ADAC GT Masters: Schubert Motorsport dominates at the Red Bull Ring.
At the same time as Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) was winning both DTM races at the Lausitzring (GER), Schubert Motorsport was also winning both races in the ADAC GT Masters at the Red Bull Ring (AUT). Young talents Ben Green (GBR) and Niklas Krütten (GER) took victory on Saturday and Sunday in the #10 BMW M4 GT3. The two wins at the weekend, in front of 25,000 spectators, were enough to move Green and Krütten to the top of the Drivers’ Championship, each with 60 points to their name. “I need a few days to take it all in,” said Green. “It is incredible to have won both races here and also to lead the championship.” 19-year-old Krütten, who also secured pole position on Sunday, said: “I was nervous at the start, but got away well. After a few laps, the race at the front had calmed down a little and I tried to look after the tyres for Ben’s stint. That worked well, and allowed Ben to secure the win. I cannot yet believe that we won again today, after our maiden victory on Saturday. It is unbelievable.”
Second place in Sunday’s race went to BMW M works drivers Nick Catsburg (NED) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) in the #20 BMW M4 GT3, which lined up in the “50 years of BMW M” anniversary livery for the first time. The duo, which finished fifth on Saturday, now lies fourth in the Drivers’ Championship with 55 points after the second race weekend of the season. Schubert Motorsport tops the Team competition with 73 points after its outstanding weekend in Austria. Four wins in four races, on two days: With its success in the DTM and the ADAC GT Masters, the team from Oschersleben (GER) claimed the first big wins in both series for the new BMW M4 GT3. The next highlight comes this weekend with the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER).
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ADAC GT4 Germany: Brace of wins for the defending champions.
In ADAC GT4 Germany too, it was a BMW M Motorsport team that dominated the race weekend at the Red Bull Ring (AUT). Reigning champions Michael Schrey (GER) and Gabriele Piana (ITA) won both races in the BMW M4 GT4 of Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport. In doing so, they repeated last year’s double victory in Spielberg (AUT) and climbed into second place in the Drivers’ Championship after a tough start to the season in Oschersleben (GER). “We are delighted. We never thought we could win twice here again,” said Schrey.
Patrick Steinmetz and Michael von Zabiensky (both GER), in the Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT4, produced an impressive fightback in Sunday’s race. They took advantage of multiple safety car phases to climb into fourth from 26th on the grid. They had previously come home 13th on Saturday. Tim Reiter and Max Rosam (both GER) were eighth in the opening race in Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport’s second BMW M4 GT4, before failing to finish race two.
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BMW M2 Cup: Fabian Kreim dominates the opening weekend.
The BMW M2 Cup kicked off its season on the support programme for the DTM race weekend at the Lausitzring (GER). Last year’s runner-up Fabian Kreim (GER) won both 30-minute races, which were streamed live on the BMW M YouTube channel. On Saturday, he controlled the race from pole position. He started from the front of the grid again on Sunday, and refused to be knocked out of his stride by a late safety car phase, which saw the field bunch back together. “What an incredible feeling. I could hardly be happier,” said Kreim. “A huge thank you goes to the BMW M2 Cup team, and particularly the mechanics, who prepared and configured my car perfectly.” Second and third place in Saturday’s race went to Maxime Oosten (NED) and Tom Nittel (GER). On Sunday, Kreim was joined on the podium by Robert Hefler (HUN) and Diego Stifter (ITA).
“We could hardly have asked for a better start to the new season,” said BMW M2 Cup manager Jörg Michaelis. “Qualifying hinted at what was to come, and the drivers produced precisely that in the race: hard but fair racing of a very high standard – with door-to-door action but no major damage. That was the perfect start. A big thank you goes to our team of mechanics, led by Björn Wiegard, who provided the drivers with perfectly prepared cars.”
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DTM Trophy: Two BMW M4 GT4 on the podium.
Two BMW M4 GT4 made it onto the podium in Sunday’s race at the opening weekend of the DTM Trophy at the Lausitzring (GER). Theo Oeverhaus (GER) was runner-up in the Walkenhorst Motorsport car, ahead of Colin Caresani (NED) from the Project 1 team. Oeverhaus fought back impressively in both races. On Sunday, he stormed onto the podium from 13th place on the grid. On Saturday, he finished as the top BMW M Motorsport driver in sixth place, having started from 15th. Caresani, who like his Project 1 team-mate Louis Henkefend (GER) has stepped up from the BMW M2 Cup into the GT4 category, failed to finish on Saturday. Marc de Fulgencio (ESP) came home tenth and seventh in a BMW M4 GT4 for FK Performance Motorsport.
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GTWC/GT4/TC America: BMW M Motorsport teams on the podium.
BMW M Motorsport teams celebrated many successes at the SRO race weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park (USA), in the BMW M4 GT3, BMW M4 GT4 and the BMW M2 CS Racing. In the GT World Challenge America, Bill Auberlen and Chandler Hull (both USA) made it onto the Pro-Am podium in both races at the wheel of the #94 BMW M4 GT3 of BimmerWorld Racing. They came home third on Saturday and second on Sunday. The Turner Motorsport duo of Robby Foley and Michael Dinan (both USA) failed to finish either race.
In GT4 America, James Clay and Charlie Postins (both USA) won the Am class on Saturday in the BimmerWorld Racing BMW M4 GT4. They failed to finish on Sunday. In the Silver class, Austen Smith and Zac Anderson (both USA) from the Auto Technic Racing team were third in both races. Their team-mates Tom Capizzi and John Capestro-Dubets (both USA) finished runner-up in the Pro-Am class on Saturday. On Sunday, James Walker Jr. and Devin Jones (both USA) came home third for BimmerWorld Racing.
In TC America, Colin Garrett and Jacob Ruud (both USA) each won one race at the wheel of the BMW M2 CS Racing. Garrett won for Rooster Hall Racing on Saturday, finishing ahead of Ruud and Lucas Catania (Rigid Speed). On Sunday, it was Ruud who triumphed for the Fast Track Racing team. This time, Garrett came home second, ahead of Catania, who made it onto the podium in both races.