The ROWE Racing team achieved an impressive podium finish at the Nürburgring 24 Hours race. Dries Vanthoor skillfully piloted the number 98 BMW M4 GT3 to a second-place position, just 26.911 seconds behind the victorious Ferrari. Vanthoor shared driving duties with Maxime Martin, Sheldon van der Linde, and Marco Wittmann, completing 162 laps. This achievement marked BMW M Motorsport’s first podium finish with the BMW M4 GT3 at this renowned endurance race in the Eifel Mountains.
Nürburgring (GER), May 18th to 21st, 2023 – BMW M Motorsport, 24 Hours Nürburgring 2023. ROWE Racing, #99 BMW M4 GT3, featuring Philipp Eng (AUT), Connor De Phillippi (USA), Augusto Farfus (BRA), and Nick Yelloly (GBR).
Starting from the 31st position on the grid, the team steadily made progress during the initial hours of the race, climbing into the top ten after the second round of pit stops. They engaged in an intense battle with the eventual winners, exchanging the lead multiple times. Although the ROWE Racing crew closed the gap on the victorious Ferrari with a shorter final pit stop, they ultimately fell short of overtaking them.
The number 100 BMW M4 GT3 also completed the arduous Nürburgring marathon. The Walkenhorst Motorsport Pro-Am car, driven by Christian Bollrath, Jörg Breuer, Sami-Matti Trogen, and Henry Walkenhorst, finished 16th overall and secured fifth place in the Pro-Am class.
Nürburgring (GER), May 18th to 21st, 2023 – BMW M Motorsport, 24 Hours Nürburgring 2023. Walkenhorst Motorsport, #101 BMW M4 GT3, featuring Christian Krognes (NOR), Jakub Giermaziak (POL), Jesse Kurki-Suonio-Krohn (FIN), and Andy Soucek (ESP).
Initially, several BMW M4 GT3s showed promising potential to challenge for the overall victory. However, the situation quickly changed due to a series of incidents during the early morning hours on the demanding 25-kilometer Nordschleife track. After 13 hours of intense racing, Connor De Phillippi, Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus, and Nick Yelloly of the second ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 were forced to retire following a collision with a slower car. Shortly thereafter, the BMW Junior Team faced difficulties as the number 72 BMW M4 GT3 suffered significant damage due to a puncture. Despite the strong performance earlier in the race, BMW M Team RMG’s extensive repair efforts were in vain, and Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Neil Verhagen were also compelled to retire.
Walkenhorst Motorsport experienced misfortune with their remaining SP9 cars as well. The #101 BMW M4 GT3, on track for a top-ten finish in the seventh hour, was forced to withdraw after two consecutive crashes. The race for the number 102 car also ended prematurely due to an accident in the early hours of Sunday morning, while it was running in seventh place.
Despite the challenges faced, BMW upholds its impressive record of 20 overall victories at the “Green Hell,” solidifying its position as the most successful manufacturer in the history of the 24-hour race. The most recent BMW triumph on the Nordschleife
was achieved by ROWE Racing with the BMW M6 GT3 in 2020.
You are welcome Lisa, really appreciate it.
And yet BMW needs a 911 Killer for the road. A groundbreaking and breathtaking 1,550 kg heavy hypersonic rocket with up to 600 hp and 750 Nm from a 3.0 tri-turbo l inline six-cylinder rear engine with third-generation M-XDrive is the only option.
Designing a rear-engined vehicle is not typically within BMW’s primary expertise. The i12 chassis represented their closest foray into this realm, but unfortunately, they opted to install the underpowered B38 engine in it.