Bayerische Motoren Werke : BMW Motorsport News – Issue 31/16.

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.

BTCC: BMW 125i M Sport on the podium three times in Knockhill.
On the seventh race weekend in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), the BMW 125i M Sport celebrated three podium finishes in Knockhill (GB). Sam Tordoff (GB) in the number 600 car crossed the finish line in second place in the second race, and repeated this performance in the third race on Sunday. He claimed fifth place in the first race. Jack Goff (GB) in the number 31 BMW 125i M Sport recorded his best result of the season. In the first race, he claimed a podium finish in second place. After 27 laps, he was just 0.503 seconds behind the winner Jason Plato (GB). In the next two races, Goff crossed the finish line in seventh and tenth respectively. Robert Collard (GB), the third Team West Surrey Racing driver, did not have such a successful race weekend. After finishing 17th in the first race on Sunday, he was able to improve on that result with fifth in the second race. However, he was forced to retire on lap eight in the third race. The BTCC season is now entering its critical phase. Two events are scheduled ahead of the finale at Brands Hatch (GB) on 1st and 2nd October. The next stop will be at the Rockingham Motor Speedway (GB) in two weeks.

Pirelli World Challenge: Two podium finishes for BMW M235i Racing.
Toby Grahovec (US) and the Team Classic BMW Motorsports can look back to a successful weekend in the Pirelli World Challenge. They made it onto the podium in both races at the Utah Motorsports Campus (US). Having started from fifth in the ninth race of the season in the TC class, Grahovec finished third on Friday in the number 26 BMW M235i Racing. He also secured the same finishing position in the second race of the weekend at the 4.9-kilometre circuit. After 17 hard-fought laps, he crossed the line just 0.21 seconds behind the winner. Max Fedler (US) was not far behind in the second BMW M235i, claiming a fourth-place finish. In the first race, the Team Racing Summit of Everest Motorsports driver secured eighth place. Grahovec is still in the lead in the TC class drivers' championship, ahead of the season finale in the Pirelli World Challenge on 7th and 8th October in Laguna Seca (US).

DTM: Tomczyk as famous instructor in Switzerland.
Martin Tomczyk's (DE) BMW M Performance Parts M4 DTM is still in the garage since the DTM doesn't get going again until next weekend when races eleven and twelve of the season will be held at the 'Moscow Raceway' (RU). But the BMW Team Schnitzer driver is by no means putting his foot on the brake in the race-free period. Quite the opposite: Tomczyk was in action at the BMW (Switzerland) AG Track Days in Betzholz (CH) last week. As a famous instructor, he explained how much power, agility and precision the BMW M automobiles have to Switzerland's most important automobile journalists. The media representatives had the BMW M2, BMW M3, BMW M4 GTS, the BMW M6 Coupé and the BMW X6 M available as test models at the driving safety centre premises of the Touring Club Schweiz. In three different exercises, Tomczyk demonstrated the uncompromising sportiness of the M models and shared valuable tips on perfect car control, even in extreme situations. Another highlight of the Track Days was the taxi rides with the BMW Team Schnitzer driver. 'We wanted to show the participants why M is the most powerful letter in the world and share the driving pleasure typical of the BMW M models with them,' said Tomczyk. 'The feedback was more than positive. Everyone had a fantastic time. I really enjoyed giving the participants advice and sharing a few racing driver secrets.'

Formula E: Félix da Costa to drive for Andretti Formula E.
BMW DTM driver António Félix da Costa (PT) will continue to race in the FIA Formula E Championship. The Portuguese driver switches to the Andretti Formula E team for his third season in the series for electric cars, having spent two years with the Aguri team. 'I am delighted that such a strong team as Andretti Formula E is giving me the opportunity to race in Formula E in its third year. The series is developing quickly and it is fantastic to be a part of this development. My goal is obviously to back up the success from my first two seasons and to challenge for victories again. I would like to say a big thank you to BMW Motorsport for allowing me to remain involved in single-seater racing, alongside my commitments as a works driver.' The new season begins on 9th October in Hong Kong (CN).