This weekend features the highlight of the endurance season for BMW Motorsport: the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (DE). After months of intense preparation, the BMW Sports Trophy teams travel to the long-distance classic on the Nordschleife (DE) with a strong line-up. The high-class field in the “Green Hell” will include six BMW Z4 GT3s, all with their sights set on overall victory. They are joined by the starters in the BMW M235i Racing Cup class, a BMW M235i Racing fielded by BMW Motorsport as a journalist car, and the usual large number of privateers in their own BMWs.
“The 24-hour race at the Nürburgring and BMW Motorsport can look back on a long and successful history together,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “It was a BMW that crossed the finish line first at the inaugural event back in 1970. To date we have claimed 19 overall victories there. Our teams are determined to make it triumph number 20 for BMW in the Eifel Mountains. We are hugely optimistic ahead of this classic. However, there is still a very long way to go before the finish on Sunday – and absolutely everything must come together perfectly to have any chance of a top result in this extremely tough race. And you obviously need that little bit of luck too in the ‘Green Hell’. Whatever happens, our preparations with the BMW Z4 GT3 have definitely been satisfactory. The BMW Sports Trophy teams are fielding a car that has been tried and tested on numerous occasions, and which has proven itself more than once on the Nordschleife. As far as the squad of drivers for our teams with the BMW Z4 GT3 is concerned, I feel we are competing with some of the strongest drivers you could possibly find for the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. And we need them to be, as our opponents are also very strong. They have shown that at the preparatory races.”
BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert lines up with works support from BMW Motorsport for the third time, and fields two BMW Z4 GT3s. Car number 19 will be driven by Lucas Luhr (DE), Dirk Müller (DE), Alexander Sims (GB) and Dirk Werner (DE). Meanwhile, the driving duties in the number 20 car will be shared by Dominik Baumann (AT), Claudia Hürtgen (DE), Jens Klingmann (DE) and BMW DTM driver Martin Tomczyk (DE).
Tomczyk’s two DTM colleagues Maxime Martin (BE) and Marco Wittmann (DE) start in one of the two BMW Z4 GT3s run by BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS. They share the cockpit of the number 25 car with Uwe Alzen (DE) and Jörg Müller (DE). Car number 26 will be driven by Dirk Adorf (DE), Nick Catsburg (NL), Bas Leinders (BE) and Markus Palttala (FI). Like the two BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert cars, the number 25 and 26 BMW Z4 GT3s are equipped with innovative BMW laser light technology, which guarantees significantly improved vision in the dark. In addition to these four cars, the Walkenhorst Motorsport team will also run two BMW Z4 GT3s in the SP9 class.
Fourteen teams are registered for the BMW M235i Racing Cup, which is making its first appearance this season. BMW Motorsport will also field a 15th BMW M235i Racing. This car will be shared by motorsport journalists Marcus Schurig (DE) and Jethro Bovingdon (GB), alongside former MotoGP rider Alex Hofmann (DE) and BMW Motorsport Junior Alexander Mies (DE).