoy in the Pro-Am category. #82 BMW M4 GT4 driven by James Walker Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie (both USA) won the first race and completed a great weekend in GT4 America a day later with second place in the second race. The BMW M4 GT4 also celebrated double success in the Am category. Troy Lindstrom and Matt Million (both USA) in the #53 AutoTechnic Racing won two races ahead of Paul Sparta and Kris Wilson (both USA) in the #98 Random Vandals Racing. In the first race, Sparta and Wilson finished second ahead of Charlie Postins and James Clay (both USA) in the #36 BimmerWorld BMW M4 GT4.

In GT America, Justin Rothberg (USA) from Turner Motorsport Team finished sixth in both races in his #29 BMW M4 GT3, rounding out the top ten.

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GT America World Challenge: Podium rain in northern California.

In the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, the BMW M Motorsport teams also started the season with a podium. In the first race at Sonoma Raceway (USA), BMW M works drivers Bill Auberlen and Varun Choksey (both USA) in the #28 BMW M4 GT3 from the ST Racing team took third place overall and thus finished second in the category of Pro.

In the Pro-Am category, BMW M Motorsport even celebrated the podium twice. BMW M works driver Neil Verhagen (USA) finished fourth overall in the #38 BMW M4 GT3 with Samantha Tan (CAN), which meant second place for the ST Racing team in the Pro-Am category. BMW M works driver Robby Foley (USA) completed the podium in the Pro-Am category in third place for Turner Motorsport with Justin Rothberg (USA) in the #29 BMW M4 GT3.

On Sunday, Verhagen and Tan immediately followed the next stage. The #38 BMW M4 GT3 crossed the finish line in third place, which meant second place in the Pro-Am category. Like the previous day, Choksey and Auberlen came second in the Pro division. Foley and Rothberg capped off a strong performance for the BMW M Motorsport teams with a fifth place finish in the Pro-Am category on the opening weekend in Northern California.

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TC America: With two wins between the starting blocks.

At TC America, the BMW M Motorsport teams also celebrated the start of the gala at the Sonoma Road (USA). Chris Walsh (USA) from Carrus Callas Raceteam won both races at the first stop of the season in his #104 BMW M2 CS Racing, Lucas Catania (USA) from Team Rigid Speed ​​​​​​​​His #17. The BMW M2 CS Championship had one-two wins. Teammate Joseph Catania (USA) and Aaron Kaplan (USA) from Team Kaplan Racing System also earned top ten finishes in both races.

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British GT: season opener at Oulton Park.

In the British GT Championship season opener at Oulton Park (GBR), BMW M works drivers Dan Harper and Michael Johnston (both GBR) finished ninth in the #14 BMW M4 GT3. In the second race, the duo from the Century Motorsport team crossed the finish line in 13th place. BMW M works driver Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and John Ferguson (GBR) from the RAM Racing team managed to finish in the top ten and seven in the second race. The day before, the #15 BMW M4 GT3 had to make do with twelfth place.

There was a podium success to celebrate with the BMW M4 GT4. In the first race, Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson (both GBR) finished third in the GT4 Pro-Am category in the #71 Century Motorsport car. Teammates Ian Gough and Tom Wrigley (both GBR) secured equal positions in the #29 BMW M4 GT4 in the second race.

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GT4 France: Podium positions in the Coupe de
Easter
in Nogaro.

The 2024 season in GT4 France started with the Coupe de Pâques (Easter Cup) in Nogaro (FRA). In the first of the two races, Debard Automobiles By Racetivity was the best placed BMW M Motorsport team. Simon Gachet and Carla Debard (both FRA) finished ninth overall and fourth in the Pro-Am category in the #21 BMW M4 GT4. In the second race we celebrated our first podium finish of the year. Gachet and Debard celebrated third place overall, which also meant second place in the Pro-Am class. Directly behind them, Jim Pla and Jean-Luc Beaubelique (both FRA) in the #87 BMW M4 GT4 from L’Espace Bienvenue finished fourth overall and third in the Pro-Am classification.