One of the highlights of the 2018 endurance season takes place this weekend: the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). Over 40 BMW race cars will be in action in the “Green Hell”, including five BMW M6 GT3s. ROWE Racing will field two cars with works support from BMW Motorsport. The third car in the field is the Shell Helix BMW M6 GT3, with BMW works driver Augusto Farfus (BRA) among those sharing the driving duties. Walkenhorst Motorsport and Falken Motorsports will run the remaining two cars in the top SP9 category. BMW Motorsport Juniors Beitske Visser (NED) and Nico Menzel (GER) will be at the wheel of the #60 Sorg Rennsport BMW M4 GT4. They will be ably assisted by Dirk Adorf (GER), who mentors the BMW Motorsport Juniors, and the experienced Tom Coronel (NED)..
Quotes ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours:
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“Last weekend, we kicked off the season in Europe with the BMW M4 DTM and the BMW M8 GTE. Next up is one of the absolute highlights of the year for our BMW M6 GT3. For sure the goal is to claim the 20th victory for BMW at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. However, you cannot count on victory at what is possibly the toughest endurance race in the world. You always need a little bit of luck too. As well as the battle for overall victory, the focus at this special race will once again be on the hordes of BMW customer teams, who will take on the Nordschleife in many different BMW cars. I am also curious to see BMW Motorsport Juniors Beitske Visser and Nico Menzel at the wheel of the BMW M4 GT4. The 24-hour race is a real festival of motorsport.”
Hans-Peter Naundorf (team principal ROWE Racing):
“Our goal for the 24-hour race is actually a very simple one: We want to go one better than last year’s second place. As simple as that may sound, it will be tough to achieve. At this unique race on the toughest circuit in the world, and against so much top-quality opposition, you need to remain fully-focussed and work precisely – not just for 24 hours, but for a full four days – and you simply cannot afford to make any mistakes. We have come really close to achieving our dream of overall victory on several occasions in recent years, but we have always been lacking that little bit of luck you need. We have prepared very well this year. Victory in the second round of the VLN and second place in the qualification race have shown that our goal is a realistic one. I am proud of the high-quality team of drivers we have assembled together with our partner BMW Motorsport.”
Tom Blomqvist (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“ROWE Racing is familiar to me as I drove for the guys before. It is a great team so hopefully we will be able to get a good result. As a driver the 24-hour race is a spectacular event. The pleasure you get driving a race car around a circuit such as the Nordschleife is probably the most you can get.”
Nick Catsburg (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am really looking forward to the Nürburgring 24 Hours – in fact, it is my favourite event of the year. We have a strong car and good drivers. Our results in the VLN and the qualification race have been very promising. I feel that we are very well prepared.”
John Edwards (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“The Nordschleife is the coolest racetrack in the world. I am really excited every time I get to drive there. I have driven in the 24-hour race a few times, but have not really had good results so far. Hopefully that will change this year with ROWE Racing.”
Richard Westbrook (#98 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“After finishing second twice in three years with BMW a victory has to be the target. Of course that will be not be easy as ever the competition is very strong from several manufacturers. From our side preparations have gone really well. All my team-mates and I have a good feeling of the car and have completed a lot of running without any issues.”
Connor De Phillippi (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am really looking forward to my first outing as a BMW works driver at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and with it the opportunity to repeat my overall victory from last year. The BMW M6 GT3 is particularly strong on the Nordschleife. We have shown our speed in the VLN races. We now hope we can repeat that pace at the highlight of the season.”
Jesse Krohn (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am delighted to be back at this magnificent event. Our squad of drivers at ROWE Racing is fantastic, and preparations have also gone very well. It is now all about being out in front when it really matters.”
Alexander Sims (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“After last year’s second place, I would obviously really like to be one step higher on the podium this time. The BMW M6 GT3 looks good with the Evo package and has had some good results at the Nürburgring in the run-up to the 24-hour race. As such, we are in a good position. However, there is probably no 24-hour race in the world that is more difficult to win than the race on the Nordschleife. It is one of the biggest challenges for me as a racing driver, but it is also a lot of fun every time.”
Martin Tomczyk (#99 BMW M6 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“I am obviously really looking forward to the Nürburgring 24 Hours. I have driven in this race with BMW for many years. Unfortunately, I have not won it yet. We have come close a few times and could theoretically have won it twice – but that is part and parcel of the Nürburgring. It is a big challenge, and many different factors play a role there.”
Augusto Farfus (#102 Shell Helix BMW M6 GT3)
“The Nürburgring 24 Hours is one of my very favourite races on the calendar. The situation is new for me this year, with a new team, new teammates and different tyres. However, I believe we are well equipped and we will try to get the maximum out of our package. It will be important for us to have a trouble-free race. If we can manage that, then we will be in for a good result.”
Jens Klingmann (#33 BMW M6 GT3, Falken Motorsports):
“This is my first year with the Falken Motorsports team, but the two preparatory races have given me plenty of opportunity to get to know all the team-members and my fellow drivers. I am very impressed by the experience and professionalism of the team. I have been made to feel very welcome there from the outset, which is a very important aspect to me. All in all, I am very optimistic about our chances in the 24-hour race.”
Nico Menzel (#60 BMW M4 GT4, Sorg Rennsport):
“The 24-hour race gives us the opportunity to spend an awful lot of time on the most difficult track in the world with the car that we run in the GT4 European Series. I am really looking forward to the race and to driving alongside our Junior mentor Dirk Adorf. I also have two fantastic teammates from the Netherlands, in Beitske Visser and Tom Coronel. It is going to be an awesome weekend.”
Beitske Visser (#60 BMW M4 GT4, Sorg Rennsport):
“I am really looking forward to my first start at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. I obtained my permit for the Nordschleife last year and can hardly wait to learn as much as possible from my three colleagues, who have a lot of experience on this track.”
An overview of the driver line-ups in selected BMW cars:
#98 BMW M6 GT3:
Tom Blomqvist (GBR)
Nick Catsburg (NED)
John Edwards (USA)
Richard Westbrook (GBR)
#99 BMW M6 GT3:
Connor De Phillippi (USA)
Jesse Krohn (FIN)
Alexander Sims (GBR)
Martin Tomczyk (GER)
#102 BMW M6 GT3:
Augusto Farfus (BRA)
Christian Krognes (NOR)
Markus Palttala (FIN)
Fabian Schiller (GER)
#101 BMW M6 GT3:
Ralf Oeverhaus (GER)
Jordan Tresson (FRA)
Henry Walkenhorst (GER)
Andreas Ziegler (GER)
#33 BMW M6 GT3:
Peter Dumbreck (GBR)
Stef Dusseldorp (NED)
Alexandre Imperatori (SUI)
Jens Klingmann (GER)
#60 BMW M4 GT4:
Dirk Adorf (GER)
Tom Coronel (NED)
Nico Menzel (GER)
Beitske Visser (NED)
Source. BMW
Comments
